Collapsed culvert closes section of Sett Valley Trail

Derbyshire County Council is set to install a new drainage pipe on the two-and-a-half mile recreational trail linking New Mills and Hayfield, to help carry the water away.

A short stretch of the trail is closed to horse riders at Wilde’s Crossing while repairs are carried out, and there is a short diversion for walkers.

The work, which started at the beginning of August, is likely to take around ten weeks to complete and will be followed by some improvements to the trail surface.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, Councillor Dean Collins, said: “We are working to re-open this stretch of the trail as soon as we can but public safety is our first priority. This work gives us the opportunity to check the condition of other culverts.

“All indications so far are that this problem has been confined to a very short stretch of the trail and families can still enjoy this beautiful area over the summer months with very little disruption.”

Meanwhile summer and autumn events will be going ahead as planned at the council’s countryside centre at Hayfield, which is on the trail.

These include the Hayfield Woodland Festival on Sunday October 2, which is a showcase of traditional and contemporary woodland crafts.