| Dane Valley Way | |
|---|---|
 The Dane Valley Way at Three Shires Head | |
| Length | 48 miles (77 km) [1] |
| Location | Central England |
| Trailheads | Buxton, Derbyshire Northwich, Cheshire |
| Use | Hiking |
| Elevation | |
| Highest point | 524 metres (1,719 ft) |
The Dane Valley Way is a long-distance footpath through Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, England. It runs from the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton to the end of the River Dane, where it enters the River Weaver in Northwich.
The route is largely downhill after the first 3 miles of ascent and it follows rights of way along or near the course of the River Dane, past its source at Dane Head in Derbyshire and down to its end at its confluence with the River Weaver in Cheshire. The River Dane is the longest, cleanest and thought to be the fastest flowing river through Cheshire. [1] [2]
The initial section from Buxton climbs through Grinlow Woods to Solomon's Temple at the summit of Grin Hill, providing superb views across the Dark Peak. The trail crosses Axe Edge Moor (over 500m high and the watershed between the Irish Sea and the North Sea), where the River Dane originates at Dane Head. It passes the scenic Three Shires Head (where Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire boundaries meet) with its stone footbridge and cascades. During the eighteenth century, fugitives used Three Shires Head to cross into a neighbouring county, in order to flee from police who could only operate within their own county. The path continues along the wooded Dane Valley through the hamlets of Gradbach, Danebridge and Wincle. It leaves the Peak District and goes on through Eaton, Congleton, Swettenham, Brereton Heath Nature Reserve, Holmes Chapel and Middlewich, where the River Dane joins the River Wheelock. The second half of the route includes considerable walking on roads. [3] [4]
The Dane Valley Way was proposed in 1970 by Congleton Regional District Council (RDC). [5]
In 2013 the second half of the route was modified to avoid major roads and extended from its original finish in Middlewich to Northwich. The route is marked on OS Explorer Maps OL24 and 268 and is waymarked with the initials DVW. [6] [7]
There are links with the Midshires Way, the Staffordshire Way the Gritstone Trail, the South Cheshire Way, the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk and Trent and Mersey Canal Walk. Details of connecting routes may be found on the Dane Valley Way page of the Long Distance Walkers' Association website. [1]
The Upper Goyt Valley is the southern section of the valley of the River Goyt in North West England.
The River Dane is a tributary of the River Weaver that originates in the Peak District area of England. The name of the river is probably from the Old Welsh dafn, meaning a "drop or trickle", implying a slow-moving river.
The Midshires Way is a long-distance footpath and bridleway that runs for 230 miles (370 km) from the Chiltern Hills from near Bledlow in Buckinghamshire, through the Midlands counties of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, to Stockport, Greater Manchester. It also links several other long-distance walking routes or trackways including The Ridgeway, the Pennine Bridleway and the Trans Pennine Trail.
The Limestone Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in Derbyshire, England. It runs for 46 miles (74 km) through the White Peak of the Peak District National Park, from Castleton south to Rocester over the county boundary into Staffordshire. The trail is named for the limestone scenery along its route. It was devised by Brian Spencer of Matlock Rotary Club and developed and opened in 1986 by the West Derbyshire District Council. It originally ran to Matlock, but was extended to its current, longer route in 1992 to join up with the Staffordshire Way.
The A54 road is a road in England linking Chester in Cheshire with Buxton in Derbyshire. Its route through both urban and steep rural areas presents a challenge to Cheshire County Council in maintaining the safety of the road. Many years ago it was the main east–west route in Cheshire. The importance of the A54 through Middlewich and Winsford decreased in the 1970s and 1980s with the building of the M56 motorway and dualling of the A556 at Northwich. The section through Winsford carries approximately 30,000 vehicles per day.
Thorpe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire; it is on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border, on the east bank of the River Dove, about four miles north of Ashbourne. The population of the civil parish as at the 2011 census was 183.
The River Croco is a small river in Cheshire in England. It starts as lowland field drainage west of Congleton, flows along the south edge of Holmes Chapel, and joins the River Dane at Middlewich. It is about 8 miles (13 km) long.
The Cloud or Bosley Cloud is a prominent hill on the border between Cheshire and Staffordshire a couple of miles west of the Peak District National Park boundary.
Twemlow is a civil parish, containing the village of Twemlow Green in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2011 Official UK Census, the population of the entire civil parish was 192. Twemlow lies on the A535 road and the West Coast Mainline, which crosses the River Dane via the Grade-II-listed Twemlow Viaduct, built in brick by G. W. Buck, Engineer to Manchester and Birmingham Railway Company, in 1841.
Swettenham is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 Official UK Census, the population of the entire civil parish was 248, increasing to 291 at the 2011 Census. The civil parish includes the hamlet of Kermincham.
The Sabrina Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath and bridleway in England.
Three Shire Heads is the point on Axe Edge Moor where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, at UK grid reference SK009685, or 53.213°N 1.987°W.
This is a partial list of recreational walks in the county of Derbyshire in England. The list includes walks that are wholly inside Derbyshire and also those that pass through to other counties. The walks are generally through countryside on a variety of trails and footpaths. Small walks of only local interest are not included. There are over 3,000 miles (4,800 km) of public rights of way in Derbyshire.
The Trent Valley Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath in England following the River Trent and its valley in the counties of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
The North Cheshire Way is a 71-mile (114 km) long-distance footpath in Cheshire, England. It runs approximately eastwards from Hooton railway station on the Wirral peninsula to Disley railway station on the edge of the Peak District, where it connects with the Gritstone Trail. There is a 6-mile (9.7 km) spur from Chester to Croughton.
The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular 190-mile (310 km) walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District and was launched on 17 June 2017.
Deep Dale is a short steep-sided gorge near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. It is distinct from another Deep Dale, near Sheldon, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the east.
The Peak & Northern Footpaths Society (PNFS) is a UK registered charity which was formed in 1894. The purpose of PNFS is to monitor, protect, and improve the footpath network of the North Midlands and North West of England, including the Peak District National Park. The organisation is the oldest existing regional footpath society in the England.