Whether Chatsworth or Mam Tor, Ladybower or Bakewell – most itineraries for the Peak District begin and end in the county of Derbyshire. So I want to instead suggest a day out in a corner of the Peak District that, although often overlooked, is no less beautiful – and doesn’t require one step outside God’s Own Country.
The twin villages of High and Low Bradfield overlook the upper reaches of the River Loxley. The dale is home to several of Sheffield’s reservoirs, which provide great walking routes. The villages have good pubs for lunch, a café and a shop, and several visitor attractions including the Our Cow Molly Dairy and the Bradfield Brewery. Here’s how you can go about your day out in Low Bradfield, and a brief itinerary for High Bradfield.
PREPARATION
- Maps: Print a map of Damflask Reservoir walking route from ‘Bradfield Walkers are Welcome’: https://bradfield-walkers.org.uk/walks-around-bradfield/damflask-route/ Although you’ll probably have phone signal for the entire walk, it’s good practice and surprisingly helpful to have a hard copy.
- Clothing: Wear reasonably sturdy shoes, sun cream and a sun hat.
- Food and Drink: Definitely bring water. There will be opportunities to buy food and drink, but on a tight budget you could bring a packed lunch and a flask and use the picnic areas.
- Cost: £5.10 for bus/tram ticket, £10-15 for lunch, £3 for ice cream
TRAVELLING TO BRADFIELD (9:55 AM from Hillsborough Interchange)
Bradfield is reasonably accessible by public transport. Powell’s Bus run two circular routes around Bradfield, both starting from Hillsborough Interchange. The Interchange can be easily reached on the regular 52A from Broomhill/Crookes/Walkley, or the Supertram’s Blue (Malin Bridge) or Yellow (Middlewood) lines. The 61 departs every hour at 55 minutes past on Saturdays, and every two hours at 55 minutes past on Sundays. If you miss the 61 on a Saturday, you could take the 62 at ten past the hour – but on a Sunday, you’ll have a full hour to wait, so watch out for that. The full timetable for both services can be found here: https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/en-gb/timetabledetails/0d68cc48-bee5-4c26-b8ac-87a616093ff3
Cost: You will probably save money by buying a 1-Day CityWide bus/tram ticket (£5.10), or a 1-Day CityBus (£4.70) ticket if you won’t be going by tram. Each trip on Powell’s Bus services will cost £1.20 and there are three separate journeys to make – unless you are within walking distance of Hillsborough Interchange, you’ll save money with a day ticket.
ARRIVING IN LOW BRADFIELD (c.10:16)
After a brief loop around suburban Hillsborough, the 61 will take you up the picturesque Loxley Valley towards Bradfield. Get off at the centre of the village of Low Bradfield, at the stone-built bus stop by Smithy Bridge opposite the Schoolrooms café. You can always tell the driver in advance that’s where you’d like to go.
Near the bus stop there are two picnic areas and many benches – perfect if you’re waiting for others to join you. You can get a coffee from the Schoolrooms café or the Bradfield Village Shop. There are also public toilets, on the other side of the cricket pitch.
START DAM FLASK WALK (start at 10:30 for a walk of up to 2 hours)
It’s time for the main walk, around the Damflask Reservoir. It takes its name from the village of Damflask, which was washed away in 1864 when the higher reservoir of Dale Dike burst its banks! This turbulent event is belied by the peace of the reservoir today. Apart from a short stretch at the beginning where you have to walk on the roadside, the entire route has well-used and well-maintained paths which are disability-friendly. A good map and route guide can be downloaded here:
https://bradfield-walkers.org.uk/walks-around-bradfield/damflask-route/
LUNCH AT THE PLOUGH (1-2PM)
If you take the clockwise route around Damflask, you’ll end up back in Low Bradfield and The Plough, fantastic for a pub lunch. During the week they offer a £4.50 meal deal, but the prices are affordable at the weekend too. If you drink beer, then you really ought to have one of Bradfield Brewery’s range with your meal – it’s brewed just up the hill! There are plenty of tables inside and out, but you might be best booking a table in advance at the height of summer. Check for full details online: http://theploughinnlowbradfield.co.uk/
TRAVEL TO DUNGWORTH (2:15PM)
After lunch, it’s time to head up to Dungworth. Don’t be put off by the name – the village is the home of Our Cow Molly Dairy!
The 61 bus departs from Low Bradfield at 2:15 PM on Saturday or Sunday – you can catch it from the stop just outside the Plough. Make sure not to catch the 62, which goes in the wrong direction, and I would probably recommend asking the driver to let you know when to get off for Our Cow Molly – it’s the last stop on Hill Top Road, and not very obvious it’s coming up. Once you get off though, it’s literally just across the road to the Our Cow Molly Dairy.
OUR COW MOLLY (2:20-3:30 PM)
You’ll have seen Our Cow Molly milk on campus and in several shops and cafes around Sheffield. The range of milk, cream and ice cream are produced by a long-standing family farm – the last dairy farm left in Sheffield. It’s a worthy cause, supporting the local economy, but the farm has also made big investments in improving its environmental sustainability and works closely with researchers at the University of Sheffield. As a visitor you can grab an ice cream from the farm shop and then take up a picnic bench to enjoy the views of Loxley Valley, Storrs Brook, and north Sheffield on the horizon.
TRAVEL BACK TO HILLSBOROUGH (15:26)
You can catch the next 61 bus to Hillsborough at 3:26; it will take about half an hour. Again, there are great views of the valleys, even as you go through the more suburbanized Stannington village.
ALTERNATIVE: Up to High Bradfield
An alternative itinerary would take you up to High Bradfield. You can travel to Low Bradfield exactly as the original itinerary describes. Instead of Dam Flask, there is a longer route around Agden Reservoir (again, Bradfield Walkers are Welcome has a great map: https://bradfield-walkers.org.uk/walks-around-bradfield/bradfield-loop/ – I would reverse their route to go clockwise from Low to High Bradfield). High Bradfield is the medieval heart of the area. The fifteenth-century St Nicholas’s Church is a striking landmark, and beneath the village are the earthworks from an even older Norman motte and bailey castle (https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1013217). You can go for lunch at the Old Horns Inn (https://theoldhorns.co.uk/) – and if you chose to go Monday-Friday rather than at the weekend, there’s a great ‘2 meals for £9’ deal.
To complete the afternoon, instead of visiting Our Cow Molly the afternoon excursion would take you to the Bradfield Brewery shop (https://bradfieldbrewery.com/). Either the 61 or the 62 busses can take you back to Hillsborough from High Bradfield.
