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 | Waterhouses is the largest village on the south-western edge of the Pea, and the most substantial settlement in the Hamps valley. The large limestone quarry complex at nearby Cauldon provides much of the local employment but does not impose on the village.
The village centre is where the Leek to Ashbourne road, the A523, crosses the Hamps and the road to Cauldon turns off south. There are rows of cottages clustered around this junction and a pub, The Crown Inn, on the corner. Just above here is the old station, once the terminus of the Manifold and Hamps Light Railway. The remaining station buildings have been restored by the Peak Park and converted into an information and cycle hire centre. There is a substantial car park and public toilets here too so it is a good base from which to explore this interesting part of the Peak District.
The village has two pubs, a school, a couple of shops and a fish and chip shop.
The small farming hamlet of Waterfall lies a kilometre and a half away to the north. This is a pretty little village with a quaint inn, the Red Lion, and a fine late Georgian church. It gains its name from the fact that the Hamps disappears underground not far away.
Calton is a another nearby small farming hamlet situated between the lower Hamps and Manifold rivers. Calton has an excellent network of paths and lanes around it and provides good walking access to the Manifold and Hamps valleys. Musden Wood in particular is well worth a visit.
Waterhouses Photo Gallery - click on the images to enlarge- Click Here for a slide show
0 - Manifold Valley from Throwley | 
1 - Throwley Old Hall | | |
Local places of interest | Dovedale and Thorpe Cloud | Dovedale is the name given to the section of the Dove valley between Milldale and Thorpe Cloud on the bounday between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Famous for its scenery and fishing. | Ilam Church and Hall | Ilam Church, Staffordshire, is the burial place of St Bertram and a place of pilgrimage. A lovely church with some Saxon parts. Close to Ilam Hall, once home of the Watts Russell and Port families. | Ilam Hall and Park | Ilam Hall is the remains of the hall built by the Watts Russell family in the 1820s, close to Ashbourne. The Hall and Park now belong to the National Trust | Manifold and Hamps Trail | The Manifold and Hamps Trail is a Staffordshire Peak District cycle track which follows the old light railway which once ran along the valley. | Thor's Cave | Thor's Cave is the most spectacular sight of the Manifold valley, Staffordshire, a large cave with a fine view, which was inhabited in the Stone Age. |
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