The Patriots Path, a walking trail that would connect three Chester County Revolutionary War sites, is one step closer to actualization.

On July 15, the three affected townships, Tredyffrin, Malvern, and East Whiteland, began the approval process to hire a consultant to undertake a multi-municipal trail study for the Eastern Great Valley.

The Patriots Path, if completed, would link Valley Forge National Historic Park with the Paoli Memorial Grounds and Paoli Massacre site in Malvern and end at the site of Battle of the Clouds Park in East Whiteland Township. It would be about nine miles long and use some existing trails and rights-of-way and provide safe crossings at the major roads involved.

Parts of the route haven't been firmed up yet, though, particularly stretches in Malvern and the Chesterbrook section of Tredyffrin.

John Farrell, assistant to the manager of Tredyffrin Township, is coordinating the effort on behalf of all three municipalities. The new study would be more than a feasibility study - such as the Chester County Planning Commission did in 2007 - but less than a construction study.

Ultimately, the county would have to grant approval for the project and also might have to give the townships some financial help for it.

At the time of the war, Philadelphia and the surrounding farmland were the heart of the original 13 colonies. Steven Gimber, an associate professor of history at West Chester University, noted that the connection of these lesser-known sites with Valley Forge would make people aware of their importance. Unlike Valley Forge, the sites in Paoli and Malvern mark actual battlegrounds.

These sites would connect the dots between Philadelphia and Valley Forge in colonial history for most people, said Tom McGuire, a Malvern Prep history teacher and author of several books on the subject. It is a constant effort to educate the public about local history, he said. The trail would be "very, very helpful in first creating awareness among the population at large," he added.

The Battle of the Clouds was so called because of the tremendous rain and fog just south of King Road, near what is now Immaculata University, Sept. 16, 1777. The colonial troops were trapped in a two-prong approach of 5,000 Hessian soldiers and 13,000 British troops. The downpour stopped the British from pursuing the Continental Army in its retreat.

On Sept. 20, 1777, 5,000 British troops surprised General Wayne's camp in Malvern, attacking with drawn bayonets, killing 53 soldiers while they slept and capturing 71. The massacre led to the rallying cry of "Remember Paoli." The 53 soldiers who were killed are buried in a mass grave at the Paoli memorial grounds.

Gimber said, "You know, John Adams suggested that the real history of the Revolution would never be written. And in part, he's right because few of us will be [or have been] able to really fully experience or appreciate what the troops went through. The Patriots Path is one way for people to get a better understanding of the conflict."

He said that the trail would be a great destination for schools and civic- and history-minded groups. At points on the proposed trail, visitors could actually walk the same route the soldiers marched, coming to a more complete understanding of the topography and the importance of taverns and inns, such as the White Horse Inn, as meeting places along the way.

"Although the landscape has changed significantly since 1777, it will give both the curious and the scholarly an opportunity for a sense of the terrain and an opportunity to be better acquainted with the movement of American and British troops in our area," said Gimber. "It might help to make these great events of our past come to life in people's minds and make them more aware of what happened here. It might inspire some to read a little more about the history of the Revolution or historic preservation - and there's nothing wrong with that."

The path would make use of some existing trails and would fit within the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) that is already partially built, explained Fred Rothman, chair of the Chester County Cycling Coalition, a bicycle advocacy group. Rothman was one of about three cyclists and 10 hikers who tried out the prospective trail for the CCPC on April 26.

The trail "will definitely encourage bikers," Rothman said. "Once shown the way, they will flock there." He said a hybrid bike is needed on the portion of the trail that coincides with six miles of the CVT, which eventually will cover 15 of the 22 miles formerly used by the Chester Valley railroad, now abandoned. That part "is easily traversed. Just follow your nose."

If all area trail projects see completion, the Patriots Path would be accessible as part of the CVT from the west via the Struble Trail, which runs parallel to the east branch of the Brandywine Creek, and to the east by Montgomery County's future cross-country trail.

The trail would thus help the Tredyffrin Sidewalk, Trail, and Path Committee meet its goal of providing a safe bike and pedestrian access to the CVT, Wilson Farm Park in Chesterbrook, and Valley Forge, said Sean Moir, chairman of the committee, who hiked the length of the trail as part of Rothman's group.

Other parts of the trail will rely on suburban sidewalks. The Paoli Memorial site, for example, is in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, its green fields and split-rail fences tucked behind an ordered grid of homes. Moir said these sidewalks, while uphill one way, were good for walking.

He said that the CVT portion was a flat path, easy for hiking, and that some people walk it now. His only concern was the walk along Chesterbrook Boulevard, which currently deteriorates from an asphalt path to a grass verge. To cross Route 202, though, there is a "nice, wide bridge with a sidewalk that can handle [the foot traffic]."

McGuire has already made the effort to get his students turned on to local history. He requires students in his U.S. history class at Malvern Prep to research their towns or boroughs, and the class walks to the Paoli battlefield.

He refers to a quote from Mark Twain to inspire them: "Never let school get in the way of your education." McGuire said "the class is a laboratory to plant ideas. To really learn, you need to go and visit these places."