⛅️Hulme End 9 Miles🐑Manifold Trail🐄Longnor🐑Pilsbury🐄Sheen Hill🐑Sheen⛅️

This scenic walk visits characterful villages and hamlets, along riverside pastures and hills, along with historical remains.

Our walk starts at the pretty village of Hulme End, situated on the Staffordshire Derbyshire Peak District border beside the River Manifold. It is surrounded by beautiful White Peak countryside, characterised by rolling green hills and ancient dry stone walls.
Hulme End was once the Northern Terminus of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, used in the 19th Century primarily for milk trains.
The Old Station building has now been restored as an interesting Visitor Centre, with souvenirs and displays about the historic line.
One of the engines has also been rebuilt and is open to the public at the site.
The route of the old railway line has now been converted to the Manifold Way, an 8-mile trail running from Hulme End in the north to Waterhouses in the south.
Hulme End has a pub, The Manifold Inn, on the riverside, as well as a large campsite, the village is mostly made up of cottages and farm buildings. The building opposite the pub is the Old Toll House, located on an 18th Century Stone Bridge, it was built to serve the turnpike and River Ford.

Leaving Hulme End, our route heads off across lush field pastures along the beautiful Manifold Way to the ancient Village of Longnor.
Listed in the Domesday Book from 1086. Its stone houses line the streets, a cobbled square complete with an original market sign and an impressive church which dates back to 1781.

Leaving Longnor, the route heads off along the Dove Valley to Crowdicote and follows tracks to the Earth works remains of Pillsbury Castle.
It is unsure exactly when the Castle was built, but was probably built in the 11th Century by the Normans. It's a Motte and Bailey Castle, a fortification (a defensive wall or reinforcement) with a wooden tower on a raised area of ground (Motte) accompanied by a walled courtyard (Bailey).

Our route continues to the Hamlet of Pilsbury, it crosses a Ford following the stream up to Sheen Hill, a sugar loaf mound seen in the distance as it rises to 1247 feet.
Weather depending we'll climb to the 380 metre trig point.

Our path descends to the Rural Hamlet of Sheen, as we walk through it, there are just a handful of cottages, several farms, a pub and a church, the oldest grave slab dates back to 1200 and its fascinating grotesque gargoyles to medieval times.

The route coming out of Sheen joins a path across pastures, and shortly to Hulme End where we started our scenic walk.

A moderately challenging walk with a bit of a climb up Sheen Hill and some easier paths through villages and pastures

Catching up points and breaks as always along the way
Bring a picnic lunch plenty of snacks and water

Walking boots are essential, no trainers, walking poles are useful for muddy descents
As always check the weather and dress accordingly

Toilets at the start and halfway in Longnor Village

Looking forward to sharing another adventure with you...👩‍🦯🐕🐕‍🦺🧑‍🦯🐑🐄

My number for any problems or concerns
07505143980