Words & Photos Roger Butler

September 21 2011

A heavy shower had just passed through as I arrived at Ilam Hall. Bucolic lawns and well-manicured shrub beds were now shining in the damp sunshine, but I was soon heading through the parkland and over a footbridge that led to open country. Another downpour encouraged me to dive for cover in nearby Musden Wood. Deep and secretive, this tree-clad valley twisted like a sea serpent before emerging into the dry stone wall country around Calton.

In front of me, a hare sat motionless as I crossed the brow of Mere Hill and redstarts were busy chattering in the woods near Throwley Hall. Dropping down into the beautiful Manifold Valley, noisy jackdaws spun in front of the white cliffs below Beeston Tor, but the river at the foot of the rocks was, as usual, completely bone-dry. For much of the year the water here simply seeps away into the limestone, leaving a pebbly corridor lined by the rhubarb-like leaves of the butterbur.

It’s hard to imagine a steam railway used to trundle up and down the many folds of the Manifold, calling at isolated farms to collect churns of fresh milk. The track is now a cycleway and I followed this north to Thor’s Cave, once home to giant red deer, bears and early man. A sharp climb brought me to the cave entrance, 30ft high,  with its grand view up the valley towards the heathery hills above Warslow.

From here, I strode out onto the rounded humps of Wetton Hill, where open access gives freedom to wander across steep grassy slopes. But curtains of heavy rain had built up to the west and shower number three arrived just as I reached the higher eastern top. I sought shelter under the lee of a little rocky outcrop and waited for the inevitable soaking. The view was classic White Peak: a patchwork of walls, barns and upland meadows with glimpses into and over distant dales.

Half an hour later I found myself on an old stone-flagged path which led to a hamlet called Hope and a steep drop into Dale Bottom. Sunshine lit the rocky entrance to Hall Dale, though this was soon left behind as I descended, past grey screes, into Dovedale. The crystal-clear river looked particularly sweet after the barren Manifold and a dipper bobbed energetically on the moss-covered rocks.

I turned south, but only for a short distance, and by a footbridge took the path straight up through the woods. Compared to Hall Dale this was like walking in a rainforest and dripping ash trees and wizened hazels lined the slippery route towards Ilam Tops. Now it was simply downhill all the way back to the start.

Distance: 22km /13.5 miles Ascent: 730m/2395ft Time: 7 hours Start/Finish: Ilam Hall National Trust car park (GR: SK 132507) Map: Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer sheet OL24 (The Peak District – White Peak Area) Tourist Information: Ashbourne, 01335 343666 Public Transport: A local bus service links Ashbourne, Ilam and Wetton (tel: 01335 350204)

Technical Spec
From Ilam Hall walk west across Ilam Park to footbridge and continue north-west to Rushley. Enter Musden Wood and continue beyond woodland until head of dry valley. Turn north on tracks and paths over Mere Hill to drop to Beeston Tor Farm. Walk north on Manifold Valley trail for one mile until small footbridge. Cross bridge and climb to Thor’s Cave, then head for Wetton village and Wetton Hill beyond. From eastern top descend to lane and take paths south-south-east to Hope, drop into valley and take track south to Stanshope. Walk south-east down Hall Dale and at river turn south, then climb steep path on right (signed for Ilam). Take path heading south at the top of the woods and descend slopes of Bunster Hill to start.