Grid ref: SJ959 671
Difficulty: Medium
Distance: 13 km
The route starts by crossing the field behind the pub to its far right corner then on reaching the next field follow the wall on your right hand side. The wall becomes your handrail across the next two fields as you head towards Hammerton Knowl Farm, joining the main track up to the farm itself.
Turn right at the farm and go downhill to meet the Wildboarclough to Wincle road where you turn left. After a few metres on the road a path heads off right into open ground and a stream.
Cross the stream and continue ahead, with a wall joining from the left, to a T junction. Turn left at the T junction to pass a small coppice, after which the path returns to follow the stream – now called Clough Brook. Follow the right hand bank of Clough Brook to the car park and road on the edge of the village, following the road past the Crag Inn and into Wildboarclough. As you enter the village take the road turning on the right and ascend the steep slope to reach Crag Hall. The route on is directly opposite Crag Hall, where a right turn off the road leads to Firs Farm. Pass the farm and follow the path as it turns sharply right to enter the woods for a few metres, emerging into open fields. Cross the two fields ahead diagonally and continue up to join the Congleton road.
Cross the road and take the wide and obvious track heading south east for the next kilometre as it crosses open moors before again meeting a road. Cross this road straight ahead to the continuation of the route down to the river at Gradbach. A footbridge gives a way across the River Dane and once across the river turn right by the former mill now used as a Youth Hostel and follow the river downstream towards the plantation. Another footbridge takes you into Forest Wood and a well-trodden route up to Lud’s Church.
Turn right by Lud’s Church and leave the trees behind, with a wall on the right guiding you onto another wide and well-trodden path that brings you to a T junction. Turn right here and drop down to Hangside Farm. Pass through the farm and across the field behind it to cut through the trees ahead and after crossing a small stream emerge at Danebridge.
Turn right onto the road and walk uphill in the direction of Wincle, crossing the river and eventually reaching the third pub on the route. Just after the pub a path heads off right across the fields to Hog Clough, which you cross before heading diagonally left across another field to again meet a road. Turn right here and continue to Hammerton Farm where a left turn leads you out onto Hammerton Moss. Continue on past a small group of trees to reach the Congleton road directly opposite the Wild Boar – your original starting point.