–
06/04/2025
Back Tor & Lost Lad from Low Bradfield village. Peak District.
Location: Meet at The Sands Car Park (free) behind the cricket ground at Low Bradfield Post Code S6 6LB. (West of Sheffield) - https://bradfieldvillagehall.org.uk/about/finding-us . Or use on street parking by village hall.
Sat Nav: Google gives car park post code S6 6LA. GR SK 263 920.
Meet Coordinator: Ben Gilbert - bengilbertemail@gmail.com or via the Meet Sec - Graham Willis willisarchitects33@gmail.com or 07731-122766. or WhatsApp PM Gareth Hey
Route: About 21km (13 miles) & 600m (1,970ft) of ascent.
Note: Please take a packed lunch, appropriate footwear and waterproofs for the weather forecast. Facilities: Public toilets, café & shop are available in Low Bradfield. - Village website: www.letsgopeakdistrict.co.uk/listing/bradfield/
Walking commences at 10:00AM so please arrive in good time to park and prepare. Walks generally are in the order of 10 miles and will finish around 4:00PM with a visit to a local hostelry.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
It is quite a long walk in to Back Tor from Low Bradfield, but this has the advantage that, apart from one short steep section near the start, the gradient is very gentle the rest of the way and much of the walk is along tracks and well maintained footpaths.
From the car park at Low Bradfield we make our way up to the road around the east side of the Agden Reservoir, shortly after which we take the steepish footpath off to the right towards Bailey Hill. From there we bear left and head towards Rocher Head before crossing a country road, then skirt round a couple of fields, across a scrubby patch of ground and then cross another country road. From there we join a track called Dukes Road which leads to Flint Hill from where the route takes a more southerly direction towards Back Tor. Along the way the track eventually gives way to a mostly well maintained footpath. However, in a few places some of the slabs in the footpath are beginning to sink into the moor and could be submerged if it is wet.
Back Tor is a well weathered rocky gritstone tor on top of the moor and from there it is a short “there and back” walk to Lost Lad; another rocky tor. One of these two outcrops will probably be the best place to stop for lunch as the surrounding moor is otherwise quite open and exposed.
From Back Tor we take the very short walk to Bradfield Gate Head where we turn left to join a track called Foulstone Road that descends past some old workings and a disused building known as Foulstone Delf. The latter part of this track is tarmacked. Further on we briefly walk along a public road and then turn left to take the footpath that crosses the ground between the Strines and Dale Dike Reservoirs. We then walk along the south east side of Dale Dike Reservoir, briefly rejoin another quiet country road for a short distance and the finally take a footpath above Dale Dike to get back to Low Bradfield.
Refreshments are available nearby at either the Bradfield Plough in Low Bradfield or the Old Horns in High Bradfield.
