The new 62-mile Steel Cotton Rail Trail is a powerful story of nature’s resilience, guiding walkers through beautifully reclaimed landscapes. A prime example is the “Mousley Bottom nature reserve,” a key stop on the 14-section route.
This “pretty patch of woodland” is a testament to the trail’s “post-industrial” theme. The area was “previously used as a landfill site, gasworks and sewage works.” Today, it’s a peaceful, green space for walkers to enjoy.
The trail, which links Manchester and Sheffield, is full of these “work and wilderness” contrasts. It follows the 1796 Peak Forest Tramway, an old industrial artery, and passes Torr Vale Mill, which was working until 2000.
This celebration of reclaimed nature, rather than an “illusion of ‘real nature,'” is what makes the trail unique. It’s an authentic look at a landscape that has worked hard and is now finding a new, greener purpose.
This new, rail-linked trail is a “perfect autumn amble” for those who appreciate history, ecology, and the “eye-calming” beauty of a landscape in transformation.