Proposed Path from Rowsley to Church Road, Darley Dale in Conjunction with Peak Rail
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Proposed path from Rowsley to Church Road, Darley Dale in conjunction with Peak Rail p e a k cycle l i n k s August 2011 Map showing High Peak, Monsal and Tissington Trails with the proposed links to Buxton and Matlock Stations 7. Buxton East Section: Buxton 8. Woo Dale Section: Note: Station to Redgap Lane Church Lane and Woo 10. Monsal Trail East Dale to Wyedale carpark Section: Headstone Tunnel These proposals for a Matlock and Buxton Ring were first put to Coombs Road forward during 2009. Since then the Monsal trail (sections 9 and 6. Buxton South 10) has been opened up through the Headstone, Cressbrook, Litton Section: Green Lane and Chee tunnels to reach Topley Pike. Planning consent has been to Buxton Station given for section 4 at Harpur Hill and planning applications are under consideration for the remainder of the Buxton ‘Horseshoe’. A planning application for the Rowsley Sidings to Harrison Way was made in February 2011 and the remaining sections of the whole Ring are under discussion and negotiation. 5. Country Park The local charity, Peak Cycle Links, was set up in August 2010 Section: Ladmanlow 9. Monsal Trail Section: to deliver all the sections except the Monsal Trail which has to Green Lane Opened 25 May 2011 been handled by the Peak District National Park Authority. It is anticipated that the programme outside the National Park will be coordinated by Derbyshire County Council. off road route completed section 4. Staker Hill and b i n d g m a r - o p s t e f c v Harpur Hill Section: minor road route unfinished section Earl Sterndale Road to Ladmanlow 12. Rowsley to Harrison Way Section The Peak Trails Links Project: 3. Earl Sterndale A summary 11. Haddon Hall Section: Section: Coombs Road to Rowsley Buxton to the High Peak Trail and to Street House Farm 13. Derbyshire the Monsal Trail, and the Monsal Dales Section: A6 Trail to Matlock to Matlock Station The National Park has popular cycling routes along the Tissington and High Peak Railways as well as on the Monsal Trail near to Bakewell. But it has long been frustrated by b i n d g m a r - o p s t e 1 their not connecting through to Buxton and 2. High Peak Trail Matlock Stations. The links proposed here would overcome this 14. Cromford and and lay the foundation for the National Park 1. Tissington Trail Matlock Section to pursue a much more sustainable transport programme, one in which many visitors arrived by train and then used bicycles to explore the Park. The map here does no more than show the line of the proposed route and highlight each section which is to be covered by a detailed report for discussion with landowners and authorities. BasedCrown copyright on Ordnance © Derbyshire Survey Dales DigitalDistrict Council Data withLicence permission number: 100019785 of Her 2010 Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. Peak District Planning Authority Licence Number LA100005734 Notes for suggested path from Rowsley to Church Road Darley Dale in conjunction with Peak Rail Introduction The Peak District National Park Authority, along 3) New ramp required to create a 1:15 gradient with the County & District Councils, are working down from Monsal Trail to Comber Road. to connect the Monsal, High Peak and Tissington Bakewell trails through to Buxton and Matlock with their 4) This attractive farm track climbs quite easily 1 railway stations. It is anticipated that this will then up to the summit – 85m in all. The two field open up the option of visitors to the National Park gates should be augmented with self closing 2 arriving by train and travelling on to enjoy the Park wicket gates if this bridleway is to be used more 4 on foot and by cycle. intensively. 3 5 A local charity, Peak Cycle Links, has been set 5) Far flung views over the valley to Stanton-in-the 6 up to support the authorities, and in particular to Peak and beyond. promote, negotiate, construct and maintain those 7 sections of these core routes which lie outside the 6) The track down to Rowsley is rather steeper and 8 b i n d g m a r - o p s t e f c v needs some repairs where erosion has gouged boundary of the National Park. Rowsley out deep ruts. These notes set out the details for a route avoiding 8 the A6 from Rowsley to Station Road in Darley 7) In Rowsley, less experienced cyclists could cross Dale, as the basis of a planning application for the the main road on the existing pelican lights and Rowsley Sidings section, and for discussion with walk across the main road Derwent Bridge to Peak Rail from Rowsley South Station to Church join the line of the railway. Road. 8) This section to Church Road is described in detail on the following pages. It runs through Bakewell and the Southern end woodland to Rowsley south and then beside of the Monsal Trail to Matlock: the existing Peak Rail track to Church Road Elements of a good route for family crossing. cyclists 9) Follow Church Road and Main Road to Darley Any popular cycling route has to avoid the A6 over Bridge. Main Road is quite wide, except over 9 its whole 8.1/2 mile distance. the Derwent and advisory cycle lanes may be helpful. This can be achieved by linking together a number of existing minor roads and tracks with the 10) An attractive gated road to Oker. Again the 10 12 exception of this 3km (2 mile) section from Rowsley provision of self closing wicket gates would make to Church Road. In the longer term further sections it easier for the public and improve livestock Matlock of new path could be built, for example, following security. the disused railway through the Haddon Hall Estate, The gated road south of Darley Bridge 11) The road through Snitteston is an attractive route which would make for a more direct and less hilly 11 route. with good views, but it carries quite a lot of traffic 13 at times and climbs 50m. However, these notes discuss what might be described as an attractive interim route. 12) The County Council’s planned route from Oker An initial Route from Bakewell to would avoid both the traffic and the hills. Matlock showing the key link from 1) Current Southern end of the Monsal Trail. 13) Existing cycle path beside main road past Rowsley to Church Road 2) Coombs Road makes for an attractive route into supermarket to the station. Bakewell. Crown copyright © Derbyshire Dales District Council Licence number: 100019785 2010 1 l Notes for suggested path from Rowsley to Church Road, Darley Dale in conjunction with Peak Rail Map 1 1) Existing Pelican crossing. 11) At the northern corner of the warehouse, its 15) The exact arrangement of the path through the bed of the original railway rather than filling owner is willing to consider repositioning the this next section will depend upon Peak Rail’s the cutting to create space. This will result in the 2) Narrow footway over the Derwent Bridge may be fence to a minimum of 1.0m clear from the side alignment, as far as Peak Rail has to veer to the platform rising up beside the path, but this is suitable for widening to a standard suitable for of the building. This means that the fence can west on a new alignment. As Peak Rail has to only over a short section. shared use. be moved back a little over 1.0m, thereby giving veer towards the east side to accommodate its a crucial piece of extra width. The fence dividing run round loop. The section shown on page 6 3) Wide verge on site of former bridge allows for the path from the railway could be placed 1.68m shows the position at the narrowest pinch point existing path to be widened for shared use as far from the inside face of the running rail, At its together with various options which the Railway as the end of the boundary wall where the start narrowest point the path should achieve a width might wish to consider. Because the Parish of a new path up to Old Station Close can start. of 1.4m between the faces of the two fences as Council has expressed its anxiety about possible Section A. View shown in the sketch. tree loss we have shown the path running along through original station 4) Construct new path on even gradient along showing possible Future ramp up to give 6.0m arrangement of paths foot of embankment. This opens up a small clearance over the A6 main road. and railway woodland glade currently hidden from view. The Set these earthworks to one side Future railway to allow for a future railway to also lower section would require fill which can be cut embankment climbing The original platform area come through from the upper part (5). at 1:60 to clear the is already filled to platform A6 at 6m. Allow for a level. Recover the free deeper structure than stone platform edges Stage 1 ramp down at 6) Join the Old Station Close. is needed for the cycle before burying further even gradient to reach bridge use stone for new station the A6 near the site 7) The former station is already filled up to platform further south? of the original railway bridge level. Both the path and the railway would have Photo 2.