Exploring The Head of Trent, Brown Edge, Staffordshire

I do love a run beside a river. As you know we’ve run beside the river Dee many times, but what about the river Trent? I have in mind to explore the River Trent as it runs from Stoke on Trent and down to Stone and on to Burton on Trent and Nottingham but first I thought we’d visit close to where the river rises as the Head of Trent near Biddulph. 

Today we are just outside Biddulph starting from Greenway Country Park at Knypersley Pool but instead of a loop of the reservoir (which we’ve done before) we are heading south through the parish of Brown Edge to Ball Green and Norton Green at which point we head back north running beside the Head of Trent as it flows south from Knypersley towards Stoke where it finally then becomes the river Trent. Also we run beside the canal feeder which runs south from Knypersley reservoir down to the Caldon canal. 

The Route

Starting from the upper car park at Greenway Bank, turn left on the road towards the reservoir then take the path right over the fields to the hamlett of Ridgeway. Now turn left on Bemersley Road and follow it to Ball Green. Next take a left into Gorsey Bank and take the path on the left and follow it over the fields to the edge of Norton Green, now turn left on the track and then right at the stile over the field crossing the Head of Trent. At the next field cross it to reach the canal feeder and turn left. Continue straight, at the next field continue beside the canal feeder (with it on your left now) follow it to Woodhouse Lane where we turn right and then immediately left on the path. Follow the path to Tongue Lane (note you could take a detour here turning right up the bank into the village of Brown Edge). We continue straight on, the path runs between the river and the canal feeder coming out at Knypersley Pool where we turn left up Greenway Bank back to our starting point.