The new 62-mile path between Manchester and Sheffield is called the “Steel Cotton Rail Trail,” but its heart is built from other materials. “Limestone historians,” the article notes, “will probably challenge the name,” as the route is a testament to limestone, millstone grit, and coal.
This “post-industrial” trail, split into 14 rail-linked sections, tells the story of the raw materials that “produced so much for Victorian Britain.” The “Steel” and “Cotton” cities were fed by this “town and country” region.
Walkers will follow the Peak Forest Tramway, a 1796 route built to haul “vital raw material” limestone from quarries. They’ll visit Bugsworth Basin, a port that in 1808 “shifted sufficient limestone to fill 2,000 canal boats.”
This new, well-marked trail is a “must-do” for anyone interested in geology or industrial history. It’s a walk through the very “work and wilderness” that powered an empire.
This is your chance to walk the “Limestone Trail,” the “Millstone Grit Trail,” or the “Coal Trail” all in one. It’s an “eye-calming” and fascinating journey into the region’s true heritage.