The community rail team at South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has delivered a guided Walk and Talk in the Peak District to support Men’s Health Week and Loneliness Awareness Week.
On Friday 12 June, members of the local community joined representatives from SYMCA, High Peak & Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership, Northern, TransPennine Express, the Samaritans and the Railway Children for the walk, which aimed to promote the wellbeing benefits of social connections, physical activity, and accessing green spaces by rail.
Travelling by train from Sheffield to Hathersage, the group used the Hope Valley Line as an easy gateway to the outdoors. They then followed the route for the Steel Cotton Rail Trail, which allows walkers to explore the Peak District and discover the area’s industrial past along the way.
The group were guided over the historic Leadmill Bridge and along a four-mile trail of rolling countryside and fields, through Goose Nest Wood, along the River Derwent to Bamford.
The route offered a rich array of wildlife and farm animals, including waterfowl, horses, miniature ponies, as well as the more unusual sight of turkeys and even an emu.
Despite stretches of very muddy terrain, participants supported and encouraged one another, reinforcing a strong sense of shared experience, and there was plenty of opportunity for conversations along the way, as well as moments of quiet reflection.
The walk finished at the Hope Valley Garden Centre café, where the group enjoyed refreshments and time together before boarding the train home at Bamford. One participant chose to continue along the next section of the trail to Hope, carrying on the spirit of the day.
Cathrine Ashworth, community rail officer at SYMCA, said: “We found the local rail network and Steel Cotton Rail Trail the perfect companions for really helping us get out into nature, explore new routes and switch off for a couple of hours.”
SYMCA has previously collaborated with Community Rail Network members on a number of projects, including Bishop Line CRP and Northern’s Try the Train programme and working with the Penistone Line Partnership to install customer information screens in community spaces and other art projects at stations, including Barnsley Interchange and Chapeltown.
Learn more about SYMCA’s work in the community here.
Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from High Peak & Hope Valley CRP via their website, and download booklets for each section of the Steel Cotton Rail Trail route here.