Dogs Unknown
Features
River/Creek · Views · Wildlife
Overview
This hike starts with a gentle incline from Rivelin Dams that winds its way through the picturesque Wyming Brook along the old road (now off limits to general traffic). The sight of Redmires Reservoir nestled at the foot of Hallam Moors is a brief reward after a short climb before another begins up to the popular Stanedge Pole.
This ancient boundary designates not only the transition from South Yorkshire to Derbyshire, but also where the Kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria met centuries ago. The view into Hope Valley and the surrounding moors from here is cracking on a clear day.
The route descends slightly to Stanedge edge (where the view gets even better) before peeling off northwest towards the A57 Manchester Road. Although relatively simple in terms of incline, the going is tough along the Sheffield Country Walk and the quality of the surface underfoot extremely dependent on recent weather.
Crossing over the A57 takes you straight up onto Ughill Moor, which on a clear day offers excellent 360-degree views of the surrounding area. Several reservoirs are nearby but obscured by low valley plantation woodland.
Eventually the trail ends and several miles of unmarked country road must be traversed before the route rejoins a small track that runs up the hill. Depending on your level of fitness it's a bit of a killer at this stage of the hike (nearly 10 miles in) so definitely a place for a breather or powerwalk to get your breath back.
After meeting a road, the route becomes slightly convoluted due to awkward access rights in the area. Several small tracks that would be perfect for dropping back down to Rivelin Dam are not marked as access on an OS map therefore were avoided and a slightly longer route taken. This follows the road for a couple of miles before dropping through Rivelin Rough, a small plantation woodland and conservation area. After meeting the A57 for the final time, the car park is accessed by simply following the road opposite the footpa
Need to Know
Although much of this route is straightforward to follow, there are a number of unclear sections where a path suddenly splits into several options. Keep the
Hiking Project mobile app handy to help keep you bearings. Leaving the path can result in wandering off over the moorland and potentially over some pretty steep drops, so be careful! Also, be aware that you may encounter dirt bikes and other motorized vehicles.
Description
Overall, this was a fantastic route to follow. If you know the local area, it's very difficult to get lost, however having an OS map handy is extremely important as several of the footpaths across the moorland can suddenly split into 3 or 4 without any indication of which way to go. The best example of this is just after reaching Stanedge Pole and dropping down onto the edge. The footpath is well marked until a fork where you need to climb a little knoll and climb over a style. From here, the path is a mixture of well-marked trail to what just looks like sheep trails (and is often occupied by several of them)!
After reaching the A57 and crossing over, the path starts to follow several farm tracks. It's important to keep taking map readings and following the marked access routes (yellow arrows on gates and posts). Sometimes it might look like your just wandering through a farm, and that is indeed the case, but the owner has given permission so long as you're respectful of the property and land around.
Follow the track through several gates and then take a left fork that rises around a small hill to reach Ughill Moor. This is a well-marked out trail although it can be difficult underfoot if there's been a lot of rain or snow.
After dropping onto a country road, take a right and follow the road for about two miles. A right turn opposite some benches takes you onto a small track. Hop onto the style on the left then ready yourself for a short, sharp climb up to a little hamlet called Load.
From here, the route gets interesting as there's no real direct route back down into Rivelin Valley and the A57. I had to improvise by following the various country roads until I reached another small hamlet by the name of Rails. From there it is a very technical trail descending down through Rivelin Rough back to the A57 so watch your footing!
This trail splits off, where a left hand track takes you down to a farm prematurely, so take the immediate right fork along a very muddy footpath. It's not the most enjoyable but it gets your exactly where you need to be, opposite the entrance to Rivelin Dam! Emerge from the woods and cross the road CAREFULLY as it can be extremely busy. Finish the hike by hiking along the dam back to the car park and enjoy a hot beverage and a stretch!
Shared By:
Tom Albone
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