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Met Mast Meander
 The
walk takes you over some of the beautiful ancient landscape
surrounding Norton in Hales and you should allow about 2 hours.
You will climb up to near where Bellaport Hall once stood,
overlooking parts of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire,
and then descend to pass by Bellaport Old Hall. This is very
old settlement and originally part of Bearstone Manor.
The walk also takes you close to the Meteorological Mast
currently being used to try and justify a wind farm over all
of this area.
The walk starts from the centre of the village on the road
leading to Audlem. Walk up this road and over the old railway
bridge. This bridge has recently been re-built to take heavier
lorries and has re-used the old sandstone for the parapet.
From the bridge the old station can be seen, now converted
into a private house, and a little further away, the station
master’s house. After the group of houses known as ‘The
Croft’, take the stile on the right at the end of the
hedge and cross the field diagonally, to a stile in the far
corner. Into the next field, a similar line will take you
to a gateway in the right hand hedge with a small tree visible
beyond. Pass through the gate and cross some rough ground
and field, heading for a large hawthorn bush in the far fence,
to the left of some scattered hedgerow trees.
The next part probably doesn’t line up with your map,
if you have one! The line of the path was changed some years
ago, so cross the field on a heading for Bellaport Farm Buildings,
diagonally to your right, to clip, but not cross, the next
fence. Then bear slightly right and head to for some oaks
on the skyline well to the right of the farm buildings, and
a stile in the corner of the field.
On this part of the walk, you will see the buildings of Bellaport
Home Farm. The Hall itself no longer exists. As you cross
the stile and turn sharp right through the gate, the views
can be quite far reaching over the Cheshire Plain, but on
walking along the hedgerow on the right the view is in the
opposite direction, towards the ridge of Ashley Heath.
Cross the next stile by a pond and descend the field heading
to the right of the next farm, to a stile part way along the
hedge. Having crossed this, aim to the left of the farm to
pass through the track gateway and then turn abruptly left
over two stiles and a ditch.
From here, head uphill past a stag headed oak and a young,
fenced, tree growing in the field and eventually a stile will
be found well to the left of the field gate. It is rather
hidden round a corner of the hedge. You will have seen Bellaport
Old Hall to your right when climbing the hill.
The path continues on the left hand side of the next hedge
line to a stile and plank over a stream. The Met Mast is now
directly ahead of you, so walk into the field on the same
heading, until you are level with the end of a lane which
has double gates into your field. This is Polar Lane and you
should turn right in the field to the lane. Walk down the
lane until an old cottage is reached and, just beyond, is
a stile in the hedge on the right. Cross this and you are
into the wettest part of the walk! Pick your way to quickly
cross the next stile. Cross this field on the same line to
an overgrown double stile and ditch, after which, cut across
the corner of the next field, to the left, where you should
find a broken stile/gate hidden away part way along an overgrown
hedge. Head up the next field to a fence stile to the right
of some trees growing in the fence line. Now follow the fence
leading to Bellaport Old Hall, passing through a gate and
along the back of the farm silage pits. Eventually a fence
will be found which can be crossed onto the farm drive by
the field gate.
Follow the drive, but do not follow the left hand bend. Instead,
continue straight on, passing the point where you were earlier!
However, this time walk straight on following the fence on
your left. After crossing a stile and bridge, keep parallel
to the fence on the right to stile by a very tall post. Continue
on the same line to the next stile which is crossed and then
the path is to the left. At this point, stop and admire the
new wild life pool.
Crossing yet another stile, the next point of interest is
the old railway line, which is crossed by two stiles. Next,
walk to the corner of a protruding hedge and then go right,
which leads back to Church Fields and you rejoin the road,
Bellaport Road, which you walked up at the start.
A circular walk around Norton in Hales
 This
walk is just over 4 miles in length, so allow 1½ hours
for a leisurely walk. It takes in quiet lanes and field paths
and passes by three old Halls. In winter, one section near
Oakley can be a little wet underfoot.
From the centre of the village, walk up the road signposted
to Audlem, past Griffin Close on your left, and turn up a
drive just past the next house on the left. This leads to
a field, with a small gate. Go through the gate and cross
the field behind some bungalows which front onto Griffin Close,
and go through the ‘kissing gate’ on the far side
of the field. Turn right up the lane. You stay on this lane
for about ¾ mile. It is fairly quiet, but watch out
for fast moving tractors. The lane passes the drive to Brand
Hall, a Georgian Country House which can be glimpsed through
the parkland. Then passing the buttresses of an old railway
bridge (the railway opened in 1860), turn left and cross a
stile into a field.
Cross the field diagonally, heading well to the left of
a small tree, and you will find a small bridge over a ditch.
Once over the bridge, change course slightly for a tree on
the skyline at the far side of the field. Pass through the
small gate or over the stile into the next field. Walk up
this field parallel to the hedge on your left and another
gate soon appears. In the distance hills of Wales, Shropshire
and Cheshire can be seen on a clear day. Nearer to hand the
hamlet of Ridgwardine can be seen. Through the gate, walk
down the hedge line to a gate at the bottom. The hill straight
ahead in the far distance is the Wrekin.
Turn left into the lane, soon crossing the old railway line,
and continue for about ½ mile as far as the Market
Drayton to Norton road at Betton Hall. Taking care of the
traffic, turn right for 200 metres and then turn left into
another lane. You are now walking towards Oakley. After the
second house, Betton Lodge, there is an evergreen hedge at
the end of which is a stile into the garden. Cross the lawn
on this public footpath, with the river on your right, climb
the next stile and strike diagonally up the hill for a few
yards to another stile. Follow the narrow path past some pools
until you pass into a field. Head towards Oakley Hall, which
has now come into view, to the gate by a lake. Admire the
view.
Do not cross the dam, but walk the other way alongside a
stonewall up the hill and then head for two trees in the field.
Continue uphill and towards the top bear right, to keep the
fence line on your left. You are walking on the old road from
Norton to Oakley, but only traces remain. Continue along the
old track way and small gate appears. Through the gate you
are on a‘green lane’ and from up here you look
down to the village of Norton. This lane leads into the village.
There is a short cut across the corner of the field further
on if you can find it, but otherwise keep on the lane all
the way to the end of Forge Lane. From here, continue straight
ahead with the village school on your left, to your starting
point.
Extending the Circular Walk
 For
the energetic, a description is given here of an extension
to the circular walk of about a mile and a half. It takes
in the area of Betton Moss and could easily also form the
basis of a shorter circular walk from Betton or Ridgewardine.
Join the extended walk after the comment about seeing the
Wrekin:
On reaching the lane running up to Ridgewardine, turn right
instead of left, and walk towards Ridgewardine for 350 yards,
to a stile in the left-hand hedge by an oak tree. Climb the
stile and walk across the field skirting the left edge of
the pond, making for a gate in the far hedge. Once through
the gate, bear left diagonally downhill across the field and
head for a small old oak tree at the end of one hedge and
the start of a wire fence. There is a stile here, which you
cross.
The heading is now for a black and white house, keeping to
the right hand hedges, and a stile will be found in the corner
of the field leading onto a lane. Turn left and walk along
the lane for about half a mile, past Bettonmoss Farm, and
a stile will then be found at the start of a high hedge on
the left. Walk across this small rough field to a little gate,
through a small spinney, to a stile. In the next field keep
to the right hand hedge to the line of the old railway and
then head diagonally left across the field to another stile,
followed by two others at Mosslane Farm, which lead you onto
a charming lane. After passing a couple of old cottages you
will see an old corrugated iron chapel, now converted into
a house, and on the other side the inevitable barn conversions.
On reaching the Market Drayton road, turn left and carefully
walk through the hamlet of Betton, past Old Betton Hall.
In 50 yards there is an iron kissing gate on the right. From
there the path leads straight across a couple of fields towards
a line of trees which mark the edge of the river Tern. At
the edge of the field turn left for a few yards for the stile
that leads onto the lane and rejoin the main walk at Betton
Lodge.
Murrain Stone Walk
 This
is a short walk of just over 2 miles and will take under 1
hour. Most of the walk lies on the perimeter of a large arable
field on a permissive bridle path; as such, it will not be
found on Ordinance Survey maps. The walk starts from the centre
of the village and passes an unusual memorial.
Walk along Main Road, in the direction of Market Drayton,
to Forge Lane and turn down the lane. Follow this, ignoring
the public footpath sign on the left at the end of the houses.
The lane then turns sharp left and continues. Where the lane
next bends to the right, by a cherry tree, a turn into the
field will be found. Enter the field and continue walking
parallel to the lane, but inside the field. There is a short
length of old hedge, followed by a new hedge on your left.
At the gateway of a defunct hedge a shortcut may be made down
the old hedge line to the right. For the full walk, continue
uphill. Looking back, the village of Norton can be seen in
the hollow; the Tern valley is away to the left as is the
OakleyPark. At the top of the hill, continue inside the field
and do not pass through the gate
As you drop down the field, Oakley Hall will be seen. Follow
the field round at the bottom and, at some double gates, turn
right to walk parallel to the Market Drayton road. The road
here is sunken well below field level, indicating its great
age. There are views to the left of Brand Hall parkland. If
you have not yet seen a buzzard, which are quite numerous
hereabouts, over Oakley, keep your eyes open for the sight
of one over The Brand. The path eventually diverts from the
road, with a small paddock on the left side of the fence.
Just before the fence becomes a hedge, an iron gate is found.
Lean over this and the Murrain Stone can be seen. This is
the size of a small gravestone and is most unusual. An old
transcription tell us that the following is written on it:
THIS STONE
IS RAISED AS A MEMENTO
OF THE GREAT CATTLE
PLAGUE OF 1866
WHICH SWEPT 54 HEAD
OFF THIS FARM IN
14 DAYS OF MARCH.
THEY DIED WITHOUT
REMEDY AND HERE LIE.
“Shall we receive good from God and not evil.”
Job 2,10.’
This disease was Rinderpest and 1865/6 was the last major
outbreak in this country.
Cases were apparently found at Bearstone in November 1865.
In January 1866 weekly prayer meetings were started to avert
the plague and on March 7th a general Fast Day was proclaimed.
On 21st June 1866 the plague died out.
At the next hedge turn right through 90’ and walk back
to the starting point inside the big field. In the distance
can be seen Arbour Farm. Arbour is a corruption of the Old
English for earthwork and commemorates the burial mound that
must have been in the fields here. Only the entrance stone
with a circular hole and an upright stone remain (known as
the Devils’ ring and finger), and that has been moved
to a field boundary.
Cross the lane into the field opposite and follow the path
diagonally across the field to the left, heading for a small
poplar tree. This leads to Forge Lane by the small lorry park.
All that now remains is to retrace your steps back to the
centre of the village. |
