Former Bamford to Howden Railway. Derbyshire January 2025

NOTE - Apologies for jumpy editing, early in video. ( Please refer to disclaimers in description below)


My second trip of 2025 finds me leaping from one reservoir railway to another.
The former Bamford and Howden Railway branch, which spurred off the current Sheffield - Manchester main line, was laid in 1903 to facilitate the construction of three enormous dams in the Peak District, transporting stone from the nearby Bole Hill Quarry in Grindleford.
   • Former Bolehill Quarry and Padley Incline,...  
The sole snag is that, unlike our previous explore at Langsett , this two-mile stretch here covers just over a quarter of the entire route that once wove through the tranquil valley to end at Birchinlee, where an entire village was also once built for the workers to reside. 

The portion we are left with to explore exists in its current day glory as the Thornhill Trail, a smooth footpath and bridleway  
*By smooth....the way it winds very gently along the side of a hill through the Hope Valley and not necessarily the description of the path surface

Our entry to the railway route is at the top of a twisty lane near the sleepy village of Bamford.
The sharp spur at where it diverged with the Midland line is now a private garden belonging to the Quaker House close by (the former Derwent Valley Water Board office). We turn right onto the trackbed through a tight  snaking cutting, and come out on a wide tree dotted bowl of a valley opposite Bamford and the A6013 with a view across to the clustered Tors towering beyond. 

Despite hugging a hillside the line does again jump between cuttings and considerately open embankments, luckily plenty of the latter.
 
I have to break it here that there is almost zero in the way of stations and infrastructure along this section, apart from the site of an iron span bridge that crossed Carr Lane at about halfway, and a surviving crossing gate at the end where the path emerges close to the 1930s built Ladybower Dam. A growing collection of wood carved animals and other established art installations is adding an attractive zest to the route, and also tells the valleys past.

The path pulls up to another lane at Ladybower where two villages  were infamously demolished to fill the reservoirs.

The rest of the trackbed has mostly been razed from existence for the remaining five miles beyond here, until the site of Tin Town which had its own passenger station.

A few short bits of hidden embankment survive in the woods close to the road  plus the remains of three viaducts especially the large timber structure at Howden, whose base piers become visible when the water is down.

As I mention at the end of the video Howden and Tin Town will be covered on a separate feature on the channel later in the year.  


A disclaimer (or three) to dig up quickly.

1. You will notice that the editing for the first two or three minutes of the film is pretty jumpy, switching from one angle or shot to another  every few seconds.
This is due to issues I had with several clips which left only small specific parts of each  usable. I had to do a hell of a lot of cutting /grafting just to get it to what you see, as I was without the sufficient time go and refilm for the then too immediate future. 

2. As was the case with Langsett, doing this sort of thing in the winter does have its pitfalls and I did have to battle a snuffly nose and almost subzero temperatures especially on the live commentary during walk along.
If the sound of me snuffling and grunting behind a mobile camera might prove a bit irksome please  set the volume to just below medium

3. , no matter how smooth this pathway looks in spots, let me assure you, ( again as I hinted earlier) it is NOT. 
Tiny rocks litter the mud and asphalt very randomly. Angling a camera steadily in your hand  while trying to train your eye on what's hiding amidst  the dirt, and also devoid of image stabiliser is no mean feat.


As ever, enormous shouts to my mate and legend Steve Windle for his editing work.
Finally , thanks to everyone who continues to watch and support this channel.
I know my commentary style's not everyone's cup of tea so appreciate that it doesn't keep you away from enjoying an explore from the comfort of your armchair

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