Mushroom Farm is a great spot to take your pooch if you fancy a walk where you won’t come across many other dogs.
The public footpath is accessible just off the estate on St David’s Way, in Biddulph, and is fully paved, but still has that woodland walk feel. This time of year, the colours of the leaves are beautiful, and if there’s a bit of rain, the trees tend to keep you sheltered from the elements.
The entrance to the path is off Pen-y-bont Way, and is strictly feet (or paws) only, with no cycles, horses or vehicles allowed – except for access to the gorgeous properties off the beaten track.
Mushroom Farm received it’s name as The Nursery at the end of the path was once used for growing mushrooms. The public walkway leads to the entrance of Coppice Wood for a longer, muddier walk, and Biddulph Valley Park. The nature corridor is home to foxes and badgers, and leads all the way down to the leisure centre if you follow the path.
We like to walk from the entrance to the gate of the former farm, and double back. On this route, there is one dog waste bin located at the start of the footpath. The walk is around 5,000 steps from start to finish, which will take you around 30-45 minutes depending on how leisurely you want to walk.
On our walks here, we don’t tend to encounter many other dogs, which helps Phoebe stay more relaxed for an enjoyable walk. There’s an old desolate pig shed on the track, which I always thought to be haunted as a child, as well as a small brook where your dog might like to dip their paws if they love getting muddy! At this brook, there is a small yellow sign pointing up the bank into some woodland where you can veer off on another public walkway.
We took the opportunity to capture Phoebe, Frank and Winston in the gorgeous autumnal colours on the path, as there were fewer distractions than our walks at places like Knypersley Reservoir.
The Scamps and Winston seem to love this spot, as they can sniff the borders, splash in the brook and enjoy a mentally stimulating walk away from traffic and other people. This also makes it ideal for working on our loose leash training in a calm environment, and even if you do encounter another walker, the path is plenty wide enough to keep a distance.
