A new 62-mile (100km) trail is connecting more than just the cities of Manchester and Sheffield; it’s connecting walkers with the deep industrial history of the Peak District. The Steel Cotton Rail Trail is a 14-section, post-industrial heritage route.
The trail is designed for accessibility, with each of its 14 day-friendly legs starting and ending at a train station. This allows for easy, car-free exploration of a region that was a powerhouse of Victorian Britain.
Walkers will step back in time, following the 1796 Peak Forest Tramway, once used by horse-drawn vehicles to haul limestone. The trail also highlights the “canal mania” era at Bugsworth Basin, the only intact inland port of its kind, where 2,000 boatloads of stone were moved in a single year.
The route passes former textile mills, like the long-running Torr Vale Mill, and reclaimed industrial sites, such as the Mousley Bottom nature reserve. It’s a fascinating landscape where the legacy of limestone, coal, and millstone grit is visible everywhere.
This new, well-marked trail is a must for history buffs. It’s a chance to walk through the story of the industrial revolution while enjoying the “eye-calming” natural beauty of the Peak District.
Picture Credit: commons.wikimedia.org
