A major new 62-mile (100km) walking and cycling trail has officially launched in the North of England. The “Steel Cotton Rail Trail” creates a “nostalgic” and scenic link between Sheffield (“Steel City”) and Manchester (“Cottonopolis”) through the “post-industrial Peak District.”
The route is “split into 14 day-friendly sections,” each “pegged” to a rail terminus on the Hope Valley Line. This design makes it incredibly accessible for “car-free” day trips or multi-stage adventures.
The trail truly offers “something for everyone.” “Urban explorers” will enjoy the “metropolitan mooches” at either end, while “summit fiends will love the middle hill and moor sections.” For a gentle day, “canal and riverside walks” are also available.
The trail is a “post-industrial” journey, “bringing together elements of the land and the heritage.” Walkers will discover the 1796 Peak Forest Tramway, the “canal mania” port at Bugsworth Basin, and the “dramatic” viaducts of New Mills.
Now “waymarking complete” and with free “pdf maps” and “GPX files” available, this “welcome” new trail is “almost perfect” for an “autumn amble” to discover the “magical moods” of the region.