New Bus Service

I've known about this for about a week but picked up a leaflet coming back from the Peak District today. The service, tagged on to the 257 route, is Sundays only during the summer. The timing of the first departure from Sheffield means that I'll be able to catch it if my train arrives at Sheffield station on time.

The route goes over the Snake Pass to Glossop and then continues to Hayfield, Chapel-en-le-Frith and Castleton. Apart from using the bus to get up onto Kinder Scout and Bleaklow I can certainly also use it to walk back from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Castleton. Depending on where the intermediate stops are there might be other viable routes back to Castleton.

Unfortunately I can't include an image of the timetable because I no longer have a scanner, but here's a link to the online timetable.

https://www.derbysbus.info/times/timetables/hul25745-sheffield-bakewell.pdf

To The West Of Castleton.

Although the majority of today's walk was to the west of Castleton, I started off by leaving the village in an easterly direction, turning off the main road into the Market Place and then heading up the lane which eventually goes to Bradwell; taking a very circuitous route because the Hope Cement Works is in the way.

The Market Place is merely a name these days; no market is held here...it is a rather pretty spot though.

The lane out of the village climbed steadily; at one side I could see expansive views of the Hope Valley, and then higher up as the direction switched to be heading towards the south west, Hope Cement Works came into sight - not a pretty sight, but as I was having a brief rest at the roadside, a car stopped not too far away and a man got out and took several photographs and engaged his travelling companion in lively conversation.

I continued along this lane and then took the track which leads to the disused Hollandtwine Mine, where I stopped to read the information board explaining everything about how the site has been restored and the spoil heaps levelled so that the view of Mam Tor is now no longer blocked.

I continued westwards along this track for about a mile until reaching the massive excavated hole of Eldon Hill Quarry, which is currently not in use; stopping briefly to rummage for something in my rucksack and catching sight of about two dozen paragliders hanging in the air above Bradwell Edge. Also when walking along this section I noticed a father and his young son bending down to pick up loose rocks; I surmised they were looking for fossils.

Another short section of road followed and then a path leading downhill and then uphill to Ruhsup Edge Farm, where a bit of help with locating the actual path would have been appreciated.

I was soon walking along the main Chapel-en-le-Frith road, but soon turned off to climb up through access land to reach the footpath which goes along the top of Rushup Edge, and then turned eastwards to return to Castleton. The actual highest point of Rushup Edge, Lord's Seat isn't very impressive at all, but there's a tumulus only a few yards away which you can climb to the top of to enjoy marvellous views of Mam Tor, The Great Ridge and Edale.

At this point I could make out people walking to the summit of Mam Tor, a very popular activity on a lovely sunny day. A few minutes later, when I took the photograph several dozen people were on the steps, or on the summit.

At this point I decided to make my way down to Castleton as quickly as possible and hope to catch the next bus. I had considered walking up to the rim of Winnats Pass for some spectacular views; something I haven't done yet...but it will have to wait until another time.

The quickest route took me down the abandoned road and past the Odin Mine Crushing Circle.

I did arrive back in time for the bus; in fact I had time to pop into the shop and visit the toilets at the bus station.

Castleton and Winnats Pass.

Unusually there weren't many people on the 272 bus service to Castleton this morning. The driver was new to the route, and when we got to Bradwell he needed to ask the passengers for directions: since there were only two of us sitting downstairs, and I was at the front of the bus, I volunteered.

Of course it was his first time driving along Bridge Street in the village, which has a very narrow section; here's a short video, not taken by me though.

I have done all of the route of today's walk at various times; some sections in the opposite direction though, but about half of the walk hasn't been featured on the blog yet.

Although it was a lovely sunny day, Castleton was in the shade of the nearby hills when I got off the bus; as it probably is for most of the day at this time of year. I took the footpath across the fields towards Winnats Pass. There were some lovely views; the first photograph was taken from here, and here's another one taken from a few hundred yards further on.

There are some spectacular limestone pinnacles at the sides of Winnats Pass; I took a few photographs, but because the path at the side of the road was in shadow all the way to the summit, none of them was really any good. If ever a place has an appropriate name it's Winnats Pass; the name is a corrupted form of 'Windy Gates' - and that was certainly the case today...the narrow gorge seemed to be acting as a very efficient wind tunnel.

At the summit it was brilliant sunshine and so I took a path across some fields and found a warm, sheltered spot to eat my sandwiches.

After my rest for refreshments I walked for a couple of minutes and then could see the abandoned section of the main road between Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith, caused by the regular landslips that occur on the adjacent hill of Mam Tor.

It's quite dramatic.

It was then a steady walk down into Castleton; but first I made a short detour to the Odin Mine. The narrow boulder-strewn ravine has always been blocked by vegetation on previous visits; but not today. It was a bit of a challenge...and would no doubt be a great adventure for a young boy.

I fancied some fish and chips when I reached Castleton; but as usual, the queue reached out onto the street, and so I decided that I didn't have time.

Tideswell, Windmill, Little Hucklow and Bradwell.

Today has been the second day of the Bakewell Show and since all the roads leading to the town would be very busy I decided to catch a bus that stayed well away; the number 65 to Buxton, and got off at Tideswell.

Tideswell is such a pretty little town at this time of the year; there are flowers everywhere, hanging baskets, containers and troughs decorating nearly every building.

I wandered around the streets and alleyways for about twenty minutes and then set off down a country lane in a northerly direction. I soon arrived at the Baslow to Chapel-en-le-Frith road. The road was very busy and so I hurried along the next section of the walk until I reached the footpath that leads towards Tideslow Rake - this is the best example of this type of landscape feature I've seen so far. A rake is a man-made linear feature in the landscape; a series of old surface mine workings following the line of a mineral seam or vein; excavations down to the bare rock and grass-covered spoil heaps.

A bit further on there's a less obvious rake, High Rake, with fabulous views to the north and east though; all the way to Lose Hill, Win Hill and the Hope Valley.

I then arrived at Windmill, a hamlet I've not visited before, and then walked across grassy fields to Little Hucklow.

Next I walked to the north across fields again and then along the road in Bradwell Dale. The views towards Bradwell Edge are impressive here, and I enjoyed watching several paragliders launching themselves into the air off the edge, and then spiralling upwards as they caught the thermals.

(This photograph was actually taken looking in the other direction though.)

Since it's now the school holidays the 15:09 bus from Bradwell goes all the way to Sheffield - I arrived in the village just in time to catch it.