Those who’ve been paying more attention than, frankly, us will have noticed that the Traffic Regulation Order closing the track from Rushup Edge to Hayfield via Roych Clough in the Peak District lapsed at the end of April.

However, the contractors haven’t finished the stone pitching work on the trail so the TRO has been extended until July. It looks like the job of pitching the steep bit down to the stream in the Clough itself was a lot slower than anticipated (the contractors were doing a square metre per man per day), but that section is now finished (that’s it in the picture – the gazebos have apparently gone now…)

The next stage is the stretch from Rushup Edge to Beet Lane, which should be done by the end of May. Then it’s the home run into Hayfield hopefully before the new TRO lapses at the end of July.

It’s all turning into a bit of a palaver, but be patient. Several people have ridden the trail (naughty) and reports are mixed. Doubtless when the trail’s fully open there’ll be the usual “dumbing-down” debate but from the pictures at least the new Roych doesn’t exactly look easy. Sure, it appears you’ll have a fighting chance of riding up it and riding down won’t be the sphincter-straining experience it once was but at the end of the day, trails change. Left to its own devices this one would have just become a trench, and just riding around it isn’t a long-term answer.

Be nice if they’d actually finish it though. As it is, you’ll just have to plan routes elsewhere for a little while longer. Thanks to NBT for the lead…