Following the ancient Portway to the Peak.

One of my 2024 challenges is to travel the Derbyshire Portway from the River Trent, past the Hemlock stone near Nottingham and through the Peak District to Mam Tor. The routeway could be as old as 4,000 years and part of my quest is to explore how travellers over this time might have found their way. The first day involved a lot of urban roads on the Nottinghamshire/ Derbyshire border so I used my bike as far as the village of Morley. The rest of the way will be on foot.

The route passes at least three hermitage caves and any number of prehistoric sites. The distinctive ‘holloway’ path bears witness to centuries of use.