Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway.

[Broithe]

Currently on the Big Island, I made an attempt to replicate some walks around the Manifold Valley, that I used to frequent over many years. For logistical reasons, and despite my better judgement, I made an attempt to retrace a route from the past last Saturday. This resulted in me giving up, as a result of the standard of 'weekend people' that I could no longer endure. I made a second and much more successful, attempt on Thursday - around 10 - 15% of the number of people and no idiots, who seemed to be half the people on the Saturday attempt.

The railway ran from Waterhouses to Hulme End. I did the northern half, some of which is open to motor traffic, including the tunnel - be extremely careful with that on a nonworking day - in the week it's not a real problem.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek_and_Manifold_Valley_Light_Railway

At the terminus at Hulme End, the buildings largely survive and have been repurposed sympathetically - the engine shed is a decent café, handy, as I forgot my food...

Thor's Cave Station, looking up at the cave itself. the foundations of the wooden structure still visible.

 

And looking down from above the cave.

 

Swainsley Tunnel - open to motor traffic, but with refuges, if necessary.

 

Ecton Station, for the mine.

 

And Hulme End terminus itself.

 

The food replacement from the café.

 

A few token sleepers remain.

 

In the old station building is a nice, but hard to photograph, model, illustrating the old days very well.

 

It's a nice walk on a nice day, with nice people. but there are behaviour issues, especially at the weekend, and seriously then, with motorist behaviour in the 'technically shared' tunnel. 

From Hulme End, I came back via a parallel route through the hills, last done forty years ago - despite fearing I was wrong a few times, I did follow it exactly.

Some nice, non-railway, bits along there.

Etc....

 

Many years ago, I started trying to recreate the current view against those past photographs from books about the railway, whilst it was still running, before WW2.

I did get about halfway through that project and I might find the pictures during my current domestic archaeology process in the 'forty years of stuff' in my house there...

Edited May 3 by Broithe

[leslie10646]

Thanks, @Broithe, for the piccies - you've reminded me that my Leek and Manifold history was £50 when I bought it - a beautiful volume.

It's on ABE at £200 plus these days. Time I sold it!

It HAS been read

[Broithe]

1 minute ago, leslie10646 said:

Thanks, @Broithe, for the piccies - you've reminded me that my Leek and Manifold history was £50 when I bought it - a beautiful volume.

It's on ABE at £200 plus these days. Time I sold it!

It HAS been read

Crikey! I have a few books on it - I must check them out - the time of not returning here again is approaching I fear, and hope...

I have walked almost every field around the Manifold and Hamps rivers - a much pleasanter area than the nearby, but much more popular Dovedale, in my estimation.

[Mayner]

Visited the Manifold Valley several times 25-30 years ago while railfanning in the Peak's. I think the loco shed was part of a Council road depot 1st time I visited Hume End, but a miniature possibly 3"½' gauge was set up at the Waterhouse end of the carpark leading back a hundred or so yards on the trackbed, being me it was late afternoon/evening & no one was around. Yes drove several times through the tunnel and last time I was over cycled from Waterhouse to Thors Cave.

Although close to the cities of Stoke and Greater Manchester the Manifold Valley is remote largely accessible by the Manifold Trail probably one of the first of Britain's rail to walking/cycling trail.

This was well before the days of the re-opening of the Cauldon Low Branch as a heritage railway, although out of use the semaphore signalling system at Leekbrook Junction and the yard and ground frame at Cauldon Low intact. 

[Mike 84C]

How remarkable, several of us who have an interest in Irish railways, have done the same walks eaten in the same cafe and read the same books about a narrow gauge line in Staffordshire!

[Broithe]

My usual practice is to park at Weag's Bridge. You are fairly central by doing that and it is the least popular parking along the line, as well as the most spacious.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.0851664,-1.8526989,241m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDQzMC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

These are walks that I replicated this time.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1pSxyPvk8K2a9O1zxTlGkjnaz1y_PIB0&usp=sharing

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1W-CfOYU3OXNzIBEjpN0So7BQjLoXigo&usp=sharing

There is plenty to see there, including the disappearing/reappearing river phenomenon.

[Broithe]

I was reminded of this picture that I took many years ago, it remains a favourite. Not actually along the railway, but from the bank of the Manifold, after the routes diverge southwards.

A rabbit's eye view...
 

If you do have a possibility of venturing up there on a decent day, then it is a pleasant area. The paths are really quite good and the farm community generally realise that making things reasonable for walkers greatly reduces that wandering about that happens in the more obstructed regions, and is then used to justify the obstruction, ad infinitum.

I did the Staffordshire Way once and it turned into an Escape and Evasion exercise.

I got talking to a bloke at a blood donation session - he turned out to be employed to negotiate with the more difficult farmers, who were not in short supply. He had been on a course that day - at the Police headquarters - it was essentially on how to deal with people threatening you with a firearm...

Edited May 4 by Broithe