Accessing the upper Peak areas and Ladybower dams by rail

On 11 January I met with members of the Sheffield Sustrans ranger team, representatives from Northern Rail and Helen Carrington, the trails officer at Peak District National Park (PDNP). 

We met at Bamford Station to walk up to Thornhill Car Park and look at signing options to increase awareness of the option to use the train to bridge the current gap in NCN6 between the Hope Valley and Stockport. At present there is no possibility of a viable option to create a purpose built, safe cycle route out of Castleton and over the lower end of the Pennines. 

 As we walked I reinforced the existing signage and added a few extra signs to direct cyclists from the Sheffield bound platform towards the start of the Thornhill trail. 

 I was surprised at just how well  the signage that we put in place 4 or 5 years ago had survived. Whilst the signage at the end of the Thornhill trail, onto NCN 6 was quite clear, the position for those travelling away from the dams was not quite so good; so I added a few extra signs

The purpose of visiting the Thornhill car park was to look at how we might alert cyclists to the fact that NCN6 terminates at Castleton, and there is currently no safe way to reconnect with it until Romiley, using tracks or roads. Therefore we would like to promote actively the use of trains between Bamford and Romily to complete the link in the cycling network. 

We think that an information board at the car park, as well as smaller notices on the gates alongside the road would help draw atention to cyclists of the rail option. Appropriate signs at both Bamford and Romiley stations would help to promote the idea as well. An example of the sort of information board we envisage, and where we would site it are shown below. 

Northern Rail seem to be fully on board with supporting the idea and PDNP already have the Thornhill trail route promoted on their web pages. https://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/trails/hope-valley-cycle-routes-upper-derwent-valley The wording on the sign will need to be concise, with a QR code leading to more explanatory text and further work will be done to consider this.

As well as making it possible through this initiative to continue on NCN6 through to Gtr Manchester, we wish to improve the sustainable transport offer in the Hope Valley. Working with partners we want to: create a sustainable transport hub around a station. Bamford would seem very suitable for this because:- 

·         Trains from Sheffield and Manchester arrive at approximately the same time. Service frequencies are likely to be increased once the Hope Valley upgrade is complete.

·         The Thornhill Trail offers a route to Labybower as well as a link to NCN6.

·         There is an off-road cycle track to Hathersage and this is due to be extended to Hope and Castleton.

·         Bike hire is available at the Bike Garage as well as Fairholmes

 Better information on sustainable transport options is needed at the Station and the Thornhill car park. By working with PDNP and Northern Rail we hope to achieve this. 

 

January barrier auditing

 Sounds like we have all had a good Christmas and New Year from the messages I have seen from within the new Whatsapp Group. 

The January work day was organised at late notice, and therefore  pretty uninticing; more barrier auditing. 

As it was, those who ventured out on a damp, January morning had a great time and made the whole event really good fun. Hang on a minute, I am becoming a bit delusional.

I parked up in Minninglow car park, remembering so well when we had all stopped there recently on our December ride for a coffee stop. This morning I was alone, apart from the dubious companionship of a grumpy dog walker who soon disappeared into the greyness. Trying to be positive I pedalled down NCN 54 to the point where it joins NCN 548 and started to double back towards my starting point. No barriers to audit so far!

I passed the turn to the Minninglow car park and continued along the rough gravel track that forms NCN 548 at this stage. I still don't really understand the inconsistency of the Sustrans "powers that be" as to why this section has not been removed from the Network. Although I think it is an absolutely lovely route across the limestone fields, the surface is in really poor, if not dangerous, condition and a real challenge for all but very experienced riders. Under the "Paths for Everyone" cull of routes from the National Network this really should be a contender for being axed. Thank heavens that those " powers that be" don't actually get out into the countryside and ride the routes before making their decisions (at least as far as NCN 548 is concerned). It is a steady pull to the top of that hill and by the time I got there the wind was starting to cut through my many layers; the deep rain puddles weren't helping to warm my feet up either! Still, an inordinate number of barriers to audit which definitely upped the fun factor several fold. 

I descended along the road past Biggin Hall and half wondered if I should treat myself to coffee there, but then I reminded myself that my flask of coffee would be wasted if I did. Who wants to sit in Biggin Hall on their own anyway? By the time I got to the top of the final hill before Hartington the sun had started to shine a weak, wintery, warmth. I took a few more photos of the final bit of rough farm track before NCN 548 finally hits the road just above the YCA. That is surely a barrier under the Sustrans definitions. It has been a while since I last rode all of NCN548 but it is one of those routes where you think "we are so lucky to be guardians of this route". 

The thought of that coffee in my flask had become a burden and so I persuaded myself to stop and refresh myself whilst watching the white ducks preen themselves on the edge of Hartington duck pond. What better way to spend a morning? 

The road past the duckpond forms the northerly part of NCN549. It has been deemed unsuitable for ongoing inclusion in the cycle network by those same "powers that be". Accordingly there was no requirement to barrier audit it, but I thought I would do it nonetheless. Again it is such a lovely ride up the Dove valley, and possibly one of my most favourite stretches in the whole of our area (but I do have lots of favourites!). Amazing how many gates along here, but not surprising that I kept losing signal, and hence the ability to record all my data. 

Eventually I got to the end at Pilsbury, climbed that steep hill back out of the valley and made my way back to the trail and NCN68. From here it was all downhill along NCN 68 and then NCN 54 back to Minninglow. Somethink like 33kms in just under 3 hours and 22 barriers audited. A great morning's work?

The completion of my morning marks an important point as I think we have now pretty much totally completed all of the barrier auditing within our designated region. In fact we have done more than that because I know of several sections that are on the network, but which did not come up for allocation. So, well done everyone. I think we have really risen to this challenge as a team. Let's see what use is now made of all that data.

Next work day is Monday 6 February 2023 when we will be venturing up to the northern extreme of our region in Whaley Bridge. 

Happy New Year to all.