This walk is available as a guided walk with your own personal walking guide to ‘bring the countryside to life’ by sharing their local knowledge with you. Contact Cath at Peak Walking Adventures on 07870 778585 to arrange this, or try the walk on your own.
The walk is approximately 6 miles on footpaths through fields, tracks, and roads with some hills. It involves climbing over stiles, one of which is quite narrow. You should ensure that you are properly equipped for walking in the countryside before setting out.
Turn right out of the front door and walk to the road junction. Continue straight on until almost at The Greyhound Inn. Turn left down a track opposite a road going off to the right. Go through the white gates, past the sign that says ‘Private Drive to Ogston Hall. No Reservoir Traffic’.
Walk along the track downhill for about 200 metres, and look for a wooden stile on the left next to a metal farm gate. Go over the stile and bear to the right down the field to a gap in the hedge half way across the field boundary at the bottom end. Go straight down the middle of the next field to the metal kissing gate. Go through the gate and turn left on the path alongside the railway line. Go over the railway line on the footbridge.
After you have come down the steps of the bridge, carry on straight ahead keeping the barbed wire fence to your right. When you reach the corner of the field, go over the wooden stile to the right and across the field passing just to the right of the first set of telegraph poles, and to the left of the following sets of telegraph poles. The river Amber is to your left.
Continue near to the bank of the river until you reach some little weirs and Ogston Bridge. Go onto the track and then turn left over the stone bridge.
Continue on the track until you see the white gate of Ogston Hall in front of you. Here follow the track to the right, past the water treatment plant, and some houses to join the lane.
Turn left onto the lane and follow it round to the right. You will soon see views of Ogston Reservoir opening up on your left, between the trees.
Continue on the lane for almost ¾ mile, until you reach the junction with another road. Turn left on this road down the hill taking care to avoid traffic, especially on the bends. Continue on the road past the Ogston Reservoir North Car Park. There are lovely views of the Reservoir to the left.
As the road starts to go uphill, take the road on the left (Quarry Lane). Walk along this road, passing the entrance to Ogston sailing club, then turn down the tarmac drive on the left signposted to the West Car Park. There is a nice picnic area down there, and a path that leads to a stone built public bird hide.
When you have finished relaxing or exploring the picnic area and bird hide, retrace your steps back up the tarmac drive. Upon joining the road, turn left. Walk along the pavement at the side of the road, again with views over the reservoir to your left.
After almost a mile, you will pass a sign indicating that you are entering the village of Brackenfield. When you reach the church, turn left down Butterfield Lane. About 300 metres down the road, just past a large house on the left, there is a metal gate and wooden stile at the side on the left. The footpath sign is partially hidden by a holly bush. Go over the stile and follow the grassy path up the hill between trees and a hedge.
The path eventually starts to go gently downhill and opens up into meadows. Keep going straight ahead to cross the river over a little bridge, then re-cross the railway line on the same footbridge that you crossed earlier in the walk.
After the footbridge bridge follow the path, initially alongside the railway line, then back up the middle of the field where you walked down at the beginning. In the second field, bear to the left to the top left hand corner, go over the stile and turn right up the lane back to the road. Turn right on the road back to the Crown Inn for a well-deserved drink or maybe a bar meal!