A6187

Route

The A6187 was formerly part of the A625 and was the route from Sheffield to Manchester avoiding the notorious Snake Pass. However, the through route was closed in 1979 and the number changed in 2000. The road is therefore now less important, although still very busy with tourists.

Fox House - Bamford

Millstone Edge

The road begins on the moors as a continuation of the A625 from Sheffield (A625 traffic TOTSOs left). We head west and descend around a tight right-hand bend and pass the Fox House Inn, from where a spur of the A6187 turns left back to the A625. The road continues to descend and passes the Toad's Mouth viewpoint, with magnificent views across the valley. More tight bends follow as we descend towards Hathersage. We enter a 40mph zone and then a 30mph, heading round one final tight left-hander and then into a narrow section through the village. This place is very busy on weekends with tourists and, along with our destination of Castleton, is what makes this road packed with cars. After heading past the B6001 and under a railway bridge, we head into NSL and a very wide road where we can finally get up to some speed. We slow again when we get to the junction with the A6013.

Bamford - Castleton

Castleton

We continue on a slower section now, passing over the River Derwent and continuing to the junction with the B6049. Then we head into the village of Hope, where we again enter a 30mph zone. There's a right turn opposite the church for Edale. We leave town under an attractive railway bridge and traffic congestion is commonplace because Castleton is only 1 mile away. When we enter that village, we encounter parked cars, coaches and buses on one narrow street, the cause of the problems. The residents of Castleton have been complaining for years now but some double yellow lines have been painted on the worst bit and that's it (although given that this road doesn't go anywhere else there's not much that can be done). However, at night around Christmas, the lights above the road are a sight to behold. On the far side of the village we only travel about a hundred yards after the NSL signs before terminating at the junction with Winnats Pass, where you have no choice but to head onto that, a much lower quality road, or head straight on and see why we stop here and why this road is not the A625 any more.