Path on Blacka Hill

February 2007

The main public right of way across Blacka Hill starts at Hathersage Road, goes through the plantation, crosses Cowsick then climbs Blacka Hill to the highest point before descending to join the bridleway going down to Totley.

The picture above shows the path as it was on a wintry morning a year ago as the sun was just coming over Bole Hill. The pictures below show it this morning. You will see that it is much wider and also wetter, even more noticeable after rain. It's surely not possible to see the change as for the better. Why the change? It is down simply to several months of cattle grazing, euphemistically called 'conservation grazing'.

March 2008

Cattle have not only trailed across the path regularly, they have also greedily eaten the grass to left and right which had once served to soak up the water falling on the soft peaty soil. SWT were warned of the damage that heavy cattle would cause to the distinctive paths on Blacka. They care not a jot. They intend putting older and heavier cattle on the moor this year