My Adventure on Monsal Trail in Bakewell, Peak District by Michelle Nyamai

The trail is one of the main attractions in Bakewell - a small town in the peak district, an hour away from the city centre by bus. I would say the population is mostly retirees which explains the slow paced, relaxed environment the small town gives. The Monsal trail is an 8 1/2 mile walk or for my fellow metric system users, 13.7 kilometres. It follows the path of a former railway line. I must admit it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I expected a narrow trail winding up and down the lush vegetation of the park but instead I got a level trail with gravel and cold well-lit tunnels and the occasional buildings. Underwhelming at first but with a little patience, there are no more houses along the trail. It becomes an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

                                                                                                                               Headstone tunnel

A word of advice, hire a bike unless you are a regular walker or hiker. A learning point for me was when I got to the end of the trail and realised I hadn’t quite thought about how I would get back. Apparently the two cycle hire companies at either end of the trail don’t work together so you can’t hire a bike at one end and return it to the hire site at the other end of the trail.

I tried my best to take photographs but phones can only capture so much of the real beauty behind the lens. They leave out the depth, the expansiveness of the environment.

Along the trail, there are footpaths that go into reserves that are inhabited by over 200 species of plants and some animals as well as insects. Just at the end of the Litton tunnel, a footpath creeps to the top of the tunnel and leads you to an amazing view of the cliffs and the river down below.

                                                                                                                            Above Litton tunnel

                                                                                                                                 Limestone kiln

Apart from the historical sites, the community is extremely friendly. As you walk along the trail, people greet you and say good morning with a smile on their faces. After the first few people you come across, you get the hang of it and before you know it your greeting people all the way along the trail.

I would recommend the trail on one of your free weekends to take in nature and free your mind.

Meet Our International Ambassador - Michelle Nyama

Hey, my name is Michelle Nyamai from the land of long distance runners, that is, Kenya. I am in my first year studying Electronic Engineering.

Why Electronic Engineering you ask?

Well, simply put, I like to fiddle with things. And I have built quite a reputation for it. Back home, whenever one of my family members, my mother in particular, needs any help fixing and operating devices, I am always the first person she rings up. Even more than that, electronics are everywhere and it is a subject covered in other degrees as well. I wasn't too keen on narrowing down my options to study a specialized degree that involved the use of electronics. I preferred to take a degree that covered a wider field that would allow me options in the industry. Be it in aerospace, computer engineering, telecommunications, manufacturing… the list goes on and on. The most enjoyable part of the course so far has been programming. Most people would think programming is solely Computer Science territory. That’s one thing (among others) I love about our department. The material we learn is designed in such a way that the modules we cover keep us relevant within the volatile electronics industry.

Other than being one of the top institutions in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Sheffield was and still is my university of choice because of its green space. I know, I know, a bit trivial to most but for me it's the sort of place I thrive in. And best of all, a trip to the Peak District is never out of reach. I'd personally recommend a mid morning hike to the Mam Tor. You can thank me later. I believe there needs to be a balance between study and leisure and that was an important consideration when it came to singling out universities. There are tons of parks around like Bolehill which in my opinion has the best view of Sheffield, Parkwood where you can cycle through the woods and even try out the bmx trail and not forgetting Hillsborough Park and Crookes Park which have beautiful ponds. These are just the few I have gone to. There are still a couple more on my bucket list.

Photo: Bolehill Park

When I first came to Sheffield, I didn't know what I was in for but to be fair no one is really ever sure when they make the huge leap to study abroad. What I will say is, if studying abroad is what you want, without anybody else’s influence of course, then you will settle in pretty well. I have, and you will too.