Hazrom one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Hazrom here.

Walked this one today - completed it but unfortunately won't be recommending it.

As nightauk notes, the Romiley end is very pretty and I will probably go back to those woods - nightauk is correct about using the bridge vs the ford, and I took the recommended shortcut past Chadkirk Chapel, which is beautiful.

However, the first two thirds of the route (with the dividing point being roughly at Marple Garden Centre on Dooley Lane) is just not worth the effort. Hazel Grove is fairly built-up, and the route looks good on paper, but on the ground it's a series of boring footpath cut-throughs with high fences on both sides, which lead to unpleasant pavement walking alongside fast A-roads. Some footpaths are poorly maintained, and short stretches were blocked altogether by overgrowth.

Particular hazards:
* there is no pedestrian crossing at Dooley Lane after exiting Warren Wood, this is extremely dangerous and the main reason I'm refusing a recommendation
* the footpath running west-east by Peregrine Park doesn't seem to exist at all, I ended up cutting north and walking through the housing development
* the path through Warren Wood is poorly maintained, and almost disappears in places
* the short footpath north of Warren Wood Primary School is unmaintained and blocked
* walking alongside fast cars on Dooley Lane and on Offerton Road (both A-roads) is unpleasant.

I haven't walked the whole of this route but am very familiar with the eastern end.
Firstly, the bridleway crossing of the River Goyt (a deep ford) is no longer used. There is a broad footbridge (opened 2012) a few meters further upstream (photo 1). This is on the Alan Newton Way.
Secondly, where the Alan Newton Way meets Vale Road there is a path on the right into the fringe of the woods, with a kissing gate type arrangement, possibly big enough to take a mobility scooter (photo 2) but the path doesn't lead straight up into the woods, it continues along the fringe before turning right off this main path and up three flights of steps (photo 3) to the Peak Forest Canal towpath. OSM shows this very clearly. Note the first path into the woods after the bridge appears to be defunct.
Thirdly, whilst the path through the woods and the canal towpath are very beautiful, they are quite a long diversion when there is an interesting route through the grounds of Chadkirk Chapel to Vale Road and attractive Romiley suburbs, signposted to the rail station and very direct.

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