Tideswell To Bradwell

Because of some poorly laid out roadworks at Fox House the bus arrived at Tideswell nearly ten minutes late. After going to the toilets [which were immaculately clean] I made my way to the southern end of the village where I located the footpath I would be using. 

I took a few photographs.

The last of these three photographs was taken as I was looking back at the village after having climbed over a stile when I was walking across the fields. It shows the council houses in the foreground; each of the larger villages in the Peak District has a similar estate, usually hidden away on the edge of the village.

After alternating sections of walking along well-maintained grass lanes and then across more fields I arrived at the road which tumbles down in to the entrance to Peter Dale.

Peter Dale can be a bit difficult underfoot along certain stretches and walking along here was the most challenging part of the walk; at times I had to concentrate hard and watch where I was putting every step.

Next up was Hay Dale; you could jog along most of this dale; it's grassy and a very even surface, I then took the steep track which leads uphill towards a minor road which I walked along until I reached the junction with the A623 trunk road.

As I'd expected, there were some lovely views of the White Peak countryside.

I then followed the route of the Limestone Way for a few minutes and then turned to the east across the fields and along the road to arrive at Bradwell Moor; a featureless grassy expanse with lots of old mineshafts. Although the land isn't fenced off it's not Access Land; for your safety you do need to stick to the footpaths.

I walked along a short stretch of road, marked as 'Batham Gate', a Roman road, on the map, and then made my way down to Bradwell. By the time I reached the bus stop the bus to Sheffield had already departed, but I didn't have to wait long for the 'school bus,' an extra service laid on at this time during term time for the school children. It only goes to Hathersage though, but there's more to do in Hathersage than there is at Bradwell...and I only had twenty minutes to kill until the Sheffield bus showed up.

I had a couple of quite long conversations today; with a man out walking his dog near Tideswell, a local man who has recently moved up from London, and then later down in Peter Dale when I got talking to a fellow hiker. When this happens it's the icing on the cake for me, a bit of human interaction makes a day out walking much more pleasurable.

I'm very lonely and socially isolated, I've never had a job or a relationship, and I don't have much family around or have many friends: most people probably go walking in the Peak District to escape from their busy and stressful lives for a few hours...I go there seeking companionship, challenge, and stimulation.