MANIFOLD VALLEY WALK
THE WALK
The Manifold Valley has some of the most spectacular scenery in the Peak District and is rich with wildflowers, butterflies, and birds. Surprisingly, the river beds of the Manifold and Hamps that flow through the valley are frequently dry, as the waters soak away into the porous limestone rocks below and only reappear in wet weather.
LOOK OUT FOR
Route Point 1 – Wetton Mill, owned by the National Trust, is the starting point of many walks. It is a very popular spot with visitors to the valley, and the tearoom, housed in one of the former grist buildings, provides most welcome refreshment. It was originally a water mill used to grind corn. The remains of the millstream and an old grindstone can still be seen.
Point 3 – Thomas Wardle bought Swainsley Hall in 1896 as a weekend house. It was too small to accommodate his large family, and shortly after purchase, he had it extended. He made his fortune from silk dyeing and printing on silk at his factories in Leek. Thomas loved his time at Swainsley and entertained his guests there, who included Samuel Langhorne Clemens (the writer, Mark Twain) and General Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Drawings and prints by the artist Rossetti were exhibited in one room.
Point 4 – Swainsley Tunnel was originally built for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway at the behest of Sir Thomas Wardle, director of the company. So as not to spoil the view from the hall, and keep the railway noise and fumes away. A single track ran through the tunnel, which is 164 yards in length and is now part of the Manifold Way. There are several pedestrian refuges built into the side walls to enable walkers to get out of the way of traffic using the tunnel. It can be pretty busy at weekends and during peak holiday periods.
Point 5 – Leek and Manifold Light Railway used to run through the valley, from 1904 to 1934. It was a narrow-gauge railway that ran from Hulme End in the north to Waterhouses in the south and was operated by the North Staffordshire Railway Company. It was mainly opened to provide faster service for milk and dairy products from farms around the valley and linked up with a daily milk train that ran from Waterhouses to London. It also provided easier transport for the copper mined at Ecton. Lack of sufficient business forced the closure of the line, and it has subsequently been turned into a trail for walkers and cyclists, only two miles of which are not car-free.
Point 7 – Thor’s Cave is an awesome site; a footbridge and a steep and sometimes slippery climb take you up to the cave from the valley floor. The cave can be seen from a distance and is one of Staffordshire’s most important viewpoints. Lower down the cliff are several small caves just above water level. Rock climbers use the area around the cave, some of the climbs being officially rated as very severe. It has been used as the location for several films, including the 1988 film, The Lair of the White Worm, directed by Ken Russell and starring Hugh Grant.
Point 8 – At the point where the road from Wetton to Grindon crosses the Manifold River, the bridge is known as Weag’s Bridge. The valley sides are steep at this point, and the narrow road between the two villages has hairpin bends on both sides.
WALK DETAILS
Length: 4.75 miles.
Start: When starting from Wetton Mill, access by car is possible from Wetton, Butterton, Warslow and Hulme End. The Weag’s Bridge car park is accessible from Grindon and Wetton. Off-road car parking is available along the roadside near Wetton Mill. Car parking at the mill is for patrons only.
Terrain: Easy walking conditions throughout, unless you climb up to Thor’s Cave, which, apart from being steep, can be slippery. Care is needed when walking through Swainsley Tunnel, a different and enjoyable experience for many walkers. Ideally, try to undertake this walk away from the peak holiday season, as some roadside walking is involved.
Refreshments: The Royal Oak, situated in the heart of Wetton village, is a cosy 400-year-old pub. The website is www.royaloakwetton.co.uk. The Old School Tearoom, Wetton: Wetton Mill Tearooms are situated midway along the Manifold Valley. Check all opening times before visiting.
THE ROUTE
1. Walk to Wetton Mill, turn left over the bridge, passing Wetton Mill Tea Rooms on your right. Continue up the road for a short distance before turning left, in front of Dale Farm, along a gated road, signed Hulme End 2.5 miles.
2. The road climbs very gently, with good views of the river through the trees. As you slowly descend, a dovecote is seen in the distance on the other side of the Wetton to Hulme End Road.
3. The descent brings you much closer to the river. On reaching a minor road, turn left and cross the bridge over the river, a few yards later passing the entrance to Swainsley Hall. Almost immediately turn right, signed for Wetton Mill, then left to reach the entrance to a tunnel.
4. Follow the road through Swainsley Tunnel, which is well-lit and has several refuge points, if you think you need them. Vehicles from opposite directions take it, in turn, to pass through the tunnel.
5. The road follows the track of the former Leek and Manifold Light Railway. It continues for one mile before arriving at the turnoff for Wetton Mill. Here you continue forward along the road as it gently curves round to the left. After a short distance, it joins another road, which also comes from the Wetton Mill direction.
6. At this point, you bear slightly to the right and go through a gate along a traffic-free section of the former trackbed of the railway that ran through the valley.
7. On reaching Thor’s Cave, you can leave the trail and climb up to the cave to admire the fantastic view, before returning. The climb can be very slippery and possibly dangerous in wet weather.
8. Continue along the trail until you reach a car park, off the Wetton to Grindon road. It is worth turning left here to view Weag’s Bridge, before returning in the same direction along the Manifold Trail past Thor’s Cave.
9. After passing through the gate (See Point 6) and joining the road, turn left. Do not follow the route you used previously. The road takes you over a packhorse bridge, past a barn and across a small ford.
10. At a road junction, turn right and within a few yards, you will be back on the road that passes Wetton Mill and the starting point of the walk.
WETTON
