Out on the Trail: A Walk from Hadfield to Penistone                  

Despite living so close to this part of the TPT, I haven’t yet walked some of the Trail around Hadfield to Penistone.

This 16-mile stretch offered the perfect training ground for my sisters, (Lauren and Becky) and myself to see how fit we were for our challenges in August. We are doing both Yorkshire 3 Peaks and National 3 Peaks to raise money for Barnsley Hospice.

We set off from the TPT car park in Hadfield at 6:30am and the weather was on our side, clear blue skies and a nice warm breeze. We had a target of completing our walk in under 6 hours. This was the first walk we did where we didn’t need a map so it was great to be able enjoy the sounds of nature and to really soak in the beautiful views of the Trail.

I also enjoyed being a tour guide, telling my sisters about the extensive works that have been done to improve the Trail between Torside car park and Railway Cottages, making it more accessible for everyone. The works formed part of the Longdendale Access Project that was possible thanks to a legacy donation secured through the Friends of the TPT and match funded by Peak District National Park (via grants from the National Grid programme and United Utilities and project managed by the TPT National Office. The improvements included installation of benches, viewing platforms, sound boxes, access improvements and rubbing posts vegetation clearance and surface repairs.

This section of the TPT, if you haven’t done it before, is really spectacular, with backdrops of rolling hills and reservoirs stretching for miles. Sadly, as we approached Torside, we were greeted by a grey fog that didn’t leave us until we reached Dunford Bridge. This meant as we approached the highest part of the Trail our views were limited but this didn’t dampen our spirits though as we ploughed on up the steep climb to walk amongst grazing cattle.

As we continued towards Penistone the grey fog started to lift and we were plunged back into glorious sunshine. We were making great time, but we were very much needing a well-earned caffeine break. The thought of reaching the Magic Wood Café spurred us on, where we were able to rest our legs. Whilst sat outside we saw lots of bikes going past labelled up with Tor Divide, which after a quick google realised they were all part of an organised Peak District long distance bikepacking challenge. You can find out more about that here.

After a quick coffee and chocolate refuel, we continued on to the finish line of Penistone town centre. The Trail got busier the closer we got to Penistone and the weather got warmer, finishing the walk in just over 5 hours!

Overall, we really enjoyed the route and it’s one we will definitely do it again (taking it slower next time). It was great to be able to see how well used the route was and I bumped into every user type too; walker, cyclist, horse rider and wheeler – the Trail really is a fantastic resource for everyone to enjoy!

Here’s a few images from the day:

The Trail is playing a huge part in mine and my sisters training where you can often find us out walking during lunch breaks or running on an evening. If you would like to follow our journey you can follow us on our dedicated Instagram page and on our Just Giving page here.

Date: 24th May 2024

          
       Hannah Beaumont