Thor’s Cave walk in the Peak District is a great walk to do and can be made as short or long as you want. It does require a bit of an uphill push to reach the cave but it’s most definitely worth the effort. It can be reached from various points to make this as difficult or easy as you like. Thor’s Cave walk is the perfect walk to do with children and although there’s no evidence to the origin of the name, if you have Marvel fans in the family then you can play on this to get those legs moving and make your own Marvel adventure out of the day!
Route Details:
Length – 6.5km
Approx time – 1hr 45m
Parking – Wetton Mill (free) – DE6 2AG
Directions:
Starting from the car park at Wetton Mill, cross the bridge over the Manifold River and Leek Road and take the path to your left. Follow on this level path for some time catching glimpses of Thor’s Cave along the way, until you reach a signed (Thor’s Cave) turning to your left.
This section is now takes you through the trees and the terrain becomes more elevated as it takes you towards the cave. The path is straightforward enough and pretty soon you’ll find yourself at the entrance to the cave.
Once at Thor’s Cave, take the time to carefully explore the inside, be careful the rocks can be slippery when wet.
After exploring the cave, take the time to go further up and stand on top of it!
Leave the cave and take the path to your right and follow the path up and around to the top of the cave. Needless to say there are steep drops when you get to the top. This is the perfect place to have a bite to eat and enjoy the views.
As you leave the summit of Thor’s Cave, take the path which leads you towards Wetton (this is quite a popular route to so it’s easy to spot).
Arriving in Wetton, you’ll find a small cafe with toilet facilities.
Walk through Wetton and take the road to the left (after passing the cafe), walking along this road, keep an eye out for the footpath which is directly ahead. This footpath takes you around Wetton Hill and along the Manifold Valley. There’s a few footpath options along the way, allowing you to extend your walk if you wish (check OS maps to plot!). For this walk however, aim for the lovely large farmhouse that appears directly in front of you.
Turn left at the farmhouse through Manifold Valley where after a short while you’ll return to Wetton Mill where you can find food and drink options!
