Description: Bradwell (or Bradda as it is known) is one of the few villages of this area which does not seem to be totally preoccupied with the tourist industry, perhaps because the village has a significant amount of local industry - with an engineering works in the lower part of the village and the Blue Circle cement works a short distance over to the west. Like many other villages of the area, Bradwell was once an important centre for lead-mining (the 'Bradda Beaver' hat was universally worn in the lead mines in the 19th century) and the moor above the village is scarred by the remains of many mines, some of which are now being worked for Fluorspar. The discreet charms of Bradwell are fairly well hidden from the average passer-by, for the main part of the village clings to a steep hillside above the main road and can hardly be seen. The centre of the village, which lies above the brook just south of the main road, is a rabbit-warren of tiny cottages and narrow lanes with picturesque names like Soft Water Lane, Hungry Lane and Hollowgate. From here the houses spread right up the hillside, from where there are fine views across the Hope Valley. Though most of the village dates from the lead-mining era, Bradwell has a long history - the narrow street called Smalldale follows the line of the Roman road between Brough and Buxton. A Saxon earthwork called the Grey Ditch runs from Bradwell Edge to Micklow Hill near the New Bath Hotel, where there is a thermal spring and the remains of a Roman Bath were found (information from www.cressbrook.co.uk).