6.5 Mile Walk / Run Audley, Staffordshire - Audley Line, Minnie Pit & Bateswood Nature Reserve

Fairly close to home today. Out through Alsager and over the border into Staffordshire to Audley. Running over the fields towards Bignall End with views of Bignall Hill which we’ve visited before. Then I picked up a disused railway, the Audley Line heading south through to Halmer End where we reach Bateswood a large nature reserve on the site of a former colliery, it’s a huge area to explore. We are just north of Madeley here and really close to Apedale and Silverdale which is just east of bateswood. I then looped back through Audley. These post industrial spaces are great, they tend to be turned into trails and nature reserves and get you right out into the countryside.

History

The Audley Line 

Todays route take us down the Audley Line, a section of disused railway line that used to run down through Bignall End and Halmer End, it was used to transport coal from the pit near Halmers End.

The Minnie Pit 

Minnie Pit Heritage Site and Bateswood Nature Reserve stand on the site of the Minnie Pit Colliery. This profitable coal mine suffered with firedamp (methane build up) and had a couple of small explosion before the Minnie Pit Disaster in 1918 when an explosion caused a large section of the mine to collapse. 248 men and boys were down the mine that day, 155 of which lost their lives. It took 18 months to recover the bodies 44 of whom were under 16. Following the disaster the area suffered from hardship with the mine closing at the beginning of the Great Depression.

The Route

Starting from the free car park on Church Street, turn left. At the end of the road turn right on New Road and then take the path on the right. At a fork in the path turn left and follow the path across the fields to the Audley Line. Turn right and follow the path to the end at Halmer End. Cross onto Station road and at the end by The Railway Pub turn right on Shraleybrook Road. Take the track on the left at Minnie Pit Heritage Site and then take the path on the left to Cloggers Lake at Bateswood Nature Reserve. Turn right and at the far side of the pool continue straight on away from the pool. At the end of the track turn right and take the next path on your right. After a section of wooden boardwalk take the path left up the hill then bear left, then right. At the next fork turn right then go left and follow the track to the car park. Take the path straight on then take the next path left, cross the road and take the short path straight on. Now turn left on Heathcote Road. At the bottom of the hill in Miles Green take the path on your left Station Road and turn left then immediately right into Wereton Road and follow this back to the starting point.