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MANIFOLD VALLEY / TOUR OF BRITAIN - 01/05/11

This latest addition to Boots and Paws after a gap approaching a year includes photographs from a walk along the Manifold Valley and highlights from the Tour of Britain as the famous cycle race passed through Longnor Village in September 2010.

Photos from this linear walk start at the Hulme End Vistor Centre where there are refreshments and information about the route located in the Old Railway Station buildings. There are car parking facilities here and it is just 1.5 miles from Hartington Village in the heart of the Peak District.
The path follows the route of the old Manifold Valley Light Railway from Hulme to Waterhouses which operated for passengers and goods from 1904 until closing in 1934. Only a few years later, in 1937, the route was re-opened in its current format - a walking/cycling path. The 8.25 mile route also runs alongside the River Manifold which is a tributary of the River Dove, from Spring to Autumn large parts of the river bed in the valley are dry.
The Valley is a popular choice for visitors to the Peak District offering easy access and good flat paths for the walker and cyclist, combining both natural and man-made highlights such as Wetton Mill owned by the National Trust, and the spectacular Thors Cave overlooking the Valley.
The Tour of Britain passed close to the Manifold Valley on the second stage of the race. Longnor Village provided a good viewpoint as Triple Olympic Gold medallist Bradley Wiggins, (left photo) led a breakaway group through the Staffordshire Moorlands. To see more route ideas and cycling events in the Peak District National Park visit: Peak District Cycling