Walks near Stafford by train

Parks, river and heritage trail.

Museum of Making (30 mins in)

Darley Park

6 lunch spots: Darley Park (1h15 in) — Darley Park Terrace Cafe, the Little Darley in the Park, the Abbey Inn, or the Darleys; plus the Joiners Arms (3h in), or the Orangery Café (4h in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Alexandra Hotel, the Brunswick, the Victoria Inn, or the Waterfall

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Similar walk: North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership.

Waterways — River Derwent, Derby & Sandiacre Canal and Erewash Canal.

2 lunch spots: Canal Cottage Cafe (2h45 in), or the Navigation (3h15 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: Peking House, or the Sawley Junction

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Repurposed railway track along the Great Northern Greenway.

Duffield Castle: The remains of one of England's largest castles (National Trust; 30 mins to visit).

2 lunch spots: the Bell and Harp (1h in), or the Three Horseshoes (2h15 in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Alexandra Hotel, the Brunswick, the Waterfall, or the Merry Widows

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Golf club, heath, woodland and Heart of England Way.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

2 lunch spots: the Tame Otter (2h15 in), or the Red Lion (2h15 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Horse and Jockey, or the Turnpike

Warnings: MOD firing range — check access.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Canal and villages.

2 lunch spots: San Giovanni (2h45 in), or the Black Horse (3h in)

7 end-of-walk rewards: the Blue Lion, the Blue Boar Inn, the Old Swan, the Hat and Beaver, the White Horse, the Kings Head Pub, or the Clock

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Parks, river, country park and canal.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

1 lunch spot: the Stag and Pheasant (2h in)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Town streets, woodland tracks, steep ascent to The Wrekin summit with panoramic views over Shropshire and beyond.

Warnings: Steep climb to summit; can be windy on top.

Walk details: Wellington Walkers Are Welcome.

Hard-surfaced circuit around Flint Castle and along the Wales Coast Path with saltmarsh and Dee Estuary views across to the Wirral.

Coastal: almost all along the coast.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Flint Castle: The earliest of Edward I's Welsh castles, distinctive for its great detached tower; began the chain of English-built fortresses in Wales.

Flintshire Guardian: Three-metre-tall sculpture at Flint Point looking out across the Dee Estuary toward Hilbre Island.

Dee Estuary: Wide tidal estuary on the North Wales/Wirral border, fringed with saltmarsh and rich in birdlife.

Walk details: Transport for Wales (tips, photos and turn-by-turn directions).

Largely urban walking on pavements and a riverside path, through parks and along the line of the Derby Canal.

1 lunch spot: Waterside Café

Warnings: Only a few trains a day call at Peartree.

Walk details: North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership (tips and turn-by-turn directions).

Mixture of off-road cycle path and on-road sections. Part of the longer London-to-Lake-District route.

Walk details: Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership (local insights).

Ridge walk over North Worcestershire Hills, open hilltops, scrubland, gorse, woods, pastures, motorway bridge crossing, country parks and heathland with bilberry and heather.

Warnings: Steep descents.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).

A gentle climb through open country on the Monarch’s Way and canal towpath.

Waterway: three fifths along the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Walk details: Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (PDF).

Reverse direction: Railwalks (inc. GPX).