UKH

Does anyone know if the road past Abney is open yet for bikes?

Yep.  Despite the signs at the bottom, it has never been shut (except perhaps whilst the contractors were dumping ballast on the slip)...

As per what Neil said.

Was there the other weekend and it was covered in a lot of mud and debris. Came into Abney from the glider club side and didn't notice it until the last minute. It's fine but maybe worth being aware of it.

It wasn't traffic free though as the take off for the paragliders is up the rough lane. 

Thanks, went up early in the year and massive hole so impossible to get around sounds like hole now filled.

I walked through last weekend and it was huge amounts of horse poop! It was like all the horse thought "I know if I poo in the narrow part all the cyclists and walkers will have to walk through it hahaha!" I'm starting to suspect that horses are more evil and cleverer than I gave them credit for.  

Robert, if you know the back road into Eyam, or indeed that close stretched up above Eyam, where bikes can get through but not any wider vehicles, the Abney road is a bit like that.

Thanks use that route all the time

It was 'formally' shut to all users for quite a while prior to the reinstatement works, with big blocks and fences in place. (Though it was possible to informally get through).

I think they are converting the bridge in Abney to foot passengers only therefore stopping the ability of car users driving through the village on the way to the gliding club. But yes you can pedal the bridge fine.

The flood must have been bloody impressive when you see how much road got taken out. I rode down there late last summer, then only went back a few weeks ago. I had heard the road got closed but hadn't thought much about it. I guess back in the autumn there was so much flooding around these parts you noticed the local stuff only! There don't seem to be many bridleways either in the Peak or going out into NE Derbyshire that if they are up a hill don't now have massive ruts in them, ditches really, from last autumns deluge.

Think Eyam is gradually isolating again as the Grindleford road, Barrel inn /Bretton road and the Abney road are all closed.

Really? Actually closed? I’ve ridden through Eyam recently and there don’t seem to be any additional permanent restrictions?

It was a plague related joke I think! That and the fact that there are a number of restrictions on roads around Eyam that DCC don't seem willing or able to fix.

It hasn't been mentioned yet but another one of potential interest to mountainbikers is the BOAT that runs parallel to but below the road (closed to cars) a long Hucklow Edge towards Bretton is also currently closed. I plotted it to ride on my route the other weekend, because its marked on OS mapping still, but there has been some sort subsidence and it looks like it has been closed for a couple of years now with nothing on the signs about if it will be reopened. I guess if they can't do the road above it, getting around to a byway is very low on the priority list!

Is this the area where lots of the old shafts are collapsing? That whole hillside is littered with holes! 

Yes, a massive mine related (allegedly) sink hole opened there in 2013, it was quite impressive:

youtube.com/watch?v=MFQdM3RwQcA&

It got filled in.

The 'mine (dis)' and 'shaft (dis)' on the OS mapping are a bit of a giveaway ...

Furtehr info: http://www.emgs.org.uk/files/mercian_vol13on/Mercian%20Geologist%20volume%2...

But, whole hillside on the move again, top road been closed again for a long while, (Gt Hucklow to Barrel Pub), but is still passable on foot & bike. Road still open from Foolow to Barrel.

A section of the road up from Gt Hucklow to gliding club also collapsed a few years back, now all held up by big retaining wall.

And the road from Grindleford to Eyam been closed to vehicle traffic for eons, active landslip. (bikes/walkers/horses can get through).

Active geology in this part of Peak!