Surprise View, Hathersage, Bamford, Thornhill, and Brough

I should have been travelling on the X57 bus to the summit of the Snake Pass this morning but the bus didn't show up. Whilst I was waiting at the bus station two other buses departed for the Peak District, the 218 going to Bakewell and the 65 going to Buxton. When the Castleton bus started boarding I moved over and joined that queue; I'd given the X57 twenty minutes and I wasn't giving it any longer...a few other people made the same decision as well.

I wanted to get off the bus and start walking as soon as possible and so only travelled as far as Surprise View, the first stop in Derbyshire. I climbed up on to Millstone Edge and enjoyed some classic views looking up the Hope Valley, and then made my way down to Hathersage.

I didn't enter the centre of Hathersage. The footpath came out near to the church and then I found another one which continued across a field, through the allotments and then through open countryside to Bamford.

I popped in to The Angler's Rest Tearooms at Bamford for tea and cake and then walked down the lane that leads to Bamford Mill where I used the walkway and stepping stones to cross the River Derwent.

It was only a short walk over to Thornhill and then as I was heading for Hope I had to make another decision. The timing for catching a bus back to Sheffield was going to be very convenient at Brough and so I ended the walk there.

Brough, Hope Station, Aston, Hope Cross, Thornhill, and Bamford.

The guard on the train this morning always calls Meadowhall MeadowHELL. He's obviously not a fan of this particular large out-of-town shopping centre. Personally I reckon that Meadowhall is no worse than any other, and is probably better than most: it certainly has good public transport connections.

I got off the bus at Brough and walked down the lane which leads to Hope Station, crossed over the quite ornate footbridge and continued slightly uphill across fields to reach the western edge of Aston. I then continued climbing, firstly walking along a lane and then track which petered out into a footpath as I reached open moorland.

As I got higher the views were getting better; the first photograph shows the Great Ridge, and the second one Edale valley and Kinder Scout in the distance.

I soon reached Hope Cross, an ancient milepost and boundary marker high on what is, I think, a stretch of Roman road. Here's a link with more details...and photographs.

http://www.derbyshireheritage.co.uk/Menu/Ancient/crosses/Hope-cross.php


The next section of the walk was down through the densely wooded plantation: it was very dark inside here. I reached the bottom and then walked along the southern shore of Ladybower Reservoir. The next section was along the Thornhill Trail, the trackbed of the old railway which was used to transport stone for the construction of the dam.

The final part of the walk was across fields towards Bamford Mill, where a crossing of the River Derwent is required, first across a narrow rickety footbridge, and then a series of wobbly stepping stones and sections of duckboard - the river seems to be very wide here, and full of rocks and debris.

It was then only a short walk down the road to the bus-stop. When the bus arrived I did a bit of an experiment and discovered that my travel pass can be scanned upside down; meaning either face down, or with the text upside down. This knowledge has made my life marginally easier.

Castleton, Hope, Aston, Thornhill, Bamford and Hathersage.

Today I walked the entire length of the Hope Valley; it's not far, only being just over seven miles by the route I chose - but it's something I hadn't done before.

I got off the bus and immediately popped into the toilets next to the bus station, and then walked down the road, away from the village centre, passing Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn.

Somewhere in the photo, partially hidden by a hanging basket is a sign that states that 'Dirty Boots Are Welcome.' This is a positive development, and not all that unusual  in the Peak District these days.

It wasn't long until I reached the footpath that leads back to Hope. This is an easy, pleasant walk across meadows where I sat awhile and ate my sandwiches. At this point I was passed by three organised walking/hiking groups - a large one, and two smaller groups. At Hope I had to walk along the main road for a few hundred yards but then took a country lane which leads to Aston. My route to the village soon took me across more fields though.

A bit more walking on the road but then back to a path which went all the way to Thornhill, and then Bamford. At Bamford I crossed the River Derwent at the mill using a rickety wooden bridge and recently-repaired stepping stones. Bamford Mill closed many years ago and has now been converted into expensive flats.

I was soon crossing Sickleholme Golf Course by a new route to me and then a few more fields and a country lane and I was at Hathersage.