A method of manufacturing synthetic diamond material using a chemical vapour deposition process, and a diamond obtained by such a method are described. The method comprises providing a freestanding synthetic single crystal diamond substrate wafer having a dislocation density of at least 107 cm−2. The synthetic single crystal diamond substrate wafer is located over a substrate holder within a chemical vapour deposition reactor. Process gases are fed into the reactor, the process gases including a gas comprising carbon. Crack-free synthetic diamond material is grown on a surface of the single crystal diamond substrate wafer at a temperature of at least 900° C. to a thickness of at least 0.5 mm and with lateral dimensions of at least 4 mm by 4 mm.