Low Bradfield and High Bradfield

The grey stone church of St Nicholas serves both High and Low Bradfield and much of it dates from the 14th century. To the right of the churchyard entrance is the Watch House. Built in 1745, this housed guards whose function it was to protect the dead from body-snatchers who sold the corpses to doctors.

There are spectacular views from the churchyard and from this point the Loxley valley and outskirts of Sheffield can be seen. This area was once full of mills, grinding sheds and cottages for workers in the steel industry.

Opposite the Old Horns Inn are the village stocks. These were used to punish minor offenders, but it was far from a minor punishment - just a few hours clamped in the stocks left the culprit stiff, numb and unable to walk easily.

These high Pennine villages, surrounded in natural beauty, were the scene of a disaster that took place in the 19th century.

Torrents of water swept through the Bradfield valley when Dale Dyke Dam burst in 1864. The then newly-built dam, nestling in the valley below the moors was full for the first time. This massive feat of engineering was quite a crowd puller until, one day, cracks were discovered in the dam wall. It was nearly midnight when the dam burst and ninety percent of the 712 million gallons (3,500 million litres) of water escaped. There were heavy casualties; the route the water took down to Low Bradfield and Sheffield can still be traced in the landscape.

Some three minutes after the dam burst a 50 feet (15 metres) high wall of water hit Low Bradfield. The newly-built Wesleyan school, corn mill, smithy and a number of cottages simply disappeared under the force of the water.

Today Dale Dyke Reservoir can be seen from the walk, best when stood by the trig pillar on Onesmoor; height 1,306 feet (398 metres). Agden Reservoir is also in view, in the foreground of Dale Dyke Reservoir and also Strines Reservoir at the head of the valley.