I have been looking at the OS map and Google Earth to follow the trail down Dirtlow Rake, this seems to follow some form of gravel access road, when this gravel road meets the tarmac road can you follow the trail across the grass/rocks on the left to meet the road further down?

When you get to the tarmac road can you then go off road to the right and down Pin Dale to meet up with the tarmac road leading into Hope by Pindale Farm or do you have to stay on the road and follow it around the hill and back to Hope?

If any one would be kind enough to over mark the OS map with this route I would be very gratefull.

Thanks

when this gravel road meets the tarmac road can you follow the trail across the grass/rocks on the left to meet the road further down

I wouldn't. It is seriously steep!

Better to turn right off the tarmac onto the wide track (quarry access road). It looks like a T junction on the map – but it feels more like turning R off the main road onto a wide track in reality.

After 200 metres on this track take the rocky chute on the LH side – which is an excellent little descent (called "Pindale Road" although not a road) The "chute" opens out into a wider area. Play options on the LH side (you will be able to see the bit I described as "seriously steep" on your left). Massive vertical drop on your right. Just keep straight on. Where it looks like there sre 2 options, they both bring you out the same place. The one on the R is the BW. The one on the left is the one that the Peak Rangers get a bit angry about. Which one is the best changes every 6 months!

I'm making it sound more complicated than it is – You just take the chute (marked with red dots on OS I think) keep going and you'll drop out on tarmac just above Pindale Farm

….perfectly placed to take the BW on the right through the cement works through to Bradwell

PS…Bradwell…the descent from Rebellion Knoll to Elmore Hill Farm is ace :D)

Enjoy

Cheers Fluff66 very helpfull

I like the Cavedale descent into Castleton.

We'll normally climb Pin Dale, then along Dirt Low Rake. right onto Limestone Way, then down Cave Dale. from there, turn right, back up the road for a bonus run down Pin Dale and then straight down the road back into Hope for the end of a ride in that area.

Cave Dale is not to be missed!

WE do both on one of our local loops.

Dirtlow Rake is a fast, loose rocky descent designed to give you pinch flats. Pindale is a rocky pinball drop designed to make you fall off.

Both are great fun. Fluff has given you a good description, but if you would like a gpx, email me (mail in profile)

Pook – Member

WE do both on one of our local loops.

Dirtlow Rake is a fast, loose rocky descent designed to give you pinch flats.

eh? you dont mean cavedale into castleton do you? the only dirtlow rake I know is a gravel road….

DenDennis

Dirtlow rake was a gravel road for a period of time a few years ago when resurfaced. All the water that has run down it since then has made it more interesting again (Having said that, not done it for 12 months so could have been resurfaced again this year). Not exactly techy, but quite loose, and very fast…and interspersed with frequent 1 or 2 foot deep ditches/groughs for added entertainment.

Cavedale and Pindale are easily combined (NB excluding Dirtlow Rake). Get your height using the old/broken road under Mam Tor. Turn L at top onto main road and follow it round to R past top of Winnats Pass. You can either take a L onto Limestone Way BW directly or follow the road a bit further and work your way onto LW via Oxlow Rake. Follow LW & descend Cavedale (in the dry ideally – I tend to avoid it in the wet) When you come out at road, turn right onto Pindale road. After 300 metres, take the R fork (Sidgate). Follow Sidgate for a steep and scenic climb. After about 1km, the quarry access track is on your left and 200m down there on your left is the chute (top of Pindale Road descent)

You're then in the right place to use the cement works BW to cut over to Bradwell & Brough and do a clockwise loop of Shatton Moor. (It would be a real shame to miss out Rebellion Knoll if you were in the area).

Free parking at bottom of Pindale Road S of the bridge (just off of A6187) – but tuck your cars well in as Lafarge lorries tank it up and down there at w/e.

Guys,
Is this bridleway through the cement works well signposted and or defined on the ground?

That link over to Rebellion Knoll and then back into Hope looks well worth doing, if we have enough time we'll give it a bash.

It's MOSTLY well signposted. You'll soon know if you've gone wrong. Just keep a keen eye out for the BW signs.
It's worth doing – a bit like riding through a scene from Terminator!

There's a bit towards the end of the cement works where you can take 2 options. One is BW the other a FP & from what I remember signs are often missing. I usually take the narrow straight track which goes steeply upwards on sometimes slippy ground – think this may be the FP as there are couple of (rideable round) steel railings. Both bring you out at same place (top of track at Mich Low which drops you down to Bradwell) so not really a problem.

Head to Brough, R onto Townfield Lane (good climb :lol:) Descend eventually to cross a ford. R just after the ford to start the climb which eventually becomes Shatton Lane. Loooong climb. At the confusing bit where there is a gate and then a multitude of tracks at top of climb (and proably a huge pool of water/bog at the gate), follow the track on the left (Wolf's Pit) and then just keep going as it become Brough Lane goes round the top of the Moor and then descends back to Brough. It's a bit pedally at the top and more so if the wind is in your face, but eventually becomes a really nice descent. Love the life-saving natural berm on the LH side, just as you realise you are going too fast to make the corner 😆

fluff, what's Oxlow Rake like? I don't think I've ever done it. how would be the best way to get on it? tuesday's ride is around cavedale & pindale so wouldn't mind checking it out if it's worth it. seems to have a bit more of a gradient than Dirtlow…am i right?

dirtlow rake?

is this the bit you're on about fluff? with the green dots on? or some other bit of dirtlow rake?
cheers.
I've been down and up pindale and know that one

yeah that's dirtlow rake DenDennis. heading towards pindale is downhill, but at a farily gentle gradient. it makes a good climb though as well. i've been up it a few times within the last 6 months and can safely say it's no smooth, gravel surface…plenty of loose rock and washed out drainage channels to make things interesting.

Peachiness

Descent to Old Dam has got the gradient as you say, but not the surface of Dirtlow Rake, so it is not as fast. Grassy/dirt track descent. If it's wet/muddy, it's quite slow.

It's a nice way to extend the loop though-

Road descent SW from top of Winnats 😥 to get to turn off at quarry. It's a nice steady off road climb to the turning for BW. Signpost is often missing BW is at top of hill through 2 gates IIRC (if you miss turning you'll start descending and ultimately just end up back on LW)

Descent to Old Dam ….fun in dry but a bit pedally if it's wet/muddy. Climb up Oxlow Rake is good climb, then there's about 800 m nice traverse across top till you get back to LW (where you've got your Cavedale or Dirtlow& Pindale choice) Worth having a sacrificial gate opener in front of you, so you can enjoy the top section unhindered 😉

It's worth adding in if you wanna extend your ride by say 6km. It also feels like you're up on top of hills for longer 🙂

dirtlow rake?

is this the bit you're on about fluff? with the green dots on? or some other bit of dirtlow rake?
cheers.
I've been down and up pindale and know that one

Yep
Peachey's ridden it recently so glad to hear it's still chewed up.
Think you must have ridden it at that time in it's life (it was a sad time for all of us) when it got resurfaced. It became , as you say, just a gravel track when they did that. Back on form now and works well as a fun way to link between LW and Pindale/Bradwell. Not much gradient, but the aggregate surface means you've got a fair whack of speed when large holes in the ground suddenly start appearing in front of you.

cool cheers mate, i may check it out, just for the internal mappage!

Yep, Dirtlow Rake may well be a smooth gravel snooker table at the top, but further down it's got the drainage channels, baby head rocks, ditches and other channels designed to make you ping off in any other way than that you intended!

I think the trucks come on to D'Rake further up hence it not being maintained in the bottom half.

Cavedale, however, is smooth as silk and not technical in the slightest 😉

cheers- i think I must have only done the upper part of D Rake, back in april.

Cave dale, nice. I actually punched the air and fist-pumped on finally reaching the gate at the bottom without a dab, luckily no walkers were around to take the p155

DenDennis

I am v jealous. I was almost there last time I did it. I had it in the bag…It was in my sights….I reached the rock gate and ….and….and…I dabbed. 😥

Luckily there were no walkers to hear the howls of anguish.

Next time Cavedale. You will be mine 👿

I suspect Peachey will have it Tuesday night …although if it's raining….