Discover the Peak District on a short walk from Wetton

Published: 17 April 2026

As a resident and former chair of the national park, there are many things I love about the Peak District, but top of the list is that the variety and choice of where to walk always means that there’s somewhere new to explore or somewhere quiet to go, even on a busy weekend. The three volumes of day routes in the Peak District that I’ve chosen for Cicerone’s Short Walks series pick out my favourite locations, some well-known and others a little off the beaten track, but all giving you a flavour of Britain’s original national park.

Parkhouse Hill provides an exciting extra challenge

The south west corner of the Peak District is perhaps the most varied part of it all, with walks ranging from the dramatic limestone scenery of Chrome Hill, Milldale and Thorpe Cloud above the River Dove to gentle waterside routes in the

Goyt Valley; from the elegant spa town of Buxton to the airy gritstone roof of the Roaches. The 15 routes covering Buxton, Dove Dale and the South West Peak include a ruined mansion and an historic packhorse bridge dividing three counties, reveal a mysterious and hidden natural chasm, and visit a village cheese emporium famous for its locally produce stilton. There really is something for everyone!

The walk featured here is in the Manifold Valley, a narrow and twisting green corridor between Hulme End and Waterhouses. It’s often overlooked by the crowds who head to nearby Dove Dale, but its dramatic limestone cliffs and caves, wooded slopes and quiet riverside paths make it a wonderful place to explore on foot. The unspoilt valley is fringed by attractive Staffordshire villages like Grindon, Butterton and Warslow, and better still there’s a super National Trust tearoom half-way around the route at Wetton Mill.

The 2.5 hour walk begins at the village of Wetton and heads across fields to a spectacular viewpoint high above the valley, before circling round the hillside to reach Thor’s Cave. The rocks can be slippery so choose suitable footwear, but the views from the gaping mouth high up on the hillside are sensational.

The Greyhound Inn is home to a microbrewery

From here the path descends through woodland to join the Manifold Track, an easy valley bottom route, to reach Wetton Mill and a refreshment stop. The return is on open and scenic paths that skirt the open grassy flanks of Wetton Hill, but whether you divert for the 358m summit depends on how much puff you have left. The walk finishes by dropping back down into Wetton village, where there’s a pub and seasonal cafes.

In the year that the Peak District National Park marks its 75th anniversary, it’s appropriate to celebrate this trailblazing ‘people’s park’ and the role that Campaign for National Parks and others played in successfully lobbying for it seven decades ago. So if you haven’t explored its 555 square miles of natural beauty yet, or want to return and discover somewhere new, let leading outdoor publisher (and Campaign for National Parks corporate partner) Cicerone Press give you some ideas for your next adventure.