65 Meadowhall – Buxton

Journey Overview

This really is a Wow Factor route! The 65, which is known as The Hope Valley Explorer, is the ultimate, breath-taking and awe inspiring journey of contrasts, combining the retail paradise of Meadowhall, with the vibrant architectural, sporting and shopping epicentre that’s Sheffield and then a blissful escape into the serenity and stunning landscape of The Peak District with its fascinating valleys, villages and wildlife. It’s a route that is a gateway for the more ambitious of languid walks across open moors and quiet dales or for others’ seeking just a glimpse of this incredible region, it is the perfect way to do so!  Gorge on the glorious gorges along the two rivers – Wye and Derwent too on this truly wonderful route!

A Fab Day Out!

From the noise and energy of shops, restaurants, cinema and ice-rink close-by at Meadowhall, pretty soon the bus is plunged into the heart of Sheffield City Centre before making its way across Eccleshall towards Grindleford, a small village nestled in the Peak District National Park, surrounded by picturesque hills, lush green forests, and streams. The scenery becomes breathtaking as the bus approaches Grindleford, it’s goes over the River Derwent and the pretty Grindleford bridge that dates back to 1758. The bus then travels close to Padley Gorge, a beautiful woodland setting with the Burbage Brook stream that used to form the boundary between Derbyshire and Yorkshire and is one of the furthest inland examples of temperate rainforest in the UK. It’s a walker’s paradise here, but the bus continues from Grindleford on to Calver Sough, a village on the banks of the River Derwent, where customers can enjoy the beautiful countryside view with rolling hills and quaint stone cottages. It’s hard to realise that so close to noisy Sheffield, customers are plunged into this tranquil and idyllic setting but the journey gets better still as the bus heads to Stoney Middleton, a delightful village nestled in a valley with a dramatic limestone gorge. Customers can absorb the stunning view of the rugged landscape that features magnificent rock formations and lovely waterfalls, surrounded by greenery and sparse fields as the bus traverses Dale Brook.

The journey then takes folk through Eyam, a small historic village, set in wild, heather-clay moorland. It’s a village that has preserved its 17th-century charm, with beautiful, traditional stone cottages and cobbled courtyard. The village is sheltered from the north by the dominating and looming steep and coarse escarpment, Eyam Edge and this can be seen from the bus.

Onto Foolow, a tiny village with blissful views of the hills, meadows, limestone uplands and beautiful flower gardens, set around its duck pond. The bus passes the village green with the pond, ancient cross and bull-ring and it really is a glorious sight . As the journey continues, the 65 passes through Great Hucklow, with its pretty village green and beautiful stone cottages that reflect the traditional Peak District architecture.

This is an adventure that continues to delight and the bus passes through Tideswell, a market town renowned for its beautiful limestone buildings and photogenic St John the Baptist church, known as “The Cathedral of the Peak” and Miller’s Dale, where customers can walk over the viaduct that once carried express trains from Manchester to London! The bus continues to Litton, another picturesque village with its pretty green and old stocks, enclaved by quaint cottages, a pub and village shop.

Buxton beckons, as the bus passes close to Chee Dale, an incredible nature reserve and steep-sided gorge with gushing water, a stepping stone walk and amazing green canopy of trees. As the bus travels a stones-throw from the River Wye it finds its way into Buxton – the ultimate, beautiful spa town right in the heart of the Peak District, famous for its fab architecture, parks, and gardens. It’s a wonderful end to a gripping journey that leaves behind busy modern-day city life and so quickly provides release and invigoration in amazing Derbyshire countryside and villages that have an alluring appeal that looks better still with every visit!