The footpath along Bamford Edge is not a public footpath, and may be closed under the terms of the Countryside Rights of Way Act, particularly in the birds’ breeding season on weekdays. Also dogs are not permitted. Please check on the BMC website thebmc.co.uk before setting out.
The upside is that you are likely to see a great number and variety of birds in this area including golden plover, red grouse, lapwing, curlew and merlin.
[1] Leave Hope Station by the path from the north (Platform 2) side of the bridge into the fields leading up towards the rocky crown of Win Hill. Halfway up the second field turn right to cross two fields leading across a lane at a barn. Continue across the road on a track past barns, and at a gateway where the track turns sharply left, go half left on a signed Public Footpath. This footpath quickly leads to a small wooden bridge where the signposted route left climbs the hill to reach a minor road.
[2] Emerge carefully onto the road and turn right then in 70m find a path left which continues to climb diagonally right across fields and stiles towards the left side of woods. Through the wood at a cross-roads of footpaths, go ahead signed Yorkshire Bridge, then descend in scrubland for over 800m to meet a bridleway. Go left on this old railway line. You are now on the final section of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. The track leads into a road climbing up to reach the dam across Ladybower Reservoir which is crossed through a gate at each end. Across the road climb to the right of the commemoration stone, and follow the Derwent Valley Heritage Way waymarks left through Heatherdene Car Park where there are facilities and picnic tables.
(A) Ladybower Reservoir: was started in 1935 and opened by King George VI & Queen Elizabeth in 1945, and at the time was the largest reservoir in Britain. It holds 27.8 million m³ of water. Unlike the Howden and Derwent dams above it which have masonry walls, Ladybower has a clay cored earth embankment. The other dams were completed in 1916. The water supplies Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester. The dams were famously used by the Dambuster squadron to practise for their raids on the Ruhr dams in WW2 and this event is often commemorated with fly pasts.
[3] At the end of the car park return to the road (you may find it safer to use the footpath on the opposite side) for 400m to the traffic lights, then go right alongside the A57 as far as the Ladybower Inn. Just past the Inn on the left side of the road a bridleway track goes up the hill for 100m, then you turn sharp left to go behind the inn on a bridleway by a wall for 800m with good views of the reservoir and Win Hill beyond.
Instead of turning sharp left to go behind the inn, continue ahead on the obvious path which passes through a nature reserve, then continues across the moors for 700m to re-join the main route above Cutthroat Bridge. Turn right down to the A57. This route avoids the scramble up Whinstone Lee Tor and saves about 2 km, but misses out on some of the best views.
Ignore a number of paths off to your right and at the second gateway, go through the gate and turn right up through a small wooden wicket gate into woods. The path bears round to the right, and eventually starts climbing up into the open hillside. Leaving the wall carry on to climb a rocky gully. At the top turn sharp right to a viewpoint at Whinstone Lee Tor. Return from the viewpoint to continue on the path ahead which gradually descends east through the heather to reach a stream and follow this to the A57 at the notorious Cutthroat Bridge.
(B) Cutthroat Bridge near Ladybower reservoir takes its gruesome name from a 400-year-old murder. An old document tells us that a chap named Robert Ridge came across ‘a man with a wound in his throat in Eashaw Clough’. The man was still alive. Ridge and other helpers carried him to a house half a mile away, and then on to Bamford Hall where he died two days later. The victim had been found lying about 40 yards (37m) from where a road bridge was later built. Remembering the murder, local people always referred to it as Cutthroat Bridge. The present Cutthroat Bridge was built in 1821. Another murder victim was found here a few years ago, minus his head. Two Sheffield men were charged with causing his death.
[4] Carefully cross the road through a gateway stile on to a track which ascends the left side of a valley. After 6 mins reach a plantation on the right, then 200m after the trees look for a faint path right going down near a lone tree to cross the stream. Climb right up the heather on the other side until you reach a wall, then follow the wall curving round to the left. At the wall end keep ahead to cross a gully then turn right to reach the edge path along Bamford Edge. Go left maintaining height on the edge overlooking the Derwent valley, Ladybower Reservoir and Win Hill opposite. The edge path continues to climb for about 1km to the rocky outcrop of Great Tor, a good place to stop with views left towards Chatsworth. The rocks end in a further 400m, but you continue ahead descending on a path past a millstone right, with a rocky edge up left and a road to the right. The path heads towards trees then bears left parallel to the road which it eventually meets at a stile. Go left on the road.
[5] After 100m keep with the right hand wall on a path below the road re-joining after a right hand bend. Climb the hill and look for a footpath on the right descending gently through a wood. Near the end a signpost directs you right to Gatehouse. Descend immediately left over a stile, through fields keeping to the left of the farm. Upon reaching Hurstclough Lane, turn right for 100m and take a series of footpaths above and to the left of the lane on your right: NB the lane is narrow, often wet and can be dangerous if you meet vehicular traffic.
Go through a copse, then through a gate and near the bottom of the field re-enter the lane. To the right of the farm drive (Nether Hurst sign on gatepost) through two more fields. Turn left on re-entering the lane. NB at this point Hurstclough Lane is the right turn. 20m down the lane exit left to go down two fields; in trees bear right into the Clough, then at the bottom, on reaching the Lane, take right and left turns to a footpath across the stream. Climb 109 steps up the far bank then keep ahead to a surfaced road.
At imposing gates on the right you turn left down Saltergate Lane and at the bottom turn left on the minor road to Bamford Station. Cross the bridge for Manchester trains.