Today's 11-mile walk was the first in the Peak District since March 2020 and (almost) filled in a missing link between the walk to Eldon Hole in 2019 and one from Eyam over Eyam Moor and Sir William Hill in 2015. Six on the walk which is two more than other walkers we saw on the hills all day - who says the Peak District is busy in August?
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The walk started in Bradwell ...
... next to Bradwell Brook ...
... and took us up Bradwell Dale and past an old quarry ...
... to Little Hucklow and its newly renovated 12th century pub, The Blind Bull.
The route then took us down to cross the Bradwell to Tideswell road and along an old quarry track with views up to the Gliding Club on the edge of Abney Moor ...
... and to climb steadily to pass Milldam Mine ...
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| Entrance to Milldam Mine showing unusual wall made out of tunnel roof supports |
... to reach Great Hucklow for coffee.
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| Queen Anne Inn, Great Hucklow |
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| Rebuilt 14th century Great Hucklow Butter Cross |
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| The Old Manse, Great Hucklow |
Then we went along a gritstone ridge, with fine views south and west, to Bretton's Barrel Inn, at 380m the highest pub in Derbyshire.
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| Right on the border of the White Peak and the Dark Peak - limestone to the SW, gritstone to the NE. If you dug down a few hundred metres you would find the Hucklow Edge Lead Vein which runs from Ladywash Mine (just south of the Sir William Hill mast on Eyam Moor) to Tideslow, south west of Little Hucklow. It was first worked for lead by the Romans and recently for fluorspar and barytes. Mining has created huge caverns including a barrel-shaped one which gives the pub its name. |
A steep drop through the bracken took us down to Bretton Clough ...
... followed by a climb up to Abney for lunch.
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| Abney, heather on Shatton Moor in the distance |
Further climbing took us over Shatton Moor with views this time to the north ...
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| Shatton Moor radio tower |
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| Hope Cement Works, Mam Tor in the distance |
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| Jane's Skyview app - view to the north |
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| Distant view of the Ladybower dam |
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| Hathersage in the distance |
... and down to Shatton for a well earned (distanced) rest.
And then it was back to Bradwell via Brough.
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| Bradwell Brook again |
