The road starts on a bend on the A529 to the southwest of Hatherton and heads northeast through the village before crossing the A51 by the pub in Walgherton. It then enters Wybunbury and detours to go round a large depression, then reaches the outskirts of Shavington where it meets a traffic-light-controlled staggered crossroads. The road across was originally the A52 and later A500 but is now unclassified.
At the far side of Shavington the current route of the A500 is met. When that road was opened the B5071 kept its original route ahead with a spur leading down to the right from traffic lights to meet the A500 at a roundabout. In 2015 the grade separation was removed when a new road was opened north of the roundabout, rejoining the old road (which still exists but was declassified) after a short dualled section.
Continuing north the B5071 now enters the outskirts of Crewe. It goes under a couple of railway bridges, carrying the line to Nantwich, before going past the Alexandra Stadium, home to the town's football team of the same name. It ends at traffic lights on the A534; the road ahead into the town centre is the A5019.