Simon English
England Revisited

On a sycamore in a copse on a knife edge overlooking Weltonmill 1 1/2 miles east of Butterton.

On the same sycamore tree in the little copse as in 1971.

The little copse is still surrounded by a tumbled dry stone wall that once protected the young trees. There is no clue as to whether was deliberate or the trees grew in an existing structure. The copse’ position on the knife edge of between two valleys is spectacular with the views in all directions which seem little changed in 40 years. To some extent this is deliberate as the farm here is tenanted from the National Trust which manages the South Peak Estate. This careful maintenance can be seen Point 39 across the dry valley to the south. The hillside is grass dotted with thorn bushes but it almost looks “gardened”. I gather that this has recently been ‘de-scrubbed’ to remove the encroaching scrub from the White Peaks but bushes have been left at regular intervals, it almost looks like they have been planted to maintain the aesthetics of the landscape.

To the east is the Manifold Valley with the farm and mill at Wetton Mill. The valley has very step sides but from fields on the valley floor and on the tops the farm is able to cut grass for haylage. There was once a railway that ran up the valley; the Leek to Wetton Light railway which operated from 1904 to 1934. Losing business to new motor cars and busses it was closed and dismantled, the trackway given to Stafford CC that then reopened it as a footpath in 1937. The mill ceased working in 1854 but is now a tea shop and a popular stop for walkers and cyclists.

I think of this as the lost valley. I was taken to the wrong place in 1971 so the flag was not on its calculated grid reference, so finding the point in 2010 involved a great deal of hunting about for the original location. Google earth was hopelessly confused by the terrain and cluster of roads in the valley bottom and indicated driving over cliffs. On visiting the sat nav lost the car then found it, my daughter lost her glasses then found them high up on a shelf in a cave, my cousin lost her mobile phone then three hours later found it in reeds by the river. We eventually found the copse and point 39.

So much lost and found. The valley loses its mill and railway, why it even looses its river. The water disappears down stream from the mill and reappears 5 miles away at Ilam.
Points 35 & 39