Thursday walk 12 Sep 2013

Andy Smith
Sep 12, 2013
CMC walk 12 Sep 2013
Six of us did this walk from Bradwell, a tour of some of the
local industrial sites, in quite nice weather. After
skirting Outlands Quarry on a somewhat nettle choked path,
we soon arrived at the bottom of Moss Rake, one of the old
lead mining areas, more recently used for the extraction of
fluospar. Several of these parallel rakes stretch across the
moor. We headed up Green Dale, emerging onto Batham Gate,
the line of the old Roman road through Bradwell. It is
thought that the Romans mined lead in the area. At the top
of Moss Rake, old quarry buildings have been demolished and
the area landscaped recently. Our route led us up across
Bradwell Moor and we paused for a coffee break at the top
of a deep mine shaft. It was clear that cavers had recently
been down it. On to the top of the moor and along by the
wall to a 5-way junction with the Limestone Way. We turned
right passing the sites of Hollandtwine Mine and Dirtlow
Rake Pit, which have also been landscaped. A rough
track continued down by the side of Dirtlow Rake to arrive
at the top of Pindale where we stopped for lunch. A descent
into Pindale followed and we passed the Pindale “scrins”
(side lead veins), nationally unique and protected as an
SSSI. The track descended past the disused Pindale Quarry to
arrive at Black Rabbit cottages. Finally we took the public
bridleway and footpath through the cement works back to
Bradwell. Tea and cakes were eagerly consumed, while the
states of the various dodgy knees were examined. 7.1 miles
1180 feet of ascent.
Andy

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Andy Smith – Bradwell, Derbyshire, England; andy@…