The River Manifold in the Staffordshire Peak District

A pictorial record of one of Staffordshire’s most beautiful and interesting valleys


The River Manifold rises close to Axe Edge, which is the highest point between the Staffordshire Town of Leek and Buxton in Derbyshire	This area is the source of several others flowing south and east that will join the Trent basin and also west towards the Mersey (e.g. Goyt & Dane)

The ancient Market Town of Longnor is the first significant community reached by the still small River	However, the River begins to take character when it reaches this point and passes through fields that are full of wild flowers in the Spring

Further down the valley the River is overlooked by Thor’s Cave	Up to this point the underlying rock is Millstone Grit

But within a few hundred yards the River starts to flow over porous Limestone	And, except in the wettest conditions, the flow starts to disappear beneath encroaching vegitation

Until it is completely underground	However, on the National Trust estate at Ilam Hall

The River reappears from ‘boil holes’	And soon resumes as a significant River

Which has been fed by smaller tributaries joining just above the boil holes	Close to Paradise Walk

All of which makes a visit to Ilam a good place to appreciate the Manifold	Which leaves the Estate under the road south from the Village of Ilam

Curiously, although the Manifold is the bigger river	The Manifold valley ends where it joins the smaller River Dove near Ilam