Where | Manifold Way (The Peak District) |
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Date | 16 August 2009 |
Duration | 3 hours 40 minutes |
Distance | 16 miles (~26 km) |
Weather | Overcast with some sunshine near the end |
Trail conditions | Dry tarmac |
Trip report
Description by Mark 'Tarquin' Wilton-Jones
Starting at the Hulme End visitor centre, the route follows the old railway line, as it enters the top of the Manifold Gorge beside Ecton Hill. There is no chance of losing the way here, since it's the only real route.
After some distance, it crosses then joins a road, and enters a long tunnel. This is one of the highlights of the route, but be warned that it is a road that is used by cars and motorbike convoys.
The road continues for some distance, eventually entering a gorge at Wettonmill. A huge white arched cave entrance can be seen back on the left, and in summer, the river disappears into its bed as it starts down the gorge.
At last the route leaves the road, and regains its own tarmac, with a few limestone crags towering over it.
A large crag on the left has an obvious large entrance to Thor's Cave, and just after this, the route picks up a short road through a car park. This area is usually full of other cyclists and visitors, even more than the rest of the trail, which is already overcrowded. This marks the halfway point.
On the other side of a road, there are two tarmacked roads beside each other. The one on the right is the cycle route. Around the corner, a large cliff on the left is Beeston Tor, which marks the mouth of the Hamps valley, which the Manifold Way now follows upstream to the right. The Manifold valley also continues downstream ahead, but it's quite easy to miss that from the bike trail, and it's not important right now, since it has no cycle route.
The route is now very straightforward, becoming a more overgrown valley, which also runs dry in summer. Eventually, it passes through farmland, and reaches the road (the river sinks in the valley floor here).
Turn right to reach the village of Waterhouses, where there's a good pub for refreshments. Our stops here and at Thor's cave gave a total end-to-end time of 4 hours and 50 minutes.