Having had such a successful first adventure to The Peak District, it was time to sample some more of the epic scenery it has to offer – with a little help from our friends!
Over the course of the 3-4 months leading up to this trip northwards, we had been talking with a few likeminded people online and had began to feel a real sense of community building around our adventures in Dougal. Over the course of a few (maybe more than a few) messages, a plan was formed to meet Ellie and Tom of @govwiththeflo in person and take a hike up to the awesome Thor’s Cave. We were rightfully nervous but with the common interests of all things VW and all things outdoors, we didn’t imagine it would be too hard for us all to get on, despite us all only ever having spoke via Instagram!
With a date and a meeting place set, the anticipation began to build! Despite being tight on time Ellie and Tom put an extra special effort in to come and see us, which we were really humbled by and it just went to show what awesome people we had met – turns out that social media really can be used to bring people together!
We set off at the crack of dawn as to avoid the peak times weekend traffic and we were blessed with clear roads all the way! We were both brimming with excitement as we cruised through the rolling green hills of the White Peak area, one that was completely new to us and it really doesn’t disappoint! The White Peak is often left neglected in comparison to its counterpart but it has so, so many beautiful spots!
We were really lucky with the weather as we snaked our way down the drystone wall clad roads and soon we came to our meeting point in the village of Wetton where we set off on a 5 mile route to Thor’s Cave including the Manifold Valley (Walk guide link). As we made our way downhill we could see a bold and tall rock off in the distance, seemingly different to everything else in the surrounding landscape and as we got closer we soon realised the main event wasn’t too far away!
A short while later, after each of us had attempted to break our necks on the slippery muddy paths that led down to the foot of the cave, there in front of us was the largest and most magnificent cave I have ever seen – well at lest above the ground! Formed around 2 million years ago, through the process of water erosion through its limestone construction, the cave is smooth to touch and extremely cold and feels very damp inside. As we headed deeper inside we found a huge crack which serves as one of 2 ways that light enters the cave, seemingly one of the reasons why this served as a great shelter for animals and people alike, across the east 2 million years.
We spent a while in the cave finding all manner of weird and wonderful things, it really was completely pitch black in the deepest section and it made for some awesome photo opportunities when looking out towards the Manifold Valley. We were very lucky to have only a handful of other folks around us, but some locals said it gets mobbed in tourist season – worth thinking about if you’re planning a visit!
We looked out across the Manifold valley and decided to push on back towards the vans as lunch was seeming a really pleasant idea, we headed down the steep and very slippery steps towards the base of the valley, where we decided to head slightly off piste and head up a footpath that lead straight through a farmers field. fortunately this path was grassy and not too slippery and with it being almost arrow straight back to the vans, it was a great choice! As we climbed up the hill, all of us feeling the first promise of an impending spring as the sun bathed is in its rays for a short while as we all removed our jackets and felt the Vitamin D flooding in, for the first time in months!
As we made our way back to the vans, we all started to chat more and before long it felt like we had known each other years! We began to learn new things about one another. From work and education to Volkswagens and hikes, it all got covered – We really weren’t ready to say goodbye to our new friends… so we didn’t!
With the help of a few google searches and some enthusiasm, we decided to try and find Chrome hill and get as close to it in the vans as possible to a rumoured road that runs between Chrome hill and it’s neighbour – Parkhouse Hill. This turned out to be a little more difficult than first thought… after being turned away by a local farmer, we decided to cut our losses and abandon the idea, we opted instead for a clearing with some pretty amazing views, whilst we did the obligatory ‘look around each others vans’ and take seemingly divine inspiration from one another. We put the world to rights a few times over before Ellie and Tom had to hit the road in order to be home in time for a family engagement. We were genuinely gutted to say goodbye but we knew that it wouldn’t be log before we saw them again!
As it happens, it wasn’t too long! Just over 6 months later we met up in the Lake District on our way home from a very special trip to Scotland! We’re absolutely buzzing for the next one!
Dougals Adventures 
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