Thors Cave Peak District Campervan Trip
This is one of our favourite Peak District campervan trips. A great campsite, beautiful Linear walk to Thor’s Cave with pubs on the way and a fine dining experience to finish.
It’s a trip which we’ve done both within 24 hours and extended over the course of a full weekend with additional campsites and walks. Starting at Smithy fields campsite; we do a linear walk to Thor’s Cave returning via two pubs and finishing with a fine dining meal at The George Ashbourne after a shower.
The first time we did this trip, we mistook the George for a muddy boots countryside pub and not the Michelin guide eating experience it turned out to be. We were returning from the Thor’s Cave walk and thought we’d pop into the pub opposite our campsite for a couple beers and some food. We were in hiking boots, tracksuits and waterproofs on account of the October Weather and expected a countryside pub with a fire. After being asked whether we had a reservation by someone dressed in a suit, we realised that we were mistaken. Luckily they had a table in the back, we had a fantastic meal and decided we would have to return in appropriate dress.
Smithy Fields Campsite
One of the most well kept and facilitated campsites we’ve stayed at in the Peak District; Smithy Field’s in Alstonefield is a small, adult only, site perfectly located for this walk. The site has a mixture of grass pitches with the option of electric hook up (EHU) and ranges from around £20-30 per night depending on size. The toilets and shower facilities are top notch and warm throughout colder months. There are even a couple of glamping pods for hire if you fancy treating yourself.
TL:DR
Arrival – 2pm Onwards
Departure – 12pm Latest
Price – £20-30
Pitch Type – Grass Only
EHU – Optional
BBQs – Allowed if Raised
Noise – 10pm curfew
Children – No
Dogs – Yes, if kept on leads
Visitors – No
Do we Recommend – Absolutely
Thor’s Cave Linear Walk
Walk Information
Distance – 2.65 Miles Each Way, 5.2 Miles Total (8.5km)
Walk Time – Approx 2 Hours + Time Spent in Pubs and Thor’s Cave
Number of Pubs – 3
Total Ascent (way there) – 330ft
Total Descent (way there) – 462ft
Reverse ascent/descent on return
Head out of the campsite and take a left. Walk in front of the pub (The George at Alstonefield) and turn right. Once you’ve passed the Alstonefield Post Office you will reach a junction with a triangle of greenery separating the two directions, take a left. Continue on this road for just over half a mile, or until you get to the junction shown below.
If you decide to take the left path, you’ll find the Watts Russell Arms. It’s got everything you’d expect from a countryside pub; a fire, dogs, a good selection of beer and a landlord who doesn’t like you using their card machine to pay. We enjoyed our stop here, but maybe bring some cash.
Stage 2 – Wetton
If you would rather continue the walk to Thors Cave, take the road on the right. After about 250m follow the road round to the right again and stay on Ashbourne Rd until you you reach Wetton.
Look out for The Royal Oak on your left as you enter Wetton, not only is this the second pub on the trip (one which had a lovely atmosphere), but its a good landmark for your next turn. Take a left up towards the church after the pub, walk through the cemetery and turn left once again after exiting the church grounds and passing the Wetton Village Hall.
Follow Leek Road around until you see a track running off to the left, this is Thors Lane. After about half a mile, you will reach an open field, cross the field via the stiles and you’ll see the hill which surrounds Thor’s Cave ahead of you. When we first did this walk we got to the end of the field and climbed on top of the cave rather than following the path around to the right to the entrance. Although this gave us a great view the walk back down was slippy and treacherous.
Once you’ve found the entrance to the cave, we found it easiest to climb up the left hand side. Be careful however as any wet weather will make the entrance extremely slippy, ensure you have proper shoes.
The origin of the name is unknown, the most accepted theory is it comes from a corrupted version of the word ‘tor’ which means rock formation but we prefer to think it comes from the god of thunder in Norse mythology.
Stage 3 – Heading home
You have two options to get back to leek road after you’re finished in the cave; return the way you came or follow the steps down to join the Manifold Way trail. If you take the stairs down you will likely rejoin the road a little further down from Thor’s Lane, just follow the road back towards Wetton to get back on track. Alternately, if you head the other direction the Wetton Mill is a nice additional stop.
The George at Alstonefield
Although The George is more of a restaurant than a pub, it still manages to maintain the welcoming atmosphere which comes from a cosy countryside stop. As it’s recognised by Michelin, The Good Food Guide and Sawdays you know you’re sitting down to something special before you arrive. Wherever possible all ingredients are sourced from a 15 mile radius (with the obvious exception of fish) and they try and incorporate as much of their home grown produce as possible. They even have bee hives to provide the honey and hens the eggs.
The menu changes depending on seasonal availability of ingredients, but we had 5 courses for £70 in October. They also offer the option of 3 courses for £55 and 4 for £65. We started with Smoked Blackshaw venison followed by a Brill, mushroom and artichoke fish course. For the main we had a fillet of local beef with smoked watermelon, pickles and sesame jus. The cheese course centred around goats cheese and tea loaf with the dessert being a pistachio and orange chocolate mousse.
The majority of the options are not items I would normally order, but they all worked brilliantly. The staff were knowledgable, attentive and friendly. If you’re looking for something other than campfire meals and pub pies in the Peak District, this should be high up on your list.
You can find more infomation or make a reservation on The George at Alstonefield’s website here.
