On a mild September afternoon Wendy rejoined our small group for our walk down the Manifold Way. We managed to fit into one car so we got on our way. To get to the Manifold Way we drove through Winster, then Hartington crossing the county border into Staffordshire. Once we reached the start of the trail at Hulme End we drove down a narrow lane to a secluded car park and ate our sandwiches sat on a well placed bench.
The Manifold Way is 8 miles in length and runs from Hulme End to Waterhouses mostly through the valley of the River Manifold and then its tributary, the River Hamps. Originally, the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, a 2ft 6in narrow gauge line followed this route from its opening in 1904 until its closure in 1934. The railway was short lived, it did not pass through any significant villages, they were situated a mile above the valley bottom and was once described ‘as a line that started in the middle of nowhere and ended up in the same place’.
When we were ready to start the walk we ambled along the minor road before crossing the River Manifold to its south bank, going through a gate onto the old route of the road when the railway was in use. We were surprised by two motor bikes following this route but once they passed we were able to enjoy the scenery in peace. On our left we passed a small cave with water trickling out of it. Steve thought it could be a drain from Ecton Mine which was located under the hills nearby.
Ecton Mine was important for copper for centuries but closed in 1891. The deposits on Ecton Hill were worked in the Bronze Age. In the 1660s-70s the mines were among the first in Britain to use gunpowder to get the ore out. In the second half of the 18th Century, the deepest mine in Britain was here, the near-vertical ore veins were mined using then state-of-the-art technology, the 1788 engine house used for bringing the ore to the surface is believed to be one of the earliest surviving examples in the world. At this time the mine was owned by the Duke of Devonshire and huge profits were made.
Continuing along the disused road we reached a farm before passing by Wetton Mill. The café here was busy with cars and bikers enjoying the weather and an ice cream. Crossing the River Manifold we left the road and joined the route of the old railway. Here we noticed the riverbed was dry – during the summer months the Manifold disappears down a sink hole, to reappear some distance away, at Ilam.
Looming over us we could see Thor’s cave with some people standing on the ridge above it. The natural cave’s entrance is a symmetrical arch 7.5 metres wide and 10 metres high, 260 feet above the path we were walking on. Excavations have found human and animal remains, stone tools, pottery, amber beads, and bronze items. The caves here have contained the burial sites of at least seven people with occupation from the end of the Palaeolithic period to the Iron Age and Roman periods.
Retracing our footsteps we returned to Wetton Mill via the road, at one point Bob crossed a shallow ford whilst those of us not wanting wet feet took the alternate route over a wooden footbridge. Once past the mill we walked on the northern side of the River Manifold, following the route of the old railway that had now been turned into the road access down the valley.
Towards the end of this road section we approached Swainsley Tunnel. It was built at the insistence of Sir Thomas Wardle, the owner of the nearby Swainsley Hall, who did not want the line to spoil the view from his house. The tunnel is 164 yards long, its bore is large for the narrow gauge railway as it was designed to cater for standard gauge items on top of the narrow gauge wagons. The tunnel is a popular site for illegal street racing, indeed, after we had walked through it, at the far end a number of cars were waiting to drive through the tunnel, ready to rev their engines and see how much noise they could make in the echoing tunnel. Staffordshire Police have made the tunnel subject to a Section 59 Notice, which allows them to seize vehicles if drivers are found to be driving through it in an unsafe or aggressive manner. Once through the tunnel it was a short walk back to our starting point.
If anyone wishes to join us on our next walk then meet us outside church at 12pm with a packed lunch on Sunday 4th October. You will be made very welcome.
Steve Franks