The Steel Cotton Rail Trail is a linear 95 km (59 mi) long-distance footpath in England, through the Peak District. The trail runs from Sheffield station to Manchester Piccadilly station, following the Hope Valley Line. It is split into 14 legs, each starting and finishing at a railway station. In the first half of the 20th century, workers from "Steel City" Sheffield and "Cottonopolis" Manchester escaped their polluted cities to reach the clean air of the Peak District, travelling by train on the Hope Valley Line.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| The Steel Cotton Rail Trail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Logo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 95 km (59 mi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Peak District, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 27 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trailheads | Sheffield Manchester | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Use | Hiking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest point | Kinder Scout, 533 m (1,749 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | All year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | peakdistrictbytrain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The trail was launched on 27 September 2025, the anniversary of the opening of the first passenger railway – Stockton and Darlington – on 27 September 1825.[7]
Route
edit| Leg | Start | Finish | Distance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield | Dore & Totley | 8.0 km (5.0 mi)[8] | 8 km (5 mi) |
| 2 | Dore & Totley | Grindleford | 10.1 km (6.3 mi)[9] | 18 km (11 mi) |
| 3 | Grindleford | Hathersage | 4.0 km (2.5 mi)[10] | 22 km (14 mi) |
| 4 | Hathersage | Bamford | 5.6 km (3.5 mi)[11] | 28 km (17 mi) |
| 5 | Bamford | Hope | 3.9 km (2.4 mi)[12] | 32 km (20 mi) |
| 6 | Hope | Edale | 12.0 km (7.5 mi)[13] | 44 km (27 mi) |
| 7 | Edale | Chinley | 12.9 km (8.0 mi)[14] | 57 km (35 mi) |
| 8 | Chinley | New Mills | 7.0 km (4.3 mi)[15] | 64 km (39 mi) |
| 9 | New Mills | Strines | 3.5 km (2.2 mi)[16] | 67 km (42 mi) |
| 10 | Strines | Marple | 5.2 km (3.2 mi)[17] | 72 km (45 mi) |
| 11 | Marple | Romiley | 4.0 km (2.5 mi)[18] | 76 km (47 mi) |
| 12 | Romiley | Hyde Central | 6.6 km (4.1 mi)[19] | 83 km (51 mi) |
| 13 | Hyde Central | Guide Bridge | 3.5 km (2.2 mi)[20] | 86 km (54 mi) |
| 14 | Guide Bridge | Manchester | 9.0 km (5.6 mi)[21] | 95 km (59 mi) |
References
edit- ↑ Moss, Chris (27 October 2025). "From Steel City to Cottonopolis: a new walking trail through a post-industrial Peak District". The Guardian.
- ↑ "The Steel Cotton Rail Trail". High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership.
- ↑ Frost, Vicky (29 September 2025). "Brand new station to station walking trail from Sheffield to Manchester". Buxton Advertiser.
- ↑ Frost, Vicky (29 September 2025). "Brand new station to station walking trail from Sheffield to Manchester". Derbyshire Times.
- ↑ "Steel Cotton Rail Trail". The Walking Englishman.
- ↑ "Steel Cotton Rail Trail (UK)". Fastest Known Time.
- ↑ "Thread your way along Steel Cotton Rail Trail with High Peak & Hope Valley CRP". Community Rail Network. 1 October 2025.
- ↑ "Sheffield to Dore & Totley" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Dore & Totley to Grindleford" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Grindleford to Hathersage" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Hathersage & Bamford" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Bamford to Hope" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Hope to Edale" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Edale to Chinley" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Chinley to New Mills" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "New Mills to Strines" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Strines to Marple" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Marple to Romiley" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Romiley to Hyde Central" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Hyde Central to Guide Bridge" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
- ↑ "Guide Bridge to Manchester" (PDF). HPHVCRP.
External links
edit
 | This British trail or long-distance path-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |