A new 62-mile trail is inviting walkers to step directly into the industrial past of northern England. The Steel Cotton Rail Trail, running from Sheffield to Manchester, winds through a post-industrial Peak District landscape, telling the story of the region’s mighty heritage.
The trail’s name itself evokes the two cities it connects, but the path also reveals a history built on limestone, coal, and millstone grit. Walkers will follow the 1796 Peak Forest Tramway, a route once powered by horses and gravity to haul quarried limestone. This material was vital to Victorian Britain, used for building, chemicals, and agriculture.
One of the historical highlights is Bugsworth Basin on the Peak Forest canal. This remarkably intact port was once the busiest inland hub on the entire canal system, a testament to the “canal mania” of the early 1800s. Information signs detail how workers once shifted enough stone to fill 2,000 canal boats in a single year.
The route doesn’t shy away from this mix of “work and wilderness.” It passes near former textile mills, like the long-running Torr Vale Mill, and through areas like Mousley Bottom, a pretty nature reserve that was once a landfill site and sewage works. It’s a powerful testament to nature’s ability to reclaim.
This historical journey is made easy by modern conveniences. Split into 14 rail-linked sections, the trail is well-marked and supported by digital maps. It’s a perfect way to experience the blend of industry and nature that defines this unique part of the Peak District.