Derbyshire’s secret valley

Bretton Clough, Derbyshire Tibetan lamas speak of sacred hidden valleys that offer spiritual refuge. If such a place exists in north Derbyshire then this is it - a narrow, steeply sided valley, thick with trees, that seemed full of secrets and surprises

At Abney Manor, a dozen goldfinches burst into the air, light catching their red faces and the broad yellow bar on their wings. I stopped to watch, and then looked down into Bretton Clough.

Tibetan lamas speak of beyul, sacred hidden valleys that offer spiritual refuge. If such a place exists in north Derbyshire then this is it. Its watershed divides Eyam and Shatton moors, a narrow, steeply sided valley, thick with trees, that feels remote and convoluted in clear weather, but today seemed full of secrets and surprises.