This month’s walk is around the fields and lanes of Burton, Burton Green, Golly and Honkley. It is about four miles and should take you just under two hours.
Introduction and Overview
The terrain is mostly flat, with a few stiles to negotiate, meaning taking a dog could be problematic. We started the walk where Chapel Lane meets Higher Lane/Dark Lane near Burton, a mile or so north of Llay. It was very windy on the day of the walk and the weather had been very rainy beforehand, so it was wet and sometimes slippery underfoot. Ensure you wear a suitable pair of waterproof footwear if you attempt the walk in similar conditions.
Please consult the disclaimer at love-wrexham.com/walk-disclaimer before going on one of our walks. We always follow public footpaths indicated on OS maps. There is on-road parking around the Chaple Lane/Dark Lane junction, although it may be a little busy during the week as there is an HGV training business there.
Rackery Farm
Walk up the concrete drive towards Rackery Farm/Rackery Retreat (1). You’ll see Burton Tower on your right. As the drive bends left, carry straight on into the field where Rackery Retreat is.
Walk past the three green tent houses on your right (2) and the three small buildings and propane tank on your left. Exit the field through the metal walker’s gate in the far hedge/fence line. Follow the left-hand hedge/ fence line and turn left through the gate after a minute or so. Turn diagonally right once in the field and head to the right of the farm buildings. You’ll come to two metal gateways in the far corner of the field. Go through the left-hand one that leads to the farmhouse. You may have to step over a low-electrified fence.
Cobblers Lane
Once past the fence, cross the brook, and go through the gateway, you’ll see a narrow metal gate in the fence on your right (3). Go through this gate, turn left and walk along a narrow path between a tubular metal fence on your left and small conifers on your right. Once past the fence on your left, carry straight past the house on your left onto Cobblers Lane. Go straight over and through the metal walker’s gate. Follow the right-hand fence/ hedge line and hop over the wooden ladder stile on your right just before the wooden gateway. Cross the short wooden bridge and climb over another wooden ladder stile.
Town Ditch Lane
Head diagonally right in the next field. Exit by hopping over the stile between the two right-most houses. Turn left, head along Town Ditch Lane, and walk past Golly Farm on your left. Take a right at the green metal public footpath sign immediately after crossing the third brook (after about five minutes). Go through the metal kissing gate. Follow the right-hand edge of the field with the stream bank to your right. Exit the field through the metal walker’s gate in the hedge/fence at the end. Follow the left-hand hedge/fence line in the next field and exit using the metal walker’s gate. Turn diagonally right once through the gate. Exit the field through the metal walker’s gate in the far hedge/fence line. Cross the short wooden bridge with the metal grill covering. Head straight on and exit this field through another metal walker’s gate.
Honkley Farm
In the next field, walk past the metal pipes on your left and then the horses in the fenced-off section on your right until you reach the lane. Take a left and a right over the wooden stile opposite Honkley Farm. Walk along the left-hand edge of the hedge you see in front of you (4).
Hop over the stile in front of you after a few minutes and enter the next field. Follow the right-hand hedge/ fence line until you see the line bend away from you to the right and form a “bulge”. Take the wooden stile you see in the hedge line and turn right. Follow the hedge line and then the tree line on your right until you reach the gap in the hedge in front of you. Go through the opening and turn left immediately, so the hedge line is now on your left, and a small coniferous wood is on your right. Turn left onto the farm track after about 100 yards. Walk past the red brick house and the barking dogs. Cross the slippery railway sleeper bridge and climb over the gate or walk to the right of it (taking great care).
Pulford Brook
Turn right and walk about the bank of Pulford Brook to your right. Climb over the gate after about eight minutes and continue along the brook bank. Cross the rust-coloured bridge a few minutes further on (5). Cross the field following the righthand hedge/fence line towards the farm buildings. Use the stile in front of you to exit the field.
Turn right once onto Cobblers Lane and walk for about 12 minutes until you see the sign for “Burton”. Turn left by Burton Green Cottage onto Burton Hall Road and walk for about nine minutes. Look for the green metal public footpath sign. Turn right through the metal kissing gate just before Burton Hall Farm on the right. Follow the left-hand hedge line and brook to the corner of the field. Exit the field through the two metal walker’s gates with the short wooden bridge in between. Walk straight on, keeping the hedge line to your right. Exit the field in the corner through the metal kissing gate.
Rosemary Lane
As you exit the kissing gate, you may encounter a small but deepish puddle which you will have to negotiate. Cross the field, keeping the hedge line to your right. Pass the oak tree in the hedge and exit through the metal walker’s gate ahead of you. Keep following the right-hand hedge line in the next field and walk across the gap as the field extends to the right. Pick up the right-hand hedge line again after about 50 yards and exit through the metal walker’s gates on either side of the short wooden bridge. Turn right as you enter the field.
Follow the left-hand hedge/fence line. You’ll see a yellow JCB mini-digger and some flood lights on the other side of the hedge/fence. Exit the field through the metal gate in the far hedge line. Cross Rosemary Lane. Go through the metal kissing gate opposite (next to the green metal footpath post). Follow the lefthand hedge/fence. Exit the field using the metal kissing gate. Keep following the left-hand hedge/fence.
Higher Lane
Use the wooden kissing gate ahead to exit this field. You’ll come out onto a farm track. Turn right and immediately left. Enter the next field through another wooden kissing gate. Follow the left-hand fence/hedge line and exit the field through the metal kissing gate. Walk past the tree stump and follow the lefthand fence/hedge line.
Exit the field through the metal kissing gate ahead. In the next field, walk up the slope towards the red brick terrace, keeping the fence/hedge line to your right. Use the metal kissing gate to exit the field and come out onto Higher Lane. Turn right and walk along the lane for about five minutes until you reach the Rackery Farm/Rackery Retreat entrance.
If you’d like to see some more of our walks, click here.
