This leaflet can be used in conjunction with OS Explorer 245 (The National Forest) and Landranger number 128 (Derby and Burton upon Trent).

The National Forest Company Enterprise Glade, Bath Yard, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE12 6BA 01283 551211 enquires@nationalforest.org www.visitnationalforest.co.uk/activities/walking/

Registered Charity Number 1166563

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information at the time of printing. However, the National Forest Company cannot be held responsible for any error, omission or subsequent changes.

Photography: Christopher Beech, Diana Jarvis, Jacqui Rock and NFCMaps reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right (2016). All rights reserved. Licence number 100021056.

25 YEARS OF TRANSFORMATION:

1991 TO 2016

The National Forest sprang from a vision in the 1980s to bring multi-purpose forestry to lowland areas, near where people live and work.

The idea came from what was then the Countryside Commission. But it was overwhelming support from the local communities, many of which had suffered devastation through the closure of the mining and clay extraction industries, that secured the Forest for this area, this 200 square miles of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Beginning in 1991, the new trees were to bring about a massive transformation: of the landscape, the economy and people’s lives. Now, a quarter of a century on, over eight and a half million trees have been planted, primarily mixed native broadleaf species, and forest cover has more than tripled from 6% in the early 1990s to over 20% in 2016.

200,000 people living in the Forest have woodlands on their doorstep. Ten million people live within 90 minutes’ drive of the Forest with access to its attractions, events, open spaces and woodlands.

Nearly every child in the Forest has planted a tree; over half a million children, many from the surrounding cities, have taken part in environmental education activities in the Forest; nearly 300,000 people have taken part in Forest-related events over the last 25 years. There’s still more trees to plant, more woodlands to look after and many ways in which you can help us and get involved.

Enjoy your walk through this changing landscape.

Find out more about the Forest and how you can support us:

www.nationalforest.org

The Silver Circuitan 8 mile circular walk

This walk starts here

CELEBRATING

25

YEARS OF TRANSFORMATION

The

Silv

er C

ircui

t20

16 m

arke

d 2

5 ye

ars

sinc

e th

e fi

rst

tree

s w

ere

pla

nted

in T

he N

atio

nal F

ore

st. A

s p

art

of

the

anni

vers

ary

cele

bra

tio

ns, t

he S

ilver

Cir

cuit

was

cr

eate

d.

Thi

s 8-

mile

cir

cula

r w

alk

pas

ses

thro

ugh

Nee

dw

oo

d

Fore

st a

nd d

ow

n in

to t

he T

rent

Val

ley.

It w

as

des

igne

d t

o c

reat

e a

loo

p f

rom

the

Nat

iona

l Fo

rest

W

ay, w

hich

it f

ollo

ws

bet

wee

n T

aten

hill

and

the

Tre

nt

& M

erse

y C

anal

.

1 S

tart

in th

e ca

r par

k ne

xt to

the

Wat

erfro

nt p

ub a

t B

arto

n M

arin

a. F

ollo

w M

arin

a W

alk

betw

een

the

cana

l ba

sin

and

the

pub,

kee

ping

the

shop

s an

d ca

fes

on

your

rig

ht. T

urn

right

thro

ugh

the

arch

way

(with

a c

lock

ab

ove)

and

cro

ss th

e ro

ad. W

alk

alon

g th

e en

d of

a

seco

nd c

ar p

ark

and

pick

up

the

foot

path

to c

ross

the

brid

ge a

head

of y

ou.

Follo

w th

e pa

th a

cros

s th

e br

idge

, pas

sing

sev

eral

sp

orts

fiel

ds o

n yo

ur r

ight

, to

reac

h Th

omas

Rus

sell

Juni

or S

choo

l.

2 P

ass

the

scho

ol a

nd th

en tu

rn r

ight

, wal

king

roun

d th

e vi

llage

pon

d to

reac

h an

acc

ess

road

. Tur

n le

ft an

d,

with

the

pond

on

your

left,

wal

k fo

r 130

m to

reac

h th

e ro

ad. T

urn

right

alo

ng E

ffinc

h R

oad

and

cont

inue

on

to

junc

tion

with

Mai

n S

tree

t. Th

e Th

ree

Hor

sesh

oes

pub

is

on y

our r

ight

.

3 T

urn

left

alon

g M

ain

Str

eet a

nd fo

llow

it fo

r 300

m,

pass

ing

St J

ames

’ Chu

rch

on th

e w

ay. A

t the

Co-

op,

turn

rig

ht a

long

Cro

wbe

rry

Lane

. Hea

d st

raig

ht a

head

pa

st th

e vi

llage

hal

l and

follo

w th

e pa

th th

roug

h th

ree

gate

s/st

iles.

On

the

way

you

will

pass

a D

unst

all P

ark

inte

rpre

tatio

n bo

ard

befo

re re

achi

ng a

larg

e, s

olita

ry

finge

rpos

t.

4 F

rom

the

finge

r pos

t, fo

llow

the

brid

lew

ay s

trai

ght a

head

an

d up

hill,

with

a h

edge

d pl

anta

tion

on y

our l

eft,

until

yo

u re

ach

a w

oode

n ga

te. G

o th

roug

h th

e sm

all w

ood

to a

sec

ond

gate

and

then

hea

d ac

ross

an

open

fiel

d,

unde

r ove

rhea

d lin

es, t

o an

obv

ious

gap

in th

e he

dge

NO

TE: T

here

is a

love

ly v

iew

of D

unst

all c

hurc

h aw

ay to

yo

ur r

ight

.

5 D

esce

nd to

a w

oode

n ga

te, c

ross

the

acce

ss ro

ad

to S

mith

s H

ill C

otta

ges

and

go th

roug

h a

met

al g

ate.

Fo

llow

the

trac

k ah

ead

for 2

25m

unt

il yo

u m

eet a

su

rfac

ed tr

ack.

Tur

n rig

ht d

own

the

trac

k (k

eepi

ng th

e fe

nce

on y

our l

eft)

over

a c

attle

grid

, pas

t Old

Hal

l to

reac

h its

driv

e.

6 C

ross

the

driv

e an

d go

ove

r a s

tile.

Hea

d ac

ross

the

field

, kee

ping

to th

e rig

ht o

f a fe

nced

ditc

h, a

nd h

ead

for a

gat

e at

the

top

right

han

d co

rner

of t

he fi

eld.

Go

thro

ugh

the

gate

and

ove

r a s

tile

to re

ach

the

road

.

7 C

ross

the

road

and

go

over

the

stile

nex

t to

a m

etal

ga

te. F

ollo

w th

e fo

otpa

th, f

ollo

win

g th

e he

dge

on

your

rig

ht, a

cros

s th

e fie

lds.

Sho

rtly

afte

r a s

mal

l stil

e,

follo

w th

e he

dge

roun

d to

the

right

and

gen

tly d

own

to

cros

s tw

o st

iles

over

a s

trea

m (t

here

are

two

“Lin

king

En

viro

nmen

t and

Far

min

g” in

terp

reta

tion

boar

ds h

ere)

8 A

fter c

ross

ing

the

seco

nd s

tile,

hea

d di

agon

ally

up

the

field

pas

t fou

r oak

tree

s, to

war

ds a

n is

olat

ed o

ak

tree

in th

e co

rner

of t

he fi

eld.

Hig

hlan

ds P

ark

Farm

is

prom

inen

t on

the

skyl

ine

beyo

nd. A

s yo

u re

ach

the

oak

tree

, cro

ss a

farm

trac

k, g

o ov

er a

stil

e an

d he

ad u

p to

th

e rig

ht o

f the

farm

bui

ldin

gs.

9 G

o th

roug

h a

doub

le g

ate

and

turn

left

thro

ugh

the

farm

bu

ildin

gs. J

ust b

efor

e th

e la

st b

arn,

turn

rig

ht to

reac

h an

othe

r dou

ble

gate

. Wal

k ac

ross

the

field

bey

ond,

he

adin

g to

war

ds th

e co

ttag

e in

the

botto

m r

ight

han

d co

rner

of t

he fi

eld,

pas

sing

a s

mal

l pon

d on

you

r rig

ht.

10 C

ontin

ue o

n to

cro

ss a

stil

e ah

ead

of y

ou. F

ollo

w th

e al

ley

to th

e rig

ht o

f the

cot

tage

, thr

ough

a g

ate

to re

ach

the

road

. Tur

n le

ft an

d th

en im

med

iate

ly r

ight

dow

n C

ucko

o C

age

Lane

. Fol

low

the

lane

to “

Roc

kets

Oak

” ho

use

and

turn

rig

ht d

own

the

gree

n la

ne.

11 F

ollo

w th

e gr

een

lane

thro

ugh

two

met

al g

ates

to a

n op

en fi

eld.

Hea

d ac

ross

a fi

eld

to a

sm

all m

etal

gat

e in

th

e he

dge.

Con

tinue

alo

ng th

e br

idle

way

alo

ngsi

de th

e he

dge

on y

our l

eft,

thro

ugh

a fu

rthe

r met

al g

ate

and

desc

end

stee

ply

into

Tat

enhi

ll to

a g

ate

oppo

site

the

Old

R

ecto

ry.

NO

TE: I

f you

wan

t to

stop

for

refre

shm

ents

turn

rig

ht to

Th

e H

orse

shoe

Inn

in T

aten

hill,

abo

ut 1

50m

alo

ng M

ain

Str

eet.

12 T

urn

left

alon

g M

ain

Str

eet a

nd, a

fter a

bout

300

m, y

ou

will

reac

h a

smal

l sto

ne w

ell a

nd b

ench

on

your

rig

ht.

Turn

rig

ht h

ere

and

follo

w a

gra

ssy

path

uph

ill (w

ith a

w

ire fe

nce

on y

our r

ight

) to

a ki

ssin

g ga

te. G

o th

roug

h th

e ga

te a

nd fo

llow

the

gras

sy p

ath

stra

ight

ahe

ad,

keep

ing

to th

e le

ft of

the

over

head

line

.

13 B

ear r

ight

thro

ugh

a la

rge

met

al g

ate

with

a w

oode

n ga

te a

ttac

hed

on it

s le

ft. C

ontin

ue a

head

, ign

orin

g al

l ot

her p

aths

and

you

will

join

The

Nat

iona

l For

est W

ay,

just

bef

ore

you

reac

h a

woo

den

gate

. Go

thro

ugh

this

an

d fo

llow

the

path

(with

a s

trea

m b

elow

to y

our r

ight

) to

reac

h th

e ro

ad.

14 C

ross

Tat

enhi

ll La

ne a

nd fo

llow

the

Nat

iona

l For

est W

ay

on th

e ot

her s

ide,

kee

ping

the

stre

am o

n yo

ur r

ight

. C

ross

a b

ridge

, the

n tu

rn le

ft. G

o th

roug

h a

gate

and

fo

llow

the

clea

r wid

e pa

th w

ith h

edge

s on

you

r lef

t for

ab

out 1

,250

m u

ntil

you

reac

h Ta

tenh

ill Lo

ck o

n th

e Tr

ent

& M

erse

y C

anal

.

15 T

urn

right

and

follo

w th

e to

wpa

th a

long

side

the

cana

l for

1,

100m

unt

il yo

u re

ach

Brid

ge 3

6 ov

er th

e ca

nal.

16 C

ross

ove

r the

brid

ge a

nd c

ontin

ue a

long

the

tow

path

on

the

othe

r sid

e, p

assi

ng u

nder

two

road

s, u

ntil

you

reac

h th

e ne

xt c

anal

Brid

ge 3

8 at

Bar

ton

Turn

. Lea

ve

the

cana

l her

e by

turn

ing

right

ove

r the

brid

ge.

17 F

ollo

w th

e ro

ad fo

r 300

m b

efor

e tu

rnin

g le

ft in

to B

arto

n M

arin

a. F

ollo

w d

own

the

driv

e to

the

Wat

erfro

nt p

ub in

fro

nt o

f you

.

Map

key

1 R

oute

dire

ctio

ns

1 P

oint

s of

inte

rest

5

4

3

2

1

10

9

8

7

6

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

1

5

4

3

2

Points of interest along the walk:

1 Barton Marina opened for business in 2001. Situated on the Trent and Mersey canal the Marina is home for over 300 narrow boats. With the assistance of the National Forest Company, woodland covers much of the 90 acre site, intersected by a network of paths and bridges. There are plenty of walks to explore and a variety of wildlife to watch and enjoy.

Barton Marina hosts a range of retail shops, restaurants, Waterfront pub and a cinema.

For more information, visit: www.bartonmarina.co.uk

3 This section of the walk takes you through Needwood Forest, in which you can find a number of areas of parkland and wood pasture. Often linked to the planned landscapes of historic buildings such as Dunstall Hall, parkland consists of grasslands with scattered trees. Unlike parklands, wood pasture tends to be unplanned and is usually the result of a grazing regime where a number of trees have been allowed to reach maturity. Both habitats are not only important in the landscape, but also for wildlife. Many of the trees are very old ‘veterans’ and support a wide range of other species within their trunks, branches and canopy.

The National Forest Company is supporting landowners with grants to plant trees to create new areas of wood pasture on existing grassland. This planting can also be used to establish the next generation of trees which will grow alongside the veterans in existing parklands and, in time, replace them as the veteran trees of the future.

4 Battlestead Hill (which can be reached by following signs for The National Forest Way between points 12 and 13) is reputed to be the site of a bloody battle between the Angles and Danes. Big views across the Trent Valley from the ridge-top path capture the diversity of the National Forest as well as its heritage. This mature woodland is attractive in all seasons and especially so in spring, when primroses, bluebells and violets carpet the woodland floor.

2 St James Church in Barton under Needwood was founded by Dr John Taylor, a native of the village, who’s father, William, worked in Needwood Forest. Once when the king, Henry VII, was hunting in the forest he became detached from his party and he came across William, who took the wet and cold monarch home to his cottage. In repayment for the kindness shown to him, the King undertook to pay for the education of William’s children. Later, his son John was appointed by Henry VIII as king’s clerk and chaplain. He quickly became a rich and influential man, but he never forgot the place of his birth and, in 1517, he obtained permission to erect a chapel. John Taylor died in 1535 but he lived to see the church completed.

The church is a Grade II listed building and is a rare example of a church being completed in one lifetime. Inscriptions over alternate pillars of the nave tell of John Taylor’s career

5 Tatenhill Lock is one of the 76 locks on the 93-mile Trent and Mersey Canal. It was designed by James Brindley and completed in 1777 to carry industrial goods. The canal today is an attractive and tranquil spot where wildlife and people coexist.