Acton Trussell - Village Delights & Canal

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Treasure Hunt around Acton Trussell's village delights and canal, with Explorers helping Lady T Witcher track down a jackdaw that has stolen gems and rings from recent weddings and hidden them around Acton Trussell before the ceremonies are ruined.

The quest covers approximately 1.75 miles and should take around 1.5 hours to complete. You'll start at The Moat House, explore village lanes and historic corners, pass the churchyard and Old School House, tackle a narrow track and uphill sections, then join the Staffs & Worcester Canal towpath before looping back to where the expedition began.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The canal towpath section is described as easy strolling, but the wider route includes a flight of steps, a narrow track, uphill sections and grass that may be more slippery after rain.

Take extra care on stretches of busy road with no footpaths, at the road crossing, and along the canal towpath, where everyone should keep away from the water's edge.

Getting There

By car: Head for The Moat House (ST17 0RJ), where the quest starts and finishes.

By public transport: Make your way to The Moat House in Acton Trussell to begin the adventure. The circular route brings you back to the same spot once Lady T Witcher's gem-snatching jackdaw has been tracked across the village.

Need the Loo?

Toilets are available at The Moat House, where the expedition starts and finishes, so it's a useful comfort stop before or after the hunt.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Explorers can join the adventure 🐾

Dogs should be supervised closely throughout, especially on the busy road sections with no footpaths and along the canal towpath, where you need to keep away from the water's edge. There are also steps, a narrow track, uphill sections and grass that may be slippery after rain, so expect a proper little leg-stretch.

Food & Drink Stops

Refreshments and snacks are available at The Moat House, where the expedition starts and finishes.

If you'd rather bring your own supplies, the route also invites you to enjoy a peaceful picnic beside the canal - ideal for refuelling after all that jackdaw-tracking.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Acton Moat House

Your quest begins and ends at the Acton Moat House, which dates from around 1320. It is easy to imagine the attractive ponds being a moat, although the house was not fortified as such. The bar shows many of the original beams and the quality of the construction, and the building is Grade 2* listed; the mound on which it stands is a scheduled Ancient Monument.

The Churchyard and Church Site

A church has stood here since 1212, but the site was occupied much earlier. Roman Villa remains were found in the churchyard in 1985, and excavations have revealed evidence of Stone, Bronze and Iron Age settlements. The churchyard also contains John Barlow's grand tomb, making it a rewarding place to pause once your Explorers are not busy interrogating every suspicious detail.

Staffs & Worcester Canal

The route joins the Staffs & Worcester Canal towpath, a peaceful stretch for strolling and picnic plotting. The canal runs from Stourport to Great Haywood Junction and was opened in 1772, with evocative names along it such as Giggety Bridge, Stewponey Lock, the Devil's Den, The Bratch and Pendleford Rockin'. Just keep your crew safely back from the water's edge.

Top Road Scots Pines

At the top of the hill are Scots pines, Britain's only native species of conifer. Keep watch for squirrels enjoying the seeds, and see if your Mini Explorers can spot cones reduced to shapes like apple cores by their sharp teeth - nature's very own treasure-hunting evidence.