The Broken Road - An Inevitable End of the Old Mam Tor Road in the Peak District

The Broken Road - An Inevitable End of the Old Mam Tor Road in the Peak District
The A625 previously ran, undiverted, between Castleton and Chapel-en-le-Frith, winding its way up the south face of Mam Tor-replacing a much earlier route through the Winnats Pass. This section of the road proved highly prone to landslides, especially after periods of heavy rain, and was in constant need of repair. It was finally abandoned in 1979 and traffic was, once again, directed westwards through the Winnats Pass.
In this video i walk the abandoned section looking at the condition and reasons behind the various land slips that made this road impassable over time.
Featuring some amazing archive footage
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Additional Music by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0.
#broken #road #abandoned #mam #tor #peak #district #castleton #derbyshire

[@Steve-Cross]

I love how you find original old footage, to accompany your treks. Very nostalgic. 👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

It's great when I can. It really adds to it. Thank you for watching

[@MOJO24-y3d]

Use to go camping and walking in that area. Brought memories back of that time. Excellent video as usual.

[@Cortinaman63]

I loved the old footage showing the White Ford Cortina Mk3, taken around 48 years ago, same amount of time I have owned one of my Mk.3. Cortina's, (I have 3 of them) and a very interesting video, and music choice was great, as always from your channel,

[@A555-m1n]

As a regular viewer of your channel this is one film I'm so glad you've made..been up around the area a number of times and have often walked along this part of the road a wondered about it's history.

[@davey399]

Visited the road as part of school Geology trip early 1980s and I've always been fascinated with it since. I love the way you constructed the video to show us step by step of the walk over, especially using old photos and videos to take us round, plus using drones to fly along it. Brilliant video, congrats.

[@repair.rebuild.recycle]

Nice little video. I drove up it in the winter of 2000 in my jeep. The metal gate wasn't there but the same wooden gate at the hairpin was, not locked and the middle post lifts out. We said we would only drive it if we could stick to the tarmac and we did. The first drop was a big one but the climb back up not too crazy, the road width at the top was just wide enough at that time (that's where i see the most erosion since then) and luckily the gate at the top wasn't locked either. It brings back some memories.

[@mattydare]

Visited mid 70's and I remember watching in awe as someone was crawling over the wet rough ground in an old Steyr-Puch Haflinger 4x4

[@AndrewFosterSheff69]

I love going up to that road at Mam Tor. I remember going there with my grandparents when it was open. It always leaves me with a sense of "silence" how "what was" is no more. If you sit for long enough you can hear the occasional slippage of the hill above. It is STILL moving.

[@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling]

Brilliant original footage Ant. I've walked this a couple of times and that drop-off is amazing. Thanks for sharing this piece of history.

[@thunderfoot54]

I absolutely love driving Winnats Pass when I visit the Peak District, (did it in a blizzard a few years back) and really enjoy walking along the old road, with its amazing views, thanks for your lovey video

[@Geo46115]

A nice capture Ant... Way back in the early 70's I worked at Manchester Airport, as a driver for a forwarding agent. Sheffield was an area I visited on a regular run, and I always returned back to base via this route, mainly as it was the quickest AND the most scenic.

[@andyditchfield9757]

great job trekking on that day, really enjoyed the effort you put in with archive footage etc, good job and well done,

[@stevesmyth4982]

A fine video of incredible scenery, love the ambient music at 16:40 in, thanks.

[@LeslieGotta]

Thank you Ant for once again giving us a fascinating video. What a transformation from the old vids to the present day.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Glad you enjoyed it Leslie thanks very much :)

[@bobingram6912]

Thanks for taking this "slip road", heard a lot about it, now I know👍👍👍👍 Great 70s vibe with the film footage, upbeat music and cracking scenery. Interesting to see all that road strata and slippage. Thanks Ant👍👍

[@dilwyn1]

Love he intro Ant. Just about every car and pushbike iv'e owned went past !! LOL!

[@billyruss]

Another fascinating video. Not the usual railway stuff, but I've been aware of the Mam Tor road for a while (even though I've not visited as yet), and it's great to see it in so much detail. Some great drone footage, too.

[@roytabberer7427]

A fantastic video thanks for sharing. Mam Tor, 1696ft asl, is also called the 'Shivering Mountain' because of the way erosion causes shale to fall into the valley below.

[@Fells_n_Fotography]

Excellent video! Love the old photos and footage. I've been here many times and that upper section changes with every visit

[@NickB_Yorkshire]

Fantastic video Ant. Brought back memories of going along there as a kid in dad’s car when it was open. Makes you wonder if the weight of all of the layers of tarmac didn’t help the situation. We plan to visit there soon. Love the way you intersperse the archive footage into your videos. Really adds to the nostalgia of seeing what it used to be like.

[@Michellelovestrains]

An excellent video and fascinating topic Ant. I love the retro 70s style soundtrack as well. Well done and thank you! X

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Michelle. I intentionally did that with the music I actually quite like it

[@nicknewton7189]

That was fantastic! Thankyou,love the music. 🫡✌️

[@seany84uk]

Loved the old footage at the beginning. Its good to have different content :)

[@stevenrobertson4603]

Great video! I can see this eventually happening to The Snake Pass as well.

[@johncolebourne2672]

Another fantastic video Anthony. While watching that I could never imagine that the road would actually disappear and it felt really strange to see

[@vickybatchelor6858]

Fabulous scenery... it must have been quite eerie walking up that old road. Love the music, sounds like something you'd hear in The Professionals 😂 It fits with the cars on the old footage very well.

[@andysmith8221]

Drove this road with my aunt on what became it's last day. We were caught in a traffic jam as the road had given way under a coach. We were guided through, dropped off my aunt and returned to Norfolk. Aunt then phoned to say that the road was closed - we thought at the time temporarily for repair. She then let us know that the decision had been made to close the road permanently. Thank you for this video - brought back many happy memories of good times spent in the Dales with my Auntie Mu!

[@fraserhardmetal7143]

Used to drive up here on regular trips to Manchester airport when I worked in Dronfield , I forget the last time but it must have been mid 1976 - from then on Winnats was used when weather permitted.

[@markwright925]

Thank you for a great video,as a regular hiker in the area your videos are somewhat of a companion and give insight. Keep up the great work.

[@Stu88Turner]

Fantastic video as always we often visit the peaks but I was never aware of this piece of history will have to check it out next year

[@Flossy_tops]

This has to be my most favourite exploration channel, and it’s your enthusiasm that carries us along the journey. I would have traveled this road back in the day before its eventual demise … I really must make the effort to walk it and take in the memories before my legs and body say, enough is enough.. Thank you for sharing 👍🍻

[@lindamccaughey6669]

Wow the,broken,road is a real mess. The he story of that was great. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care

[@fman02]

Made my day seeing this. Thank you.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for watching 🙂

[@islaws4589]

I was born in '75 and can remember Dad talking with one of my Uncles about this after it had been on the news! Interesting seeing old videos of cars driving up it!

[@stephenholloway6406]

Another great video, Ant! Thank you for all you do.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind Stephen thanks very much

[@joan4906]

You knock out very nice videos! We used to have bicycle races that went up Mam Tor back in the day. I don't think we would have much of a race up there now 🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴🚴

[@simonballard6413]

What a good video! The scenery is stunning. The next one sounds intriguing!

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much Simon

[@paultrussy]

My Dad drove a car for the last 3 years of his life; he passed away aged 52 in 1976. I have vivid memories of him driving me and my Mum to see our relatives in Sheffield via the A625 Mam Tor road on numerous occasions. My Mum was really nervous and never enjoyed the journey from Bramhall which was usually in poor weather conditions. I have visited the collapsed road on a few occasions since to reminisce.

[@markc2107]

Thanks Ant brilliant video, I know the place well as a kid in the early 70s. We used to go camping at rowter farm just at the top of winnats pass great times good memories ❤,I love the area with stunning views ⛰️well worth a visit to Castleton and visit pevril castle 🏰👍🏻💯Ant next time you go do a drone video at the top of winnats pass off the area would make a great video 😃👍🏻Thanks for sharing this video keep them coming well done 👍🏻💯

[@johnm-wv6bo]

That as got to be the best video of the broken road and there as been a few love the old footage excellent work 👍👍👍👍👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

Glad you enjoyed it John thanks very much :)

[@nottmfunguy]

I used a few miles away from Castleton. I walked this with my kids a few time. I really need to walk this again

[@freemenofengland2880]

Superb video production, thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind thanks very much 😃

[@Counsellingtutor1]

Thank you, it was lovely 'walking' with you.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for joining me ☺️

[@RoyTheMouth]

Brilliant, I did the Peak Sightseer bus in July - highly recommended - and was intrigued by that old road so thanks for walking it for me! If we do the bus again or drive there then we will for sure walk the old road next time

[@TrekkingExploration]

Glad you enjoyed it Roy. That Peak Sightseer bus is great we did it twice this year

[@RoyTheMouth]

@ Please tell me you vlogged it! 😐😂😂

[@TrekkingExploration]

@RoyTheMouth no but I thought about it. I think it would take multiple visits

[@RoyTheMouth]

@@TrekkingExploration Would be challenging filming on the top deck with wind noise anyway, I know coz I tried it 🤣

[@JuliaHopewell]

I thought the opening music was going to be "Something in the Air" when it first started. (The older I get, the more I think something looks or sounds like something else entirely 😊). The old footage adds another layer of pleasure to these wonderful works of art. Thank you, Ant.

[@jimg9820]

Thanks - I was thinking the same, but couldn't remember the track's name 😀

[@marcusbennett4048]

Respect to you for using Paul wellers landslide....in your video pal...love your videos keep on keeping on my friend..❤

[@marcusbennett4048]

OK was the extended version...it fits so well with the video.....lol

[@DanDruff66]

Drove up there many times in the early 1970's. Went back last year......amazing. Go and see it if you can.

[@johnspurgeon9083]

I think the nickname for Mam Tor is "shivering mountain". Excellent old footage and drone coverage.

[@MM-sx6tq]

That you for this trek! I have never been to, but have been interested in Mam Tor and Kinder Scout for many years.

[@ste.h9825]

Been waiting for this video,it brings back memories of days out & happy times with friends.We would jump from level 2 level & then carry on into Castleton for ice cream.Thank you so much Ant.😂

[@davidlee6720]

I have got a book on 'Curiosities of the Peak District' Ant, perhaps you could do another series searching out some of those interesting historical features; all very interesting and picturesque; we do in fact actually live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country - if not the world.

[@musicallyyoshimi9651]

I've walked much of the area over the years, but for some reason never visited this - must do so before it's too late!

[@markwebster7128]

I went up the road next to mam tor yesterday on bus from edale. You can see for miles at the top , incredible views

[@MelanieRuck-dq5uo]

Another interesting video of a subject that I suspect isn't often thought of. Of course, Ant's constant enthusiasm is another huge plus. An after thought: would those stone foundations below the different layers of road surfaces be part of the original turnpike road?

[@antonyspence5075]

Another brilliant film Ant, 👏🏻👏🏻

[@TrekkingExploration]

Very kind thank you 🙂

[@GlitteringDelights]

Walked this road just a few weeks ago. It’s kind of humbling in a funny way: how many times did they try and shore it up before giving up? Really highlights our hubris in trying to “tame” a landscape that constantly and literally shrugs us off…. Great vid, top sounds and fascinating archive footage.

[@Crohniebiker]

Great video, very interesting for me. I've been up there lot's of times. Thanks.👍

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you very much for watching 😊

[@maestromanification]

Absolutely amazing Ant, i wonder why there and its not happened to other roads in the country. Love the old footage maxi, austin 1800 and mk3 Cortina with webasto roof Cheers Russ

[@fhwolthuis]

Astonishing piece of history, Ant! Amazing how they thought it would be a good idea to stack up to 8 layers of tarmac 😅

[@Handyman70]

As a kid in the seventies I remember doing the loop in the car with my mum, dad and brother up the pass and down the tor and sometimes the other way.

[@jillanderson7048]

Ant, that was fascinating. Looking forward to igloo video and mine video.

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I'm old enough to have been up it when it was open (my parents tell me, I don't remember it!). We've plans to take the caravan to Castleton for a few days in January, so I'll make sure to show the wife what she watched on your video last night. :-)

[@thomasdieckmann5711]

Thanks Ant, a really wonderful section. I was impressed when hiking it, the "solid ground" sometimes isn't as solid as we think. Also Winnats Pass is worth a Trekking Exploration ;-)

[@dodgeyboy1]

Hi Ant, thanks for another great video. I've also walked up and down the broken road a few times, however my first visit was going down it in a school minibus the last year it was open to traffic. We had a long wait at the top as slippage meant that only one lane was left intact and a contraflow system with traffic lights was in place.

[@ffrancrogowski6263]

This road for a long period had been used by heavily laden cement trucks from the nearby works of Blue Circle at Hope. They used to be in very low gear climbing up that road, so I suppose that didn't help much with the vibration on the hillside. A well presented video, showing the slips.

[@stuartbridger5177]

Great insight into one of our favourite places.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for watching ☺️

[@heckelphon]

Really nice and thorough video. Thanks so much. I was interested to see that where you had counted the layers of tarmac additions there was a whole layer of roadstone beneath which itself was on top of another 4 or 5 layers, so that was some mega sandwich. I can't remember at the time why there was no proposal to construct an alternative main route. I suppose the emphasis had to be put on the A623 to go from the Derwent valley through to Chapel, and traffic analysis didn't require a replacement. I note on old Google Earth views of the area from 1999, when the slippage was only slightly less, that someone has been able to drive and is positioned on the upper side of the mid-way gate by the hairpin. I can't think even then that they did it from the top. Go have a look and see what you think!

[@alanstarkie2001]

I remember driving along that road to Castleton in the 1970s. I walked it a couple of years ago it felt like an archaeological relic. It's a shame they couldn't fix it because Winnats Pass is now the main thoroughfare. I recall a time when only the odd few vehicles used it.

[@yesteryear2237]

That was wonderful thanks. I was getting concerned when you were near the edges. It’s all going slide again one day. Not been up there since it was passable.

[@lesbendo6363]

I'm amazed that over 200 years no one thought to put in proper drainage on the hill side of the road. 👍👍🇨🇦

[@damiendye6623]

Would make no difference the whole side of the hill is slipping and was long before the road. To fix it the whole hill needs fixing never mind adding drains

[@raybeaumont7670]

Cheers Ant. It's interesting to see the remnants of the road - I remember traveling up and down there in the 50s/60s on my father's motorbike combination. Down Winnats and up the Mam. I rode my own motorbikes over Mam in the 60s. Good memories of the hikes and adventures with the cameras. Thanks for sharing this one. See you in the next. Best wishes from The Rhondda.

[@becks400]

I have walked this road a couple of times and its really great to see how it used to look like 👍😁

[@TrekkingExploration]

It's a lovely area isn't it? I'll be back to do more very soon

[@R118GSiVVC]

Awesome video ant

[@computerbob06]

I hiked up there as a kid with my school in about 1989 or 90! I'd 0reviously been with my parents so I was telling the other kids all about it! We walked up Winnats first with the hope of traversing across the fields to walk up Mam Tor but it was getting quite windy! My favourite hat blew off - never to be seen again and I realised the it was gusting really hard! Our teachers decided it was too poor weather so we ventured back to Castleton down the broken road! At one point, I was blown off my feet and then got kicked in the back by some girls who were blown off theirs behind me! My mate Craig went to the toilet and nearly got blown off one of the big drops but the swirling wind blew him back again! Myself and my mate Peter at one point had to link arms to push against the wind and had to dive into a ditch to get out of the wind! The whole class was able to get down but then the rain came so we sheltered with the sheep in the mine - before we made our way to the cavern for an impromptu tour to stay away from the weather! An amazing day, if a little scary - but the only kids not crying were us country boys, we were used to getting cold and wet I guess!? Thanks for this video, it has allowed me to cast my mind back 35 years to some amazing memories!

[@antonycharnock2993]

It's looking like the Snake Pass may end up the same way because the funds just aren't available to fix it properly.

[@jamesbparkin740]

When I moved to the Peak District in 2000 there was still a sign (at at Barmoor Clough?) pointing out that the A625 was closed. The sort of sign that you get for snow closures.

[@jimg9820]

Walked this old road a few times, the section where there is metres deep of repairs on repairs makes me laugh every time. Have you done a video along the top of Winnats pass on the western side? Pretty spectacular for the Peaks imho.

[@malcolmrichardson3881]

Stunning landscape, but there appears to be no solution to road subsidence. What a pity - it must have been quite ride . Thank's for a very interesting video.

[@simontay4851]

Very deep concrete pile foundations. Would cost millions.

[@Kivetonandrew]

Drove down there in the late 70s not long before it closed. There were contractors traffic lights reducing it to one way. It was dark and quite scary as the road surface was starting to break up.

[@Recoils-electronics-repairs]

One of my favourite places i used to park up near the blue john mines and do a bit of cb/ham radio from there.

[@iancaveney7464]

I think the view from the car park at the top of the old road is one of my favourites in the whole of Derbyshire. Spent many a winter traversing Winnats Pass in the snow, always entertaining*. *terrifying, actually, yeah, that can be hairy 👍

[@stuartj5520]

What probably made the road slip so badly and so often in the late 70s was the near-constant heavy lorries from the cement factory in Bradwell grinding their way up and down the road. We had family holidays in Castleton twice a year when I was a kid and I remember being driven up the road many times with the almost constant roadworks, and then walking up it shortly after it closed. There was more patching than original road surface!

[@marymoor9293]

One of the most astonishing thing I saw in this video, was the Ford Cortina driving in the rain😂, my brothers Cortina never worked in the rain😂😂

[@thewhiteroom23]

Really interesting Ant.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much for watching

[@BecsterDotCom]

I’m intrigued how this road was considered a bypass to Winnats Pass - is that pass a really crap road or something? Even back in the day this road was quite a narrow one. Remarkable how quickly nature reclaims the land.

[@IS-L]

I walked up Mam Tor as a 15 year old in thick snow as Kinder was not passable. We drew a strait line from Edal station to the top and waked it.

[@ousetunes]

Been there many times; a fascination of mine. I do vaguely recall my father driving us up this road in the mid to late 70s. How on earth (pun intended) did you get footage of traffic ascending the A625? Superb work.

[@soundseeker63]

Considering it's been abandoned for over 40 years, the surface in most places didn't look that bad! Or, maybe I've got that the wrong way round - Maybe the state of the rest of our roads is so bad these days, this "broken road" just doesn't SEEM so bad in comparison! Either way, this is a beautiful area and a fascinating bit of local history. For natural beauty the Peak Distric really does take some beating!

[@carolinecleaveley-q1r]

thanks Ant. nature has a way of getting back on us when we build things in the wrong places. caroline.

[@andrewmatley7688]

nice one mate Ant.

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thanks very much 😃

[@johnbeech919]

great video ant for me very interesting

[@TrekkingExploration]

Glad you enjoyed it thank you 😊

[@alanjewell9550]

Just about remember going along along that, probably in 1976, in our white Marina Coupe! May even be one of those cars parked up in the picture. The question is will the A57 Snake Pass become another abandoned broken road?? Certainly a bit broken at the moment...

[@macstyle2012]

When I lived in the UK I was always puzzled as to that pass, why the road turns off and narrows, and wondered what that old bit of road was that just stopped near the blue John cave.

[@marionbloom1218]

Interesting video. I always love the Peak District, one of the nicest areas of the UK in my view, and there is so much else to see here as well. I often wonder though, what is it about that specific 200 yard section of hillside that makes it so uniquely mobile? The road further down and higher up doesn't move, and there are lots of other roads along the hillsides around there, all of which are stable - so there is something special about the geology of that little bit of hillside that makes it behave differently. What is it? Anyone know?

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Mam Tor, "Shivering Mountain", wobbly rowd. Where it's cracked/snapped check the obviate below tarmac underlay = domestic ash and Vic/Edw bottle debris, amazing for collectors, never mind the iron age fort ruin atop the whole !!

[@arum1974]

My family owned mam farm ( the track to the right as the bend goes left ) but had to move out due to the subsidence at the time they were unable to repair the damage

[@sixtyshippee]

Our East coast cliffs around Withernsea and Hornsea areas have a very similar experience but are roads dont just drop down they just disappear white lines to no where.

[@a11csc]

good old mother nature, Ant

[@StephenForster-z3m]

excellent vid

[@TrekkingExploration]

Thank you 😊

[@waynestevens3662]

Went there as a kid with school on a geography field trip..... wish you had presented it though😊

[@Drivershell53]

what an interesting and different video. Fascinating. Thanks so much for posting.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

In Québec, we've got an entire road that was swallowed up by mine subsidence. Ain't no stopping that.

[@TrekkingExploration]

oh my goodness that sounds scary