The Rosko Chapters - EP 11 - The Manifold Way & Throwley Hall
- Ben Mellor
- Feb 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 18
Time for another adventure out with Rory. This time were looking for places which are less obvious and not on the beaten Track. I sprawled across the Peak district map and noticed a little tight valley approx. 5km to the west of the ever popular Dovedale. some times I'm a bit dubious about plotting routes through lesser trodden paths as there tend to be less reasons to go there, but this little gem served up some brilliant moments that I'll always remember.
We started the journey at a nature reserve in Waterhouses and walked East to the start of the Manifold way. At the start.... I wasn't impressed. 20 mins into the hike I’d only come across a busy A road and a water treatment works, not the prettiest start to a hike by no means. Furthermore, another point that annoyed me, as the water treatment passed us and the valley started opening up i thought it was a good idea to get my new drone out! in typical fashion, I installed the wrong cable to connect to my phone. so now i had essentially a very expensive brick to carry around on this walk..... just what i wanted..... useless weight on my back.
After I calmed down slightly I couldnt help but notice the overwhelming amount of bird song in this area. At this point all of the mornings trivial frustrations soon left my mind while i immersed into a 45 minutes of pure tranquillity. The birdsong swiftly put Rory to sleep as i slowly meandered through the valley for 4km. I tried to download an app to identify what birds I was listening to however there was little signal to be had, I also couldnt tell apart the many different noises I was hearing. Towards the end of the valley as the landscape opened up I was met with the pinnacle of the valley walk. 4 birds of prey gently soaring to the chorus of their smaller counterparts. I leant against a fence a little while watching.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end as i finally met my right hand turn taking me up through Soles Hollow. Even though I was no longer in my valley walk I found this pathway quite fun to navigate. The ground was slightly uneven and a bit "gorge - like" to start.
about 20 mins into the strenuous uphill walk the area opened up into farmers fields where sheep were grazing. the scenery was pleasant! once at the top of the slope I wandered down a short road downhill to the remains of Throwley Hall.
Throwley Old Hall, located in Ilam, Staffordshire, is a16th-century ruin originally built in 1503 by Sir Samson Meverell. It is a rare surviving example of a large Staffordshire medieval manor house. The hall, once the seat of the Meverell family for over 300 years, was partially demolished in 1830 and now stands as a scheduled ancient monument. It was a great place to kick back and relax while Rory explored the area and stretch his legs.
Following our lunch I made the long slog back to the car which was approx. 6km away. This involved a good uphill slog up a farmers field and meandered through a couple of small villages.
I was seriously content with this outing. One I’d recommend!
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