On Sunday 18 September 2022, staff and volunteers at the Lockerbrook Farm
Outdoor Centre – which was set up by Woodcraft Folk members from Sheffield – followed in the
footsteps of the ramblers who all those years ago stepped out early one Sunday morning to
assert their rights to walk across the moors. They were joined by members of the local
Derwent Woodcraft Folk group and the Ramblers.
90 years ago on Sunday 18 September 1932 a group of walkers including members of the Woodcraft
Folk set off from Sheffield to the Upper Derwent Valley walking over the moors via the Dukes Road near High Bradfield. Eventually, this leads to Derwent Edge and from there the walkers went down Abbey Brook to the beautiful Derwent Valley reservoirs. This is known as the Forgotten Trespass as it was preceded in April by the famous Kinder Trespass from the Manchester side.
They were met by gamekeepers on the moors who according to eyewitness accounts of a
16 year old Woodcraft Folk member:
‘When we got to Peter’s Rock, which is a point overlooking Abbey Brook, we met
with opposition in the form of about 40 gamekeepers, among whom were a few
policemen,’
‘In the meantime the gamekeepers whom we had seen in the bottom… rounded up
on us and stopped us, but only by the use of big pit props. Two lads got it worse
than any of us, as one refused to give his name and address.’
For the anniversary event, the group of walkers all met at the start at the Dukes Road, the beginning of the 1932 trespass route some people having walked over from Sheffield and Low Bradfield.
Terry Howard who has a long association with Lockerbrook as a Venturer Leader came to speak a little about the rights to roam won as a result of the 1932 trespass and other actions which both preceded and
followed this event. As Terry as has recently written:
The path itself is part of the much larger network of paths that the walkers will use as part
of their walk but it stands out as one of the longest high level paths which can be found in
the area. There may be other more scenic paths to be found but this path is “ours” and has
offered many interesting and exciting walks and challenges.
Some of the group did the full walk which was just over 20 miles from Sheffield over to
Ladybower reservoir down the incredibly beautiful Abbey Brook. The younger members, Elfins and Pioneers completed an amazing 7.5 miles! One of the parent leaders said:
“We managed the full 7.5 loop which was the longest walk some of them have done. A
huge sense of achievement and some very tired legs! They were talking about why we were
there, and the trespass along the way, so a lot of learning for them as well.”