Bradwell to Abney RFM Blue Line Walking with my Brother

 Bradwell to Abney 

RFM Blue Line 

Walking with my Brother

17/04/25

I've been sitting on this walk for some time as I know it has a couple of tough hills and in places is very steep. Next week we are up on the Pennine Way so this is a good time to do this tough walk as preparation.

The weather at the Bradwell start is cool but calm and we had to park in a slightly different location from the one planned because all the spaces were taken.

Out of Bradwell and immediately up the very steep Edge Lane we ascended quickly out of the village. The Hope Valley cement works dominates the views from Bradwell which detracts from this otherwise very nice village. We felt we had climbed pretty high but our apps told us we were just at the bottom of the hill. 

The path just got wilder, rocky and steeper. In the early morning sun the telephoted face of Mam Tor looked deeply scarred from here. The cement works just got smaller and smaller as we climbed and we could see the whole of Bradwell.

To the south we could see an unusual curved field pattern. If you look carefully you can see the curve of the valley on the right and the fields mimic this. I believe this is a relic of the medieval field systems where the strips mimic the valley so when the land was enclosed the field boundaries made of stone followed the early lines. This is the kind of speculative explanations we give for many landscape features. Passes the time of day.

We reached the hill top quite tired as that was some climb. Crossing over the fields we followed Shatton Lane towards Abney. We passed a couple of mountain bikers who were probably in their 50's and were intent on riding down the path we had just climbed. We wished them luck.

The new lambs were everywhere and genuinely fill your heart with pure joy. I love the spring.

We followed Duper Lane down into Abney blink and you miss it. You have to be a special kind of person to live in these out of the way places. Its a long way to the nearest Asda, but it does look good.

From Abney down to Stoke Ford the way changed into a very pleasant woodland walk with at times quite a steep drop off down to the stream. There were a lot of birds around including melodic Willow Warblers. We sat amongst the trees and had a well earned coffee.

From the ford the route immediately started climbing again across green fields. If you look at the profile, off one hill and straight up another. That's Derbyshire. It didn't take long to get back up on to moorland though to be honest the slope was much easier than the first hill.

The sheep were observing us on Shatton Moor and the Curlew was vocal.

We climbed the rest of the gently sloping moor. What a wonderful space a brown, green and wild expanse to the far horizon

Leaving the moor above Bamford we stopped for a coffee and bun end enjoyed the incredible view below us. It was worth the pain of the earlier hills to look at this beautiful picturesque, as Peter would say, view. A couple who had followed us over the moor unbeknownst to us appeared and we had a good chat and everyone admired this view. The Hope Valley in all its glory looking towards Ladybower. 

Dropping down off the hill was a very long steep ascent through farmland and woods to Shatton. This descent was just as hard but longer than our starting ascent. 

Peter crossing the slippery ford at Shatton.

We followed a path next to the road labelled as The Steel Cotton Rail Trail. Not a route we know. I looked it up and it is route connecting train stations in the area. What a good idea.

The path followed the Hope Valley towards Brough. Over towards Abney looking up to the moor we had just crossed and circled we could see gliders and the odd paraglider.

The imposing Win Hill was to the north of us.

Leaving Brough the fields were full of heavy looking sheep.

The cement works was suddenly much closer.

The sky over the moor edge was full of paragliders and a couple of glider planes. We crossed the field with a beautiful horse in it who totally ignored us.

We crossed a field with some bullocks in who also totally ignored us. I think this must have been there first day out in the fresh grass covered fields. 

Just before we got to Bradwell we passed a small holding with chickens veg and all sorts of interesting contraptions in the allotment including a sunshade for the chickens using an old wheelbarrow. Noticeably a trio of swallows were swooping all over and heading in and out of the open shed adjacent to the house. Peter suggested they would be noisy on a morning and I'm sure he was right.

Back to Bradwell and our cars.

The walk was much warmer than expected and had so many things to look at, hear, smell and experience. It was a wonderous adventure.

8 miles with an ascent of 1450 foot much of it steep and a step count of 21,441 which reflects the steepness, smaller steps.

Absolutely loved it.