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About Manifold Track | Parking Location | OS Map | Current Weather
We wanted a bit of an easier summer walk, and the flat Manifold Way was perfect for this. We knew we could add in a little height and get off the main path, but a steady walk along the main route would be easy.
We set out from the main car park at Waterhouses and followed the signposted path to the start of the Manifold Way. There are obviously quite a few cyclists here but it’s easy to keep out of each other's way. After walking past the initial farm where hens, horses and other small animals can be seen, we walked past the water treatment plant. This is quite noisy and dull, but you’re soon past it and on to the main walk.
We followed the main route for quite some time, the sun beating down through the valley and, being quite a popular area, quite a few people were out. The riverbed is dry now due to changes in the water management in the area, so there are a great deal of plants now growing in the dry, stony recess. The track is easy going as it is well surfaced for bicycle users so got a bit samey for us. Further along, we took a stile on the left which headed up a small hill. This allowed us some respite from the main path, and the trees gave some relief from the sun. The walk along here is nice, you get height quickly, but it isn't difficult. You pass a couple of farm buildings while looking down on the main path. The track takes you up to a farm, where you will pass through a few well-signposted fields. It's easy enough to get through and aside from some small sheep wanting to come with us wasn’t too eventful.
On the other side of the farm, you dip down a hill and then come right back up again! This is probably the steepest part of the walk, but as with the rest, it’s not too difficult. We continued through the fields and some spectacular clouds in the sky while keeping up a good pace. Once through these fields, there is a path down. This crosses a road a couple of times, but it was quiet and you don’t need to walk along the road. Once over the last stile, the hill becomes a bit steeper, so we slowed down to ensure we didn’t slip. It's not too steep or far down though and we were soon at the bottom, eating lunch.
After lunch, we turned right back onto the Manifold Way and followed the track all the way back. It's more of the same really at this point, nice and flat with some nice views. It can get busy, and later in the day we saw more cyclists coming past us, but it never became a problem. We followed the route all the way back to the car park. It’s a really nice route, and very flat on the main Manifold Way track while adding a bit of height really changed things up which made the walk much nicer.
