The Three Hills Hike (Short Loop)

Walk directions

1. Step 1

   From the entrance to the Churchstoke Shopping Centre’s lower car park, cross the main road with care to reach a wooden gate immediately opposite. Through this, take the short residential road ahead and then follow the road sign right towards Crosslikey Close. Turn right between two rows of garages to find a stile behind into a field.

2. Step 2

   Follow the left hand edge of the field, over a stile to reach another at the end of the field. Follow the line of a hedge to reach a gate in the corner of the field.  After the next, smaller field cross a ditch in the direction of the house ahead. Turn immediately right following the ditch to find a small footbridge back across into another field. From here you get a good view up to Todleth and Roundton Hills.

3. Step 3

   Keep left round the edge of the field and then along the long line of trees which mark the route of an old green way up to the hamlet of Old Church Stoke. You follow the line of this ancient track onwards, though a gate in a hedge and then slightly left up to a field gate in a fence. There are glimpses down into the overgrown lane through the hedge as you walk further up. Look for a stile in the hedge which takes you onto the lane and follow this, uphill, to Old Church Stoke.

4. Step 4

   Cross the road junction to a track opposite up to a gate that has a stile beside it. Climb up a little further to a stile into a field on the left and diagonally up the slope to cross two more stiles. Turn right and cross a house driveway onto the lane. Follow the lane uphill until reaching a junction next to a cottage called Castle Ring House.

   Short loop

   From here you can take a detour on to the short loop back towards Churchstoke. Follow the lane ahead downhill, ignore the junction right signed to Roundton Hill Nature Reserve. Carry on to find a stile on the right and a tiny footbridge into the nature reserve where there’s an information panel. Follow the footpath alongside a small stream. The path curls round the foot of Roundton Hill, past a couple of houses and through a small gate, down to a track. From here, rejoin the Three Hills Hike at Step 15.

5. Step 15 of full Route

   Cross the ford and go through the gate at the entrance to the reserve. Soon after, look out for a stile on the left. Over the stile the footpath cuts right, up to another stile in the corner of the field. Continue up to the top corner of the next field onto a track.

6. Step 16 of full Route

   Straight across the track a path leads steeply through woods and scrub. You emerge through lots of Rowan trees, over a stile and onto the Open Access Land of Todleth Hill. There are lovely views behind of Roundton Hill and the ridge of the Stiperstones to the East.

7. Step 17 of full Route

   Go ahead and past some piles of stones between grassy mounds. The path meanders downhill to reach an electrical generator station. There is a surfaced track here, ignore it. Instead, follow a path under the line of electrical poles, gently downhill, until it meets a fenceline. Follow the waymark post and fence, right, above the small cottage.

8. Step 18 of full Route

   At the fence corner carry on ahead along a very old hedgeline to a waymark post from where you can see Churchstoke. Follow the line of the old wall and hedge downhill, and to the left. This leads to a cattle grid at the foot of a farm track, emerging onto a small lane.

   Turn right and look immediately left for a fingerpost and path which leads down to a stile. Over the stile, go ahead down the hillside and across a track to the far bottom right hand corner of the field where there’s another stile.

   Follow the right hand field edge to the bottom corner and onto a track by a house. Follow this to the main road and take care crossing back over to reach the Churchstoke Shopping Centre car park.