A new 62-mile walking trail is offering a fresh perspective on the Peak District, guiding visitors away from the usual hotspots and into a “post-industrial” landscape rich with history and “eye-calming” charm.
The Steel Cotton Rail Trail, linking Manchester and Sheffield, is designed to highlight the areas “ignored by those who rush for the main spine of the Pennines.” It’s a region of green valleys, working factories, and reclaimed nature reserves, where “work and wilderness rub along.”
The 14-section trail is linked by railway stations, making it easy to explore these lesser-known gems. Walkers can discover the story of “canal mania” at Bugsworth Basin, walk the 1796 Peak Forest Tramway, and marvel at the engineering of New Mills’ viaducts and Millennium Walkway.
The trail offers a huge variety of walking, from challenging moorland ascents to peaceful riverside ambles along the River Goyt. It also includes “metropolitan mooches” in the cities and passes through pretty woodlands in reclaimed industrial areas like Mousley Bottom.
This new, well-marked path is a fantastic opportunity to see a different side of the Peak District. It’s a route that celebrates the region’s complex history and its beautiful, resilient landscape.