Walks

Ilam Park and Hall

A 158-acre park located on both banks of the River Manifold, Ilam park has woodland walks, is family and dog friendly and comes equipped with a delightful tea room and second hand book shop.

In the ownership of the National Trust, it has great views of Thorpe Cloud and the Italian Gardens.

National Trust Ilam Park website

Please note the NT says: Sat Nav: DE6 2AZ. The driving route given on Google Maps to reach Dovedale is incorrect and does not take you to the car park and valley entrance. Please drive to the road between Thorpe village and Ilam village to access the our Dovedale car park and footpath to stepping stones and the valley.

Distance from The Old Chapel - 4 miles

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Wetton Hill

View from Wetton Hill

There are many beautiful walks on The Old Chapel’s doorstep, and Wetton Hill can be either a 2.5-mile loop, or a much larger circuit that takes you into the Manifold Valley and up to Thor’s Cave.

There are many routes you can take, making it a great hike depending on what you want to do on the day. Besides climbing Wetton Hill, you can walk along the Manifold Way following a disappearing stream and visit Thor’s Cave in this tranquil limestone dale which is the Manifold Valley.

> Walk the Manifold Way

Distance from The Old Chapel - 1 mile

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Thor’s Cave

View from the Manifold Valley looking at Thor's Cave

Only a short 20-minute walk away from The Old Chapel lies the famous Thor’s Cave, overlooking the green, rolling hills of the Manifold Valley.

One of the iconic places to visit in the Peak District, Thor’s Cave has a massive entrance, which is 60ft tall. The actual cave itself does not take long to explore, however the views from the entrance are immense, as the cave stands 350 feet above the valley.

There is also a footpath that goes another mile down to Wetton Mill.

This can be just a short walk, or you can drop down into the valley and make it as long as your legs would like!

Distance from The Old Chapel - 1 mile

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Castleton

Peverill Castle, Castleton

Winnats Pass

Castleton… What isn’t there to do in Castleton? All within a short radius is the infamous Mam Tor, a must see for breath taking views (with barely any walking), Speedwell Cavern, where you can take a boat trip through the tunnels, Blue John and Trek Cliff caverns, said to be the finest range of caverns in Britain and the only two sites where the Blue John mineral can be extracted.

As the name suggests, Peveril Castle overlooks the town and for the hiking fans, Cave Dale and Winnats pass are must trails to experience. Filled with great pubs, there’s plenty to do on a day trip to Castleton.

Distance from The Old Chapel - 24 miles

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