Thor’s Cave is a ‘must do’ hike in the Staffordshire side of the Peak District National Park. Located in the Manifold Valley, it’s named as one of the most popular walks to do in the park. It’s a natural carven made out of limestone, with incredible views across the valley. After my visit, seeing it for myself, I can see why it’s such a popular attraction in the area.
To get the best photos of Thor’s Cave, I recommend getting there early. We arrived at 9 am and it was just starting to get busy. As the day goes on, I’ve heard it can get pretty congested with people.
You can just walk to Thor’s Cave and back down again. However, we decided to turn the route into a circular, including a hike up Wetton Hill. The route is 6.3 miles long and is moderate difficulty. There was no actual path up Wetton Hill. However, it is easy to navigate yourself, up the grass slope, in clear weather. At the summit, you will be greeted with views for miles and miles.
Location
The walk starts and finishes in the little village of Wetton, on the east side of the Manifold Valley. The village is located in the Staffordshire side of the Peak District National Park.
Parking
If you get there early enough, there is plenty of free street parking in the village of Wetton. When we arrived at 9 am, we had no problem getting parked. However, I did notice when we arrived back at our car, mid-afternoon, there weren’t so many parking spots available.
The Route
Follow this map, as you walk the route, you shouldn’t get lost! Make sure your location is turned on and you should be able to see exactly where you are, on this map. Or if you prefer, download the GPX file and use it on your choice of route tracker.
1.
Starting in the village of Wetton, head along School Lane and onto Leek Road. You should see a signpost on your left-hand side, leading across the fields, signposted Thor’s Cave. Take the footpath and head towards the trees and into the valley.
2.
As you head into the trees, you will see a path going off to your left-hand side, leading you up the hillside. Take the path up the hillside. You will shortly reach Thor’s Cave.
3.
Head back down to the path you came up on, until you reach the path junction. Turning towards your left, follow the path towards a footbridge over Manifold River. Cross over the river and take the footpath leading up the other side of the valley, through Ladyside Wood. Evanutally, we you arrive in a village called Grindon.
4.
As you arrive into the quiet village of Grindon, turn towards your right-hand side onto Church Avenue. Follow the road past the All Saints church, until you see a lane going off to your right-hand side.
5.
Take the lane and follow it for a short while until you see a footpath going off to your left-hand side. Take the footpath and follow it along the fields, through lots of little gates, and down to Hoo Brook, a little country stream.
6.
At the stream, follow the footpath going off to your right-hand side, signposted to Wetton Mill, following along the side of the stream. Eventually, you will reach the road, leading into Wetton Mill. Turn towards your right-hand side onto the road, and follow it across the bridge, towards Wetton Mill Cafe. A perfect stop for ice cream or a cup of coffee.
7.
Head through Wetton Mill, following the footpath up the hillside. At the path junction, turn towards your left-hand side and follow the footpath along the dry valley. Eventually, you will see a grass footpath going off to your right-hand side.
8.
Follow the grass footpath for a bit, around the side of Wetton Hill. As the path gets closer to the summit of Wetton Hill, but before it reaches the stone wall, detour off, and head up the grassy hillside. There is no path to follow. You just have to make your own way up, as we did, as you will see on the map. I highly recommend doing it. As you reach the summit you will be rewarded with some great views on a clear day.
9.
Once you reached the summit and enjoyed the views. Head back down and rejoin the grass footpath you were originally on. Following the grass footpath, head over the tile, over the stone wall. Follow the path through the field and onto a stony path, leading you back into Wetton, where you started the walk from.
Enjoyed this walk and would like to do another walk in the Peak District National Park, please check out some of my other walk guides:
For more information on the Peak District National Park, please visit their website:
