Estimated Distance: 5 miles ---- Estimated Time: 2.5 hours ---- Grading: Quite Strenuous
Food & Drink: Wetton ---- Parking: Weag's Bridge
How to Get There - Map Section
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From Weag's Bridge, walk north along the track; this is the line of the old Hulme End-Leek light railway line, used to transport both minerals and passengers between these two points for 30 years (1904-34).

Continue along the track, with the impressive natural architecture of Thor's Cave high above to your right. The Manifold bends and a footbridge can be seen. Cross this to the east bank of the river and continue east, uphill along the path to Wetton.

A detour may be made along the path to your right as you ascend the Wetton park; a brief 'out and return' is recommended, to visit Thor's Cave. The 60 foot wide cave has revealed evidence of occupation by man from Stone Age to Romano-British times.

Back on the Wetton path; continue east, out of the woods and on into the village of Wetton. Keep straight ahead along the road to a right bend; your route lies along the lane left but another detour right may be desirable, to pay a visit to the Old Royal Oak. ( If you made the first detour to Thor's Cave then you deserve this second, less purist detour.)

From the corner follow the lane (which leads north-west out of Wetton) until a footpath ('Back of Ecton') can be seen to your right. Follow this path, over Wetton Hill, to the point over the brow of the hill where the footpath diverges: the path ahead continues to Back of Ecton, but your route follows the path (and wall) left, which delivers you to a small dale, near Manor House. Cross the footbridge and descend left, to attain the east bank of the Manifold.

On reaching the valley road turn right then left over the footbridge; continue south along the west bank of the river Manifold (ie. with the river on your left) to Weag's Bridge; a delightful (and delightfully easy) ramble along the valley track.