August 2023. Hope Valley.
We’d earmarked August for exploring Sheffield and the Peak, and Mrs RM had been banging on about the Plugholes at Ladybower Reservoir, which had looked a bit dry when we walked the northern section last year.
22 minutes from Sheffield station, Bamford gives you one of those lovely low effort, well signposted walks that give you Instagrammable views and an NBSS 3.5 pint half-way round.
The walk via Thornhill takes you past the Quaker retreat on Water Lane where a lady says “Hello” and w wonder if they’re supposed to have a vow of silence or something but then remember that’s Londoners.
That’s Bamford Edge below;
I tell Mrs RM we can divert there after the pub and make a five hour walk of the two hour stroll and she says something rude.
The plugholes are a bit disappointing;
but Ladybower itself is gorgeous. The eponymous pub up the road has just re-opened by Batemans, of all people, one for next week.
Here’s the killer shot from the top of the reservoir.
This would have been my killer shot,
but sadly the Bass (and Stones) are long gone from the (Famous) Yorkshire Bridge Inn, but it turns out to be an unfussy and friendly dining pub,
where two lunches, a pint of Bradfield Blonde and the now ubiquitous lime and soda comes to £22.50.
The Blonde hits that sweet spot of being cool but not chilled (NBSS 3.5),
though Mrs RM’s attention soon turns to the Thornbridge keg being drunk by the cyclists on the next table.
She may have been introduced to the delights of Bass, Plum Porter and Unicorn over the last fortnight, but remains a craft girl at heart.
retiredmartin 
I’m rather impressed by that plughole. Surely a clever piece of Victorian engineering. What’s not to like about it?
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Paul,
But the Victorians didn’t always get it right.
The Great Sheffield Flood of 1864 claimed the lives of at least 240 people and left more than 5,000 homes and businesses under water when the poorly constructed Dale Dyke Dam at Bradfield collapsed.
Now Bradfield is now only known for the proper session beer Farmers Blonde.
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The first Tay Bridge, as well. ☹️
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Paul,
Yes indeed, and the remains of the original bridge, last seen by me in April 2019, are a chilling reminder of that disaster.
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Low water levels mean it’s not at its best at the moment, but fantastic engineering.
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Mrs TSM and Miss TSM were in Bamford earlier this week, but only for the well dressing.
That was to or from Buxton Opera House.
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The Anglers Rest in the centre of the village was good a few years back.
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I was commenting to Mrs TSM yesterday that Bradwell is the one village in the Hope Valley that I don’t know.
The first Anglers Rest I used was about six miles further south at Millers Dale back in 1972.
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You must miss those fenland vistas.
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Obviously.
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