BRAND NEW STATION TO STATION WALKING TRAIL FROM SHEFFIELD TO MANCHESTER

Thread Your Way Along the Steel Cotton Rail Trail, the brand-new station to station walking trail from Sheffield to Manchester which was launched on 27th September.

Created by the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership and the South East Manchester Community Rail Partnership, the Steel Cotton Rail Trail allows walkers to explore the Peak District and canals from Sheffield to Manchester along the Hope Valley railway line, discovering the area’s industrial past along the way.

Helen Wright, from the High Peak and Hope Valley CRP said, “we are so pleased to be able to bring this project to life. The idea was initiated by the Chair of Friends of Bamford Station, volunteer John Stubbs. The route follows existing tracks, paths and trails through beautiful countryside and will hopefully encourage lots of people to visit the Peak District by train and leave their cars at home.”

In the first half of the 20th Century, Sheffield’s steel workers and Manchester’s cotton mill workers escaped their polluted cities to reach the clean air of the Peak District. They travelled by train on the Hope Valley line. Today the Peak District National Park exists for all of us to benefit from and the Hope Valley line still runs between the Steel and Cotton cities.

Launching the Steel Cotton Rail Trail this year is particularly special as 2025 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. This new walking trail showcases the opportunities presented by the Hope Valley line, both for the steel and cotton workers of the past and for the continued access to enjoy walking in the Peak District National Park today and in the future.

“The new long-distance Steel Cotton Rail Trail links together the stunning walking destinations throughout the very beautiful High Peak and Hope Valley areas and is all reachable from cities at either end of the line. We are proud to have been part of this project”, said Paul Webster, Community Rail Network Regions Support Manager.

The Community Rail Partnerships would like to thank Sheffield City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Peak District National Park, National Trust, Canal and River Trust, Tameside MBC, Stockport MBC and Manchester City Council for their support of the development of the trail.

Find out more about the Steel Cotton Rail Trail including downloadable booklets for station to station sections of the route: https://peakdistrictbytrain.org/the-steel-cotton-rail-trail/