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Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding North Staffordshire countryside offer a varied selection of walks, from historic canals and peaceful lakes to woodland trails and wildlife-rich country parks. These routes provide a great way to explore the area's industrial heritage, green spaces and quieter corners.
This 2.5-mile waterside walk follows the Trent and Mersey Canal before joining the Caldon Canal and continuing towards Hanley Park. Starting near Stoke-on-Trent railway station, the route passes through Cliffe Vale to the Etruria Industrial Museum, where you can see a well-preserved nineteenth-century steam-powered potter's mill.
From here, the walk follows the Caldon Canal east towards Hanley Park, where the waterway runs through the parkland alongside a lake and pleasant footpaths. You can extend the walk by continuing along the canal towpath towards Cheddleton, where the historic Flint Mill is another interesting attraction.
Hanley Central Forest Park is a large green space close to the centre of Stoke-on-Trent, with a network of walking and cycling paths. This 1.2-mile route explores the woodland trails and paths around the park's large lake, providing a peaceful escape from the surrounding urban area.
The walk also takes you past the children's play area and up a small hill with views over Stoke and the surrounding countryside. There is a car park off Chell Street and a lakeside snack bar for refreshments. You can also extend your outing by heading towards the nearby Trent and Mersey Canal or Park Hall Country Park.
This circular walk explores the beautiful Trentham Gardens and Trentham Lake, with around 300 acres of landscaped parkland, gardens and woodland to enjoy. The paths take you past the Italian Gardens, Japanese Garden, Secret Garden and Floral Labyrinth, with plenty of beautiful scenery along the way.
The large lake has a lakeside boardwalk and is a good place to look out for wildlife, including herons. You can also visit the deer park, explore the maze or stop for refreshments at one of the estate's cafés. The gardens are just outside Stoke-on-Trent and offer a lovely setting for a leisurely walk. Admission costs apply to Trentham Gardens.
Westport Lake offers an easy 1.2-mile circular walk around a pretty lake on the northern side of Stoke-on-Trent. A good footpath circles the water, passing attractive woodland and a conservation area where you can look out for tufted ducks, great crested grebes and kingfishers.
The lake is a relaxing place for a short stroll, with a visitor centre, café, picnic tables and close parking. If you would like to walk further, the Trent and Mersey Canal runs just to the east, allowing you to continue along the towpath and explore more of the local waterways.
Apedale Country Park covers 450 acres near Newcastle-under-Lyme, with well-maintained paths through open meadows, woodland glades and wetland habitats. This 2.5-mile walk explores the varied landscape, with opportunities to spot wildlife including skylarks, lapwings, water voles and great crested newts. In spring, the woodland is particularly attractive when the bluebells come into flower.
The park also has an interesting industrial past, having developed on a former mining site. You can visit the Apedale Heritage Centre to learn about the area's mining history and see the working narrow-gauge railway. The Newcastle Way passes through the park, and nearby Silverdale Country Park provides another option for extending your walk.
Park Hall Country Park is a distinctive landscape on the eastern side of Stoke-on-Trent, where a former quarry has been reclaimed by nature. This 2.5-mile walk follows trails through woodland and around two ponds, with higher points providing views across the city and surrounding area.
The park is also Stoke-on-Trent's only National Nature Reserve, with important areas of woodland, heathland and ponds supporting a variety of wildlife. Picnic tables provide places to stop along the way, while nearby Hanley Central Forest Park offers further walking and cycling paths if you want to make a longer day of it.
Silverdale Country Park, near Newcastle-under-Lyme, has a network of well-maintained trails through open grassland, woodland, farm meadows and wildlife conservation areas. This two-mile walk explores the varied landscape, passing a large pond that attracts great crested newts and other wildlife.
A plateau provides lovely views over the surrounding countryside, while the mixture of habitats makes the park an enjoyable place to explore throughout the year.
Hanchurch Woods, just west of Trentham, has three waymarked trails through attractive woodland and countryside. This longer, 10-mile figure-of-eight route combines the Green, Red and Blue walks, with moderate climbs and some excellent views from the higher ground. The red trail passes through Harley Thorns woods, while the green route visits the pretty Hanchurch Pools.
The blue trail heads towards Swynnerton, passing local caves and climbing to a high point of over 700 feet, where there are far-reaching views towards the Welsh Hills. The route also explores farmland and the edge of Swynnerton Old Park and Hanchurch Heath. Shorter sections can be followed if you prefer a less demanding walk.
Bathpool Park in Kidsgrove offers a pleasant 2.1-mile walk through peaceful woodland and around the main lake. The paths also take you past several smaller ponds, making this a relaxing spot for a short outing in North Staffordshire. The park is popular with walkers and cyclists, with a mountain bike track and exercise points along the way.
The lake and wooded paths provide opportunities to enjoy the local wildlife, while the surrounding trees make the park particularly attractive for a quiet stroll. Bathpool Park is just south of Kidsgrove town centre and north of Stoke-on-Trent, with the historic Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal nearby.
We thank GPS Cycle and Walking Routes for the content and information on this page. For more walks in the area, see the Staffordshire Walks page.
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