Way For The Millenium

41 miles (66 km)

This long distance walk follows the Way For The Millenium through Staffordshire. The route runs for just over 40 miles, passing Stafford, Colwich, Rugeley, Yoxall and Barton Under Needwood before finishing in Burton upon Trent.
The varied route follows public rights of way, the former Stafford–Newport Greenway and canal towpaths, linking a wide variety of countryside, villages and historic sites....
From Newport, the route follows the Stafford–Newport Greenway, a former railway line, through Gnosall, Haughton and Derrington towards Stafford. The Greenway passes through open farmland and wildlife-rich hedgerows, with historic railway features and access to nearby attractions including Aqualate Mere and Stafford Castle.
Leaving Stafford, the route heads east along the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal towpath towards Great Haywood and Shugborough Park. This section combines peaceful waterside walking with broad countryside views, passing Baswich, Milford, Tixall and Colwich, with notable features including Tixall Gatehouse, Tixall Wide and the historic canal junction at Great Haywood.
From Great Haywood the Way continues along the canal through Little Haywood, Colwich and towards Rugeley and Armitage. The route passes attractive river and canal landscapes, historic villages and buildings, as well as Spode House, Hawkesyard Priory and the remains of the former Armitage Tunnel.
At Armitage, the route leaves the canal and crosses approximately 14 kilometres of farmland and public rights of way through Mavesyn Ridware, Pipe Ridware, Morrey and Yoxall. Highlights include historic buildings at Mavesyn Ridware, the River Blithe crossing and the characterful village of Yoxall, before the route reaches Wychnor and rejoins the Trent and Mersey Canal.
The final section follows the canal towpath from Wychnor through Barton-under-Needwood and Barton Turns, passing Branston Water Park and the Bass Millennium Woodland. The route then continues through Shobnall Marina and Shobnall Fields before reaching its eastern end at Burton upon Trent.
Designed with accessibility in mind, the Way has no steep gradients and can be enjoyed by people of different ages and abilities. It is waymarked with red arrows on white backgrounds, although some sections can become wet in winter; parts of the route also cross private farmland, where walkers should remain on the designated path and take care around crops and livestock.