THORNHILL TRAIL VISITOR
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Location: Northern access using the permissive path across the Ladybower dam wall is from Yorkshire Bridge on the A6013 between the A57 Sheffield to Glossop Road and the A6187 Hope Valley Road. There is a Severn Trent Car Park nearby. Access to the trail is also available at several other points.
Visit: The superbly situated village of Bamford that stands at the heart of the Dark Peak, eleven miles west of Sheffield and twenty-five miles east of Manchester. Surrounded by high, impressive moorland scenery, with the gritstone edges of Bamford and Derwent on the northern side and to the west, Win Hill. To the south, the River Derwent flows through the village.
Refreshments: The Yorkshire Bridge Inn, located close to the Ladybower Dam, is a popular inn. Another good choice is the Ladybower Inn on the A57, overlooking the reservoir. The Angler’s Rest at Bamford became Derbyshire’s first community pub in 2013. Apart from the pub, it also houses a café and post office, outside seating, and a large car park.
Ladybower: Ladybower Reservoir is situated in the Upper Derwent Valley at the heart of the Peak National Park, in an area often referred to as the “Lake District of the Peak”. Surrounded by magnificent countryside where water and woodland, topped by high moors, predominate. In recent years, forestry has become an important factor, and the sides of the valley are clothed in conifers. Not surprisingly, the area has become so popular that over two million people visit each year.
THORNHILL TRAIL
Thornhill Trail is part of the former Bamford and Howden Railway, constructed to allow the transportation of equipment and materials for the construction of the Derwent and Howden reservoirs. Completed in January 1903, it ran for 7.5 miles and connected to the Dore and Chinley mainline at Waterworks Sidings. It also served the temporary village of Birchinlee, built to house the reservoir construction workers and their families.
The line mainly carried stone from Bole Hill Quarry, but this ended in 1910, and in 1911, the track removal was agreed. But this did not happen until 1918. In the mid 1930s, part of the route was re-established owing to the building of the Ladybower Reservoir. The construction was completed by 1943, with approximately 2 miles of the original railway submerged by the reservoir. In 1946, the dismantlement of the line took place.
In 1944, when the line no longer served any useful purpose, the Peak District National Park Authority purchased it for conversion into a footpath, cycle route, and bridleway. The trail is made up of a mixture of grass and compacted stone. Today, it is a popular walking, cycling and bridalway route that offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside and the reservoir. Only approximately a couple of miles long, it is an easy walk for all ages, but somewhat uneven underfoot.
At the western end of the Ladybower Dam Wall is a small sculpture that forms part of the Bamford Touchstones Sculpture Trail, established by the residents of Bamford to mark the millennium. The Touchstones illustrate Air, Water, Earth, and Fire on a five-mile walk around the edges of the village. A central Touchstone at Bamford combines all four elements, and a Celtic symbol is present on all the touchstones to signify the millennium.
Near the end of the trail, the local Quakers’ Meeting House and gardens are on Water Lane. There is a car park for the community and visitors further along the lane, after you pass the gateway to the house. The Quaker Community has occupied the building for well over 20 years. Originally, it was the old Derwent Valley Water Board offices. Where, today, the Quakers run a varied, low-cost retreat programme on just about everything from sustainability and climate change to spinning, natural dyeing and singing. Everyone joins in and helps out with the tasks, and feels as much part of the community as those who live there all year round. The building was never intended to be lived in and has been insulated and provided with all basic requirements.
