Manifold Valley - Peak District Walk

Friday 12th June 2009

With another sunny day predicted we headed out to the Manifold Valley planning on an 8 mile walk which, by choice, then turned into a nine mile walk. Events however were to ensure that in fact we ended up walking over 12 miles that day.

Start: Wetton car park (SK 1090 5514)

Route: Wetton - Thor's Cave - Manifold Valley - Soles Hill (TP) - Slade House - Rushley

Distance: 9 miles     Ascent: 529 metres      Time Taken: 4 hours 15 mins

Terrain: Good paths and fields.

Weather: Warm and sunny with clouds building during the afternoon.

Pub Visited: The Devonshire Arms, Hartington    Ale Drunk: Charles Wells Bombardier

Route Map >>

 

Wetton

Looking across the fields to Wetton, from the start of the walk.

Butterton

Looking across the top of the Manifold Valley with Butterton church spire visible in the distance. Thor's Cave is the outcrop of the left.

Lum Edge

The views extend some distance today, here looking out to Lum Edge and Swallow Moss.

Manifold Valley

Approaching Thor's Cave with views across the valley to Wetton Mill.

Nan Tor cave

Nan Tor Cave, which was just about visible in the centre of the previous photo.

Thor's Cave

Looking into Thor's Cave.

Manifold Valley

The view down to the Manifold Way from Thor's Cave. Wetton Hill is the pointed hill centre right, with the double-topped Sugarloaf behind it.

Manifold Way

The Manifold Way, which follows the route of an old railway line.

Soles Hill

Approaching Soles Hill.

Soles Hollow

Soles Hollow, where we realised my walking pole was missing. After some consideration we opted to continue the walk and look for it later as we were certain it had been lost between Wetton and Thor's Cave.

Soles Hill

Looking up to Soles Hill's summit and trig point.

A young calf wonders what I'm doing up here.

Manifold Valley

Looking across the route of the Manifold Way from Soles Hill.

Soles Hill trig point

Soles Hill trig point, not exactly on access land.

Cart Low

Looking across the route we would follow to Slade House.

Slade House

Signs at Slade House.

Bunster Hill & Thorpe Cloud

Bunster Hill and Thorpe Cloud come into view.

Castern Wood

A lunchtime view of the planned return route above Castern Wood.

Rushley Bridge

Rushley Bridge.

Castern Hall

Castern Hall which had just opened for one hour as we walked by it.

Manifold Valley

Looking across the Manifold Valley towards Beeston Tor.

Beeston Tor

Beeston Tor.

Wetton Hill

Wetton Hill as we approach Wetton. Having dropped our rucksacks at the car we then headed back towards Thor's Cave to see if we could find my walking pole. No sign of it, so I carried on down to Weags Bridge expecting to meet John there. He'd gone down Leek Road so we ended up walking one stretch of the Manifold Way three times in one day and adding 3 miles to the walk. No sign of the walking pole either.

 

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