Walk around Ecton Hill, Peak District

After a quick trip to the Orpheus hut to wait for Pete Collins to arrive as arranged, we realised he wasn't coming by half past ten so the three of us: Karen , Keith and myself headed for the cafe in Monyash for breakfast. Once we were finished Keith headed for home while Karen and I drove the short distance to Hulme End and parked. After getting our walking boots on we joined the start of the track following the old Leek and Manifold Light Railway which was converted to a walking and cycling route back in 1937.



After a bit over a mile we left the track and followed a rough road leading to a folly built in the 1930's called Radcliffe's Castle. We passed this and after crossing a stile followed a narrow track gradually gaining height along the steep slope above the Manifold Valley with the old Leek and Manifold Light Railway and River Manifold far below and lovely views to the hills in the distance. Once we reached the crest of the slope, we could see a large house below (Swansley) with a lovely old stone dovecote nearby. Soon we headed a short way uphill and crossed another stile into a large field and then followed the route marked by a "Public Footpath" sign leading to near a farm with an old limekiln next to it. We then dropped down a field following a wall to a track leading to another nearby farm where we saw a small tree with a hole at ground level and small heap of soil dug out by some animal which had burrowed into the ground under the tree.
A nearby gate led to the top of a dale which gradually dropped to a quite steep and rocky section finally leading to a much less steep slope to another stile into a farmyard. Following the track from the farmyard for a short distance, we arrived at the cafe and crowds at Wetton Mill where we had a drink and some food while sitting next to the river. After the food-break, we followed the old road leading back to Hulme End and where we had parked.