Over thousands of years the River Manifold has carved out a
steep sided valley into the limestone plateau of the White Peak. One
of the characteristic features of the river and other limestone rivers
such as the Dove is that for part of their length they flow underground
except when in flood. The Manifold originates high in the moors close
to Axe Edge and flows twelve miles south through the small villages of
Longnor and Hulme End, the start of the walk, before disappearing just
past Wetton Mill. It reappears in the grounds of Ilam Hall just before
its confluence with the Dove near Thorpe Mill. Rod's route today makes use of part of the trail in the valley and explores the high ground on either side.
 |
Ecton Mine buildings
near the start of the walk |
Ecton
Mine was almost unique in being a rich copper mine in an area of
Derbyshire usually associated with lead mining. The ore was formed by
hydrothermal fluids rising in vertical fissures in the rock 180 million years ago and is concentrated in a vertical quasi-cylindrical pipe which surfaces at the top of Ecton Hill and is approached horizontally along a tunnel cut into the hill from the mine buildings.
Although it is thought that Ecton Hill was mined
in the Bronze Age, it was not until 1760 that the it was developed
seriously when the Duke of Devonshire assumed direct control and major
investments were made. By 1767 the mine was 290m deep and 130m of this
was below the Manifold and had to be artificially drained. Ecton was
briefly the most prolific copper source in the world, and the Duke was
able to use it to finance his construction of a new spa resort at
Buxton. By the 1780’s Ecton’s 4000 tons per annum output was equivalent
to 12% of the entire output of Cornwall’s many copper mines and the mine
was the deepest in the world. Further reserves were made accessible by
installing a Watt steam engine and by 1795 the Ecton Deep Shaft was 400m deep with 280m of this was below the Manifold. An interesting description of the engine can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/7382107@N04/474794116/
 |
| Looking back towards the Ecton Mine in the Manifold Valley |
 |
| Overlooking the Manifold Valley looking west towards the Staffordshire Moorland |
Thor's Cave - single click on any image in this blog to enlarge; esc to go back.
|
 |
| Lunch stop with Thor's Cave in the background. Eileen gives an important warning about Lyme disease caused by being bitten by an infected tick. |
The walk ended at the former engine shed of the Manifold Valley Light Railway (1904 -1934), a narrow gauge railway which carried milk from dairies in the region and acting as a feeder to the standard gauge system. It also provided passenger services to the small villages and beauty spots along its route. It started near the rail link to Leek at Waterhouses, descending the valley of the Hamps river before climbing up the Manifold to Hulme End. The railway has been converted into a popular cycle track.
