Along the Manifold Way
Described by one local as âA line starting nowhere and ending up at the same placeâ, the, narrow gauge Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway was one of Englandâs most picturesque white elephants. Though it survived a mere 30 years from its first run in June 1904, its legacy is still enjoyed today. It ran for 8 miles (12.9km) from Hulme End to Waterhouses where passengers and freight had to transfer to the standard gauge Leek branch of the North Staffordshire Railway. The Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway. The narrow gauge railway owed its existence to Leek businessmen who feared that their town would lose out because of the newly opened Buxton-to-Ashbourne line. Their solution was to provide a local rail link to the south-east of the county. For the entire period of its existence the railway was a financial disaster and should probably never have been built. It was only made possible because the Light Railways Act of 1896 provided grants for small projects like this and reduced bureaucracy.
A little bit of India in the Peaks: Engineer Everard Calthorp, who built the Barsi Railway near Bombay, used the same techniques and design of locomotive for the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway in the Peak District as he used in India, and as a result it looked more like a miniature Indian railway than a classic English line. The engines were painted chocolate and black and pulled carriages of primrose yellow. Milk Train. The success of the line was, however, based on the supposition that the Ecton Copper Mines would re-open and that an extension to Buxton would tap into a lucrative tourist market. But the mines didnât re-open and the extension was never built. To survive, the small railway made a daily collection of milk from farms along the line and hauled produce from the creamery at Ecton for onward transportation to London. Passenger traffic was light, probably due to the long distance and steep uphill climb from the valley bottom to the villages on the top. Tourists did flock to the area on summer weekends and bank holidays, often causing severe overloading of the carriages as they headed for scenic areas like Thorâs Cave and Beeston Tor. Even with this seasonal upturn the line never made a profit and when the creamery shut in 1933 it was the end of the road for the miniature trains. The last one ran on 10 March 1934. The track was lifted and the bed presented by the railway company to Staffordshire County Council. They had the remarkable foresight and imagination to be one of the first local authorities to take a disused railway line and convert it to a pedestrian path. Today, as the Manifold Way, it is a favourite of walkers and cyclists.
While you're there: Visit the old station at Hulme End. Now the Manifold Valley Visitor Centre it has excellent displays covering the history of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway and the industries and communities it served. There are also several relics from the day of steam and a scale model of the line with Hulme End Station as it was in its heyday.
Where to eat and drink: The Black Lion Inn in the nearby village of Butterton is the ideal spot to relax after a dayâs walking. Built in 1782 this atmospheric, country hostelry has low beams and roaring open fires. Children, dogs and walkers are especially welcome and there is a wide range of food available including a selection for vegetarians. Real ales on tap include Morland Old Speckled Hen and Theakston Black Bull Bitter.
What to look for: The walk passes through a tunnel that served the old railway. This is close to Swainsley Hall, which was the home of the Wardle family at the time of construction. They were shareholders in the
company building the railway line and although happy to take any profits going, they did not want to be troubled by seeing the trains from their house.
Directions:
At the road junction near the car park, take the lane signposted âButtertonâ opposite the bridge. Just after the road bends sharply right near the ford, go through a gate on the left and walk along a valley-bottom track, with the brook on your left. 2 Beyond the new footbridge turn right at the signpost âFp (footpath) to Buttertonâ and follow this along the course of a stream to reach the village. In the final field go left, uphill, to reach the road. 3 Turn right on to the road, cross the ford and then head uphill, forking right to go past the church and the Black Lion Inn. Turn right at a T-junction, go left at a public footpath sign, cross two stiles then head along a spur, through some trees and down a steep hill to cross the stream by a wooden bridge. 4 Head uphill keeping the hedge on your left, cross two stiles and turn right on to the road. Turn left towards Eckstone then right across a stile on to the footpath. Cross two stiles, turn right behind a small derelict building and follow the line of the wall. Cross a stile, then a stream and head uphill keeping the fence on your left. 5 At the junction where the fence meets with a stone wall, turn right, cross the field and nip over a stile by a large tree. Follow this path across a field through a gateway and ahead across marshy ground to a junction of paths in the corner of the field where the wall meets the hedge. 6 Go over a stile and keep ahead through the next field to emerge on the road by Shorecroft Barn. Turn right, then at the end, opposite the church, go left. When you reach the T-junction, turn right on to Leek Road. 7 Turn right again at the next junction, cross over the road and then walk down School Lane. Turn left through a gap stile on to a public footpath. Clamber through three more gap stiles, following the course of a stream. Enter a wooded area, go downhill, cross over a stile and then turn right to join the Manifold Way. Follow this easy, well-defined trail through an old railway tunnel, back to the car park.
Hike
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