The Silver Circuit starts at Barton Marina, which is home to more than 300 boats. The starting point is on Lichfield Road in Barton-under-Needwood, DE13 8DZ. Check local access conditions before travelling. From the start, the circuit passes through Needwood Forest and descends into the Trent Valley. The transition from forest down into the valley gives the route a clear landscape progression.
Paths at Barton Marina
A 1.5-mile walking route runs around the lakes and through the woodland area at Barton Marina. The marina also provides access to canal towpaths and woodland trails. This means there is a specific circular walk as well as other types of paths. The 1.5-mile distance refers to the walking route, not the length of the Silver Circuit, so the two routes remain clearly distinguishable for planning purposes.
Canal structure and church history
Mill Bridge number 39 is located on the Trent and Mersey Canal and is a Grade II listed structure. The late Georgian canal road bridge is made of red brick and has a stone coping. It is single-span and has a towpath and a curved bridge back. These features offer different ways to understand the structure: the designation refers to its listed status, the late Georgian date to its period, and the other details to its form and materials.
The Church of St James in Barton-under-Needwood was built in 1517 by Dr John Taylor, chaplain to Henry VIII. Its date gives it a different historical character from the late Georgian Mill Bridge. The church is open daily during daylight hours. Check current access conditions before your visit, as arrangements may change.
A changing landscape
Tucklesholme Nature Reserve is a former gravel pit being restored as a wetland habitat. Brankley Pastures is undergoing a different long-term change: farmland is being converted into a species-rich wood pasture landscape. The two projects offer different insights into how landscapes develop—one with the aim of creating a wetland habitat, the other of creating wood pasture.
Brankley Pastures also offers a family-friendly circular walk through the nature reserve. It is mostly flat, with gentle slopes. Its shape and terrain profile help describe the route; by contrast, the Marina walking route has a specific distance of 1.5 miles. The Silver Circuit is defined by its route from Needwood Forest into the Trent Valley. When planning your outings, you can therefore distinguish between a walking route with a specified distance, one described by its terrain profile, and a route passing through named landscapes.
Discover more destinations: Drointon, Stone, Hatherton, Alton, Tamworth, Long Compton, Tutbury, Pattingham.
For the regional travel overview: Staffordshire.
