Mam Tor

Mam Tor is a mountain pass (named after the neighbouring mountain) in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.

The road was originally part of the A625, but is now permanently closed. The A625 has now been renumbered A6187 from the East towards Castleton and is unclassified towards Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Current situation

Heading West from the end of the A6187, at the T-junction towards Winnats Pass (which is now the only route Westward, the first part passes the Treak Cliff Cavern on the left, this is mainly parking due to meeting a dead-end situation as the condition of the road deteriorates. After a short while, the road closes off but for local access to Mam Farm (which has a self-catering holiday let) at a turning area. The next section of the road as far as the hairpin bend is passable however it has had to be repaired in some areas due to the landslip effects and is single-track in parts.

Continuing onwards from the hairpin bend the road is gated off and you can soon see why. As the route continues over the landslip it has been distorted severely due to the unstable terrain (shale and limestone) under it, in some places you can see the original drainage facilities on the north side several metres above where the tarmac path currently is. There is also extensive evidence of repairs to the road over the years visible on "cliffs" where various parts of the carriageway have crumbled off down the hill. The road is passable as a footpath but there are several areas where the slippage is extreme and very little evidence of the road at what would have been the original height is present.

Eventually the road crosses a small stream (which can't have helped with the erosion as this is around the worst area) before a further gate leads to the western turning area which is as far as it can be driven from the Chapel side.

This road is also passable but narrowed due to providing parking for walkers wanting to ascend Mam Tor itself (or walk the road!) and for the Blue John Cavern on the West side of the closed road, after a short distance we return (at a give-way junction) to the old route where you can turn left towards Winnats Pass and right to Chapel.

History

The road was built originally to avoid the steep, narrower route through Winnats and provide a more gentle ascent over Mam Tor, this was completed by the Sheffield and Chapel-en-le-Frith turnpike company in 1819. Major works were required to repair landslip damage in 1912, 1933, 1946, 1952 and 1966, for six weeks on the latter occasion. In 1974 a landslide caused a further closure when a large part of the road collapsed down the mountain. After several more attempts at repairs, usually following wet weather causing further landslips, in 1979 the road was permanently closed to traffic and through traffic again routed up the Winnats Pass (which remained unclassified). In 2000, the A625 was renumbered to the A623 at Calver, the Eastern section becoming A6187 and the Western unclassified.

Links

• Video showing the road as reopened after an eight-month closure in 1977 (archive.org)