Weaver Hills [The Walk]

Rising as the southernmost tip of the Pennine chain, this limestone outlier offers a White Peak character despite sitting outside the National Park boundary. The steep southern escarpment above Wootton provides an abrupt transition from the Midlands plain, rewarding walkers with an expansive, earned vista across the Churnet Valley towards Cannock Chase.

• •Geologically, these hills represent the final southern outcrop of Carboniferous Limestone before the Pennine backbone subsides into the softer Triassic sandstones of the Midlands.
• •In 1766, the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau sought refuge from French persecution at nearby Wootton Hall; however, the quiet isolation of the Weaver Hills reportedly exacerbated his paranoia rather than providing the peace he sought.
• •The landscape is dotted with evidence of prehistoric occupation, including at least ten Bronze Age tumuli scattered across the range and the neighbouring peak of Cauldon Low.
• •The summit offers a clear view of the wooded Churnet Valley and the towers of the Alton Towers estate, while on exceptionally clear days, the profile of The Wrekin in Shropshire is visible to the southwest.
• •Despite the specific summit peak being named 'The Walk,' the approach from the south is a surprisingly sharp ascent that will test the lungs of anyone expecting a gentle Sunday saunter.