Walk Derbyshire
Belper is a lovely little town with many shops, restaurants and a gorgeous cinema. It is situated on the Derwent River and has a vast history. Belper is the birthplace of the factory system. Derwent Valley Mills were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. With Cromford Mill hosting a visitors centre to introduce people to the story of Richard Arkwright, Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright built a water-powered cotton mill in Belper in the late 18th century. The mill is still standing today, however it is no longer used in this industry. Belper is also known for its lovely River Gardens which are worth a visit as they regularly hold brass bands playing at the weekends. In the summer months you can hire a rowing boat and spot the kingfishers. There is a cafe and a play park on site. The walk takes us past Wyver Lane Nature Reserve which also has the Wyver Lane Firing Range wall which you can see within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The Strutt family, who built water-powered cotton mills in Belper from 1776 onwards, used their own militia to protect the mills, in case of visits from mill-wreckers and even invasion, in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1800, a firing range was provided for Belper volunteers on the Chevin Hill – a large wall which can be seen today by walking along the North Lane footpath, accessed from Sunny Hill at Milford or Farnah Green Road. We see some beautiful vista’s, farmland and in the spring months lambs and calves. There is a pub halfway around the walk too so a great place for a swift pint. THE ROUTE You can park for free on Belper Road or until 6pm at night you can park opposite Angelo’s Restaurant. We start the walk on Wyver Lane. Head down with the river on your right. We pass Wyver Lane nature reserve which has a bird hide where you can spot white heron’s if you are fortunate. Follow the lane all the way down until you see a gate – head through the gate or if you are slim enough, the tiny gap. Here we go a slight left onto the grass field and through the gateway. This part of the walk is seemingly always muddy so boots or similar a must. Head up left to the top of the field and over to the right hand side where there is a little cut through. Sometimes there are cows in the top field here but they have never caused us an issue. Head straight up to the stone wall and over the steps to the right. Pause – take in the beautiful view behind you. From here we head left down Whitewells Lane. This is a 60mph limit area and a single track so be careful if you have dogs or children, but it is not busy. This is a fab place to spot lambs in the spring. Follow this all the way till you get to the pub on the corner, The Bulls Head. The pub is closed Monday and Tuesday’s but is open on bank holiday Mondays. After a swift half, head opposite the pub down Belper Lane End. Follow the road all the way up and start to head down the hill. Look out for a footpath sign on the right where they are building new houses. I’m not sure when they will have finished the houses but for now, follow the visible path and we eventually head through a gate on the right. Head left and follow the path. The view here on the right is beautiful too. The path through the fields looks like they head to the gateway but you can’t actually get that way so just look down to the right where you will see a little path going down slightly and between two big old gate posts where you will see a proper path. Follow Shire Road all the way down until you hit the main road. This is a blind bend and as we need to cross the road please take care. We head left onto the pavement and you will follow this down to where you will see the start of the walk. DETAILS Parking: Next to Belper Mill there is a pay and display car park, also opposite Angelo’s Restaurant is a car park you can park in during the day. Pubs: There’s many to choose from, The Bulls Head is half way round the walk, but there are numerous in Belper just a short walk from the finish. Distance: 6.5km 4miles Time: Approx 1.5 Hours Terrain: Quite easy, not too muddy, with a gentle climb through fields. 00
Walk Derbyshire – A Walk Through Upper Lathkill Dale
It was while I put the final bits and pieces to April – Monyash edition and, mentioning in the text that it starts and finishes in Monyash, it struck me that there is another of my favourites also starting from Monyash old market square. It is only a little under four miles, but it leads to one of the Peak District’s prettiest dales, Lathkill Dale. Over the years, this dale has become one of my favourites and can be tacked on to any number of walks radiating from Monyash, such as the one I am about to describe. It is strictly in two halves, an upper and lower along Lathkill Dale, with the upper having the furthest views. This walk like the Monyash/Flagg walk, can form a figure-of-eight, radiating from the market square and back. In total, when combined with April’s walk to Flagg, the combined distance is just under nine miles. Although further than most of my walks published in Country Images, it should be well within the capabilities of the average fit walker on a day when the sun shines and all the wild flowers are in bloom. There are three main features worth adding to the description of features seen along the way. The first is noted soon after leaving Monyash, where Peakland lead mining history can be traced from the records of Monyash Barmote Court. (The late C.H. Millington from Monyash, was the last of Peakland independent miners). The mass of narrow, stone-walled fields indicate that the land hereabouts was being tilled by Saxon settlers long before the Romans came this way, in their insatiable quest for lead. The turning point of the walk is One Ash Grange farm. It was once a monastic outpost, so far from the parent monastery that it was frequently used as a kind of penitentiary for mis-behaving monks. Water was and still is a rare commodity on the limestone uplands. It is partly cured by allowing rain water to be collected in dew ponds, and in man-made duck ponds on top of the clay bearing areas around Monyash. Finally there is the beauty of Lathkill Dale as it winds towards the dale’s upper exit. USEFULINFORMATION: A 3.75 (6km) mile gentle walk on grassy paths with occasional loose stony sections. RECOMMENDED MAP: Outdoor Leisure Sheet 24 1:25000: Scale 1:25000. White Peak Area. PUBLIC TRANSPORT:Bakewell to Monyash Services PARKING:Jack Mere Public Car Park (Free) REFRESHMENTS:Bull’s Head The Old Smithy Café THE WALK The walk starts at Jack Mere Car Park; 100yds round the corner from the Old Smithy Cafe. With the ancient Market Cross on your left, walk towards the staggered cross roads. Cross over the junction and continue ahead. Ignoring side roads, continue forwards with Fere Mere, the largest man made pond on your left. Walk on past mainly fairly modern houses to your left and right, past groups of houses covering the village’s years of development. When the road turns sharp right, go forward on to a cart track, following it towards a series of fields denoted by dry stone walls. Cross their boundaries stone stiles, or through field gates. Notice the dew pond about 60 yards on your right beyond the start of this section. When the cart track makes a sharp left turn cross a stile and go forwards to where a stile ahead in the wall marks the end of the farm track. Using stiles to mark the correct route, follow the path beside the wall, to your left and keep right beside a series of field boundaries until it reaches another dew pond. Keeping to your right of a boundary wall, go towards a series of farm buildings, usually containing spring lambs in the early part of the year. PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP DOGS UNDER TIGHT CONTROL, EVEN THOSE ON LEADS. Keeping to the left of the mainly stone farm buildings, go forwards past an ancient stone pig sty still in excellent state of maintenance. At the end of the last farm building, climb down a flight of stone steps let into the wall. Continue forwards, downhill on a grassy path. The stream in the narrow dale runs down Cales Dale. Do not cross the side stream, but turn left to continue walking downhill to reach a rocky outcrop guarding a rough path down to a footbridge. This is the River Lathkill. It issues from a cave about150 yards on your left. The way is marked by a narrow footpath and this is your route towards the top of Lathkill Dale. Cross a wooden footbridge over the narrow River Lathkill and turn left to continue the walk along a narrow rocky path that will lead to the valley head. Remains of lead mining activity can be found on and around the dale’s tree covered hillsides. Mainly small exploratory holes, there was once a mis-guided attempt to mine for gold lower down the dale. But the major source of any interesting remains can be found clustered around an abandoned aqueduct built to carry water about half a mile along the dale side. A curved wooden bridge reaches the ruins of the mine manager’s cottage. It was built on the east side of the dale and also built to disguise a unique water pump beneath the kitchen. Unfortunately the kitchen floor was not strong enough to bear the weight of the manager’s wife who much to her annoyance disappeared into the depths. The narrow spike of rock spire towering to your right is where the Reverend Robert Lomas, vicar of Monyash fell from his horse to his death in 1776. Amidst the remains of lead mining activity, the section of dale to be walked through has been designated as a Nature Reserve. It seems to specialise in flowers and shrubs that enjoy the conditions found in countryside based on the dry rocky, sun trapping limestone based conditions. Rare flowers only found in these conditions, such as the startling blue Jacob’s Ladder growing in the dry open
Walk Derbyshire – Along Lover’s Walk – Ilam
The popular village and National Trust property of Ilam and its hall, are based on a Saxon settlement, later expanded in Victorian times. In its early days it was where the early Celtic Christian missionary St Bertram baptised his flock, using a well on the slopes of Bunster Hill to the north of the village for that purpose. The Saxon villagers took advantage of the comparative safety offered by the sheltered hollow created by the joining of the rivers Dove and Manifold. In the mid1800s Jesse Watts-Russell a shipping magnate and industrialist, employed the services of the Victorian architect James Trubshaw to replace the Elizabethan mansion and farmhouse with the picturesque Gothic palace with its fairy-tale embellishments. As part of Watts-Russell’s grandiose scheme, the old village, a mixture of cottages hundreds of years-old, he employed George Gilbert Scott to design the alpine style cottages which, complete with their attractive gardens, are a never ending delight for today’s visitors. He is often confused with his ennobled son of the same name, who moved on from designing pretty cottages, to being responsible for grandiose schemes such as the design for the rebuilt House of Commons, Battersea Power Station and Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, along with the now fast disappearing GPO red telephone boxes. Jesse Watts-Russell erected the Eleanor-style cross at the road junction beside the pretty cottages of Ilam village. Meant as a memorial to his first wife unfortunately if historical folk-lore tales are right, she was never popular with his estate workers. Intended as a competitor to the standards of the Earl of Shrewsbury’s estate at Alton Towers, the Watts-Russell family despite the expense and upheaval only lived at Ilam for a couple of generations. Since then the hall had a short life as a country hotel, then having been gifted to the National Trust, it became a popular venue for youth hostellers. Despite the current slimming down of YHA’s property portfolio, Ilam will be one of YHA’s four Peak District hostels, making it an ideal base for school parties and family groups exploring Dove Dale and the surrounding area. While the walk does not visit the popular Dove Dale Stepping Stones and manages to keep well and truly inside the Staffordshire section of the Peak District National Park, it does, however visit the Manifold Valley, the lesser known dale within the south-eastern section of the national park. Not only is the Manifold an attractive dale steeped in history both archaeological and political, it once had a light railway, designed to serve the needs of dairy farms and cheese factories based on the lush pasture offered by the underlying limestone rocks. It is this limestone that gives the Manifold another unique feature, which together with its tributary the Hamps is its most unusual feature. In dry weather long sections of both rivers seem to dry up. This apparent ‘drying up’ is not actually correct, because the rivers still flow, but are underground from near Wetton Mill in the Manifold, emerging rather coyly in dribs and drabs along a section of the Manifold half a mile upstream of Ilam Park and Lover’s Walk. This walk is an ideal way to explore the western bank of the Manifold Valley, well away from crowds flocking to the magnetism of Dove Dale’s Stepping Stones. Climbing the steep by-road winding above the wooded slopes of Hinkley Woods to the tiny hamlet of Blore, a view of the little known Weaver Hills opens to the west, across the Churnet Valley to Alton Tower’s mechanical amusements. The walk, however does not go so far, but turns right and then goes downhill to cross the maybe dry River Manifold in order to join a woodland path, back to Ilam Hall and its ever welcoming tea rooms and the dramatic view of Bunster Hill, guardian along with Thorpe Cloud of the famous Dove Dale Stepping Stones. THE WALK :: THE WALK :: THE WALK :: From Ilam Park National Trust car park, walk with the hall on your right, cross the grassy playing field between the hall and St Bertram’s church. Go down to the river and cross the hump-backed ancient stone bridge. Climb the wooded slope for about fifty or sixty yards, until you reach an open field. Follow the faint path as it curves to the right, uphill until it reaches the unfenced road. Cross over the road and follow a faint path, gently curving, still uphill, past a narrow belt of trees, keeping to their right for about a quarter of a mile until you reach the cross roads outside the tiny village of Blore. Turn right at the cross roads and follow this road for about half a mile until it starts to bend left where there is no enclosing wall on your left. N.B. If using the 1:25,000 scale OS map as an alternative, you will be off the map for a few yards at this point, but the way is clearly marked on the Images map attached to this article, or on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale Landranger map as recommended in the introduction. Turn right just before the bend and follow a grassy path towards, then to right of a small hill topped by a clump of trees (Hazelton Clump). Begin to go downhill towards a larger stretch of woodland on your right (Hinkley Wood), but do not enter. Cross a shallow dip and descend towards Upper Musden Farm. Reaching the farm, but not entering its yard, turn right and go downhill again for about three quarters of a mile. Cross a series of six small fields, following their boundaries by stiles and gates. Go past Musden Grange Farm and then walk through woodland, downhill to a path coming from your right. Turn left on the path and follow it for about 100yards as far as a minor rod. Turn right and follow the road downhill to Rushley Bridge. Pause and look over the side of the bridge and see if
Walk Derbyshire Cromford Meadows & Black Rocks
Cromford owes its birth to Richard Arkwright, founder of the water-driven cotton spinning frame, one of the leading inventions of the Industrial Revolution. Harassed by home-based cotton spinners and weavers in his native Lancashire, in 1771 he opened his first mill, using the convenient power of the nearby River Derwent, close to the Crom Ford, a name that was taken by the factory village he built to accommodate his operatives. Later on he was awarded a knighthood and died an extremely wealthy man – a man who once offered to pay-off Britain’s national debt from what he claimed was ’petty cash’. Developed as aself-contained village, Cromford provided all the amenities necessary for life in what was then a remote corner of Derbyshire. It had every available kind of shop, ranging from the proverbial butcher and baker, to haberdashery and even traditional blacksmiths and leather workers to cater for the day to day needs of the village and surrounding farms. Health problems were also catered for by an early version of the chemist’s dispensary. In order to protect it from unwelcome disturbance, the mill became more like a fortress when viewed from outside; guarded by narrow windows rather like gun-slits, and certainly no windows or unlocked doors were accessible from street level. A reasonably benevolent employer, at least by the standards of the time, Sir Richard as he became, and his later sons, gave Cromford its church and founded a school teaching the basic three r’s. North Street, part way up the hill towards Wirksworth was built to both accommodate textile workers, but also provide space for traditional stocking-frame knitters of the fashionably Derby-ribbed stockings. Stocking frame knitters traditionally required the best possible light for their work. To suit all needs, the knitters worked in specially adapted upper rooms, each house connected to its neighbour by an opening in the adjoining walls. North Street runs roughly east-west, giving opposite sides of the street a fair share of available sunlight, morning and afternoon. As the fame of Arkwright’s invention spread far and wide, studied by visitors from all over Britain and Europe, it became necessary to provide some form of high-class accommodation. His answer was to build what became the Greyhound Inn beside Cromford’s market square. In later years Cromford was linked to the countrywide canal network, when a branch of the Trent and Mersey Canal reached the village. There was also an ill-fated attempt to take this canal over the limestone moors to Whaley Bridge, but lack of a reliable water supply doomed the plan. However, by using canal engineering techniques in the design, one of the earliest railways connected the Derwent Valley to Manchester, the leading light of the burgeoning cotton empires. This walk starts by exploring the narrow back streets of Cromford, before climbing across flower-filled meadows to reach the first of the inclines lifting the railway high above the surrounding countryside. Dominated by Black Rocks, a rugged gritstone outcrop above Sheep Pasture Incline, which is the first section of the High Peak Railway, connects it to the Midland Main Line. The path across Cromford Meadows follows part of High Peak Trail and also the Midshires Way long distance path. Hereabouts, our path route goes under Sheep Pasture Incline about half way between High Peak Junction and the stone tower that once held the first of the series of winding engines along the High Peak Railway. A forest track is followed across the wooded hillside as far as a footpath junction off to the right. This is followed as far as another path junction where a right turn leads to delightfully named Wigwellnook Farm. Its access drive is followed beyond the farm, down to a minor road with wide ranging views. A right turn here for a couple of hundred yards or so, reaches a footpath climbing to the right, up into woods surrounding the gritstone outcrop of Black Rocks. Here a nature trail is followed, winding below the crags and down to the car park for a section of the High Peak Line. A path on the opposite side of the car park drops down to the Cromford to Wirksworth road where a right turn leads back into Cromford. THE WALK :: THE WALK :: THE WALK :: The walk starts and finishes opposite the Greyhound Inn beside Cromford Market Place. It is easily reached from the canal terminus wharf car park beyond Arkwright’s Mill. Walk up the Cromford Hill road as if heading towards Wirksworth, heading for North Street. Wander the twisting route of the head of a series of streets, always avoiding the main road and its traffic. Continue as far as Baker’s Lane and turn left, following the lane to its end. Leave the lane and join a field path crossing the broad grassy slopes of Cromford Meadows. Pause now and then to admire the views along the Derwent Valley. Sir Richard Arkwright’s Willersley Castle stands proudly at the foot of a limestone crag. He had had it built for his retirement, but unfortunately it was badly damaged by fire and he died of old age before it was completed. High Tor stands proudly near the head of the gorge and the Heights of Abraham are opposite – you can reach it by cable car from the bottom station close to Matlock Bath Station on the Derby/Matlock railway line. Ignoring any side paths to the left or right, go forwards towards the High Peak Railway’s Sheepwash incline. The line was opened in 1831 and the winding house is just about visible at the top of the incline to your right. Follow the path, going under the incline and then out into mature pine woods. Climb for about 150 yds up to a forest drive and turn left along it. After roughly a quarter of a mile look out for footpaths on either side of the drive. Turn right on to the uphill path. Walk as far as a crossing of two paths
Walk Derbyshire – Exploring Shipley Country Park
In 1086 when Duke William of Normandy’s monks were compiling the Domesday Book in order to record the value or otherwise, of the conquerors’ ‘new country’, in listing the wealth of lands in the north Midlands, they recorded details of a section of countryside close to what is now called Ilkeston which was a private hunting estate owned by the king. This became part of Shipley Park, land that was to enhance the wealth of subsequent owners down the succeeding centuries. This wealth came, not from hunting in the nearby forest, but from below ground covering large amounts of high quality coal, discovered and exploited from the sixteenth century and onwards.. The major benefactors of this wealth creating coal were the Miller-Mundeys, a nearby industrial-based family, who chose to live close to their collieries, giving them direct hands on control of their interests. They lived in a then comparatively small farm house and by using their growing wealth, in the eighteenth century, managed to build the first version of Shipley Hall, designed to stand proudly at the centre of their estate. In 1765 the Miller-Mundy family acquired the ownership of Shipley Colliery, developing its increased production by opening the Nutbrook Canal in order to move coal to fuel more rapidly to the burgeoning mills and factories of the Industrial Revolution. This canal, subsequently replaced by rail traffic, ran down to the Erewash Canal and then joined the Trent and Mersey Canal for onward transmission through the industrial Midlands. All that is left of the Nutbrook Canal is the name of a walking and riding trail that passes the delightfully named Swan Lake where, until the local council in its wisdom forced the closure of the entrepreneurial well-run mobile café, at one time the popular stopping place for lovers of the outdoors and all that it has to offer. With their steadily growing wealth, in 1799 the Miller-Mundy’s expanded their estate by building a palatial new house and farm buildings, alongside a water tower, the whole ensemble together with its Italianate pergola was designed by William Linley, a fashionable Doncaster based architect. Following the custom of grand house builders of the time, attractive flower gardens, set amidst semi-natural woodland running downhill from a mansion set on a slight rise. Due to subsequent mining operations, all that is left of this semi-regal splendour is the outline ground plan of the house, a few outbuildings and a lodge; together with the remains of gardens, now tended by the local council’s gardeners. Shipley Country Park, together with the grounds of Shipley Hall are open to the public and well worth spending time in their midst, especially in summer when all the carefully tended bedding plants are in full bloom. In 1887 scandal overtook the placid pace of life at the hall, when Ellen, the wife of Captain Miller-Mundy, ran off with the nineteen year-old Earl of Shrewsbury, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot. The elopement doesn’t appear to have upset Captain Miller-Mundy over much. On his death the house and colliery interests were held briefly by his descendants. The house and coalmining interests were sold to Shipley Colliery Company in 1922. The main purpose of the sale was to enable the new owners to extend their mine beneath the hall. Regrettably this led to pollution of local water courses and subsidence within the hall’s structure. In 1948 the now decrepit hall and surrounding estate were sold to the National Coal Board. With this state ownership, the surrounding farmland and nearby woods were restored, giving nature a chance to reclaim what was once its own. This policy has continued and as a result wildlife has colonised the ponds and surrounding woodlands. Derbyshire County Council took on the ownership of Shipley Estate in 1980, using the land to create the short-lived American Experience Adventure Park, surrounding Shipley Lake. Now only waterfowl enjoy the amenities where children once took advantage of the exciting rides. Part of the land has been built over for housing, but the rest and larger part of the once thriving colliery estate is open for walkers, cyclists and bird watcher’s enjoyment. The walk described below starts and finishes at the Visitor Centre, which is accessed by a side road from nearby Heanor. It then follows three medium sized ponds down to the head of Nutbrook Trail where a short section of path leads over a small wooded rise towards the ruins of Shipley Hall and its gardens. The hall drive is then followed by a field track, crossing the Heanor to Mapperley lane before turning right on to a side path across a couple of fields, back to the Visitor Centre and the chance of refreshment. USEFUL INFORMATION: A short easy walk of 2½miles (4km) on easy, well-made paths and tracks across gently undulating farmland and through deciduous woodland. The paths and tracks are mainly suitable for push chairs and similar. RECOMMENDED MAP: 1; 25,000 scale Ordnance Survey Explorer Map; Sheet 260, Nottingham & Vale of Belvoir. PARKING:Close to the Visitor Centre (pay & display), at the end of the access road into Shipley Country Park. PUBLIC TRANSPORT:Frequent buses to Heanor from Nottingham and Derby. REFRESHMENTS:Visitor Centre at the start of the walk. Also pubs and cafes in nearby Heanor. The Walk :: The Walk :: The Walk :: Following road signs into Shipley Country Park, drive along the side road from Heanor towards the start of the walk, which is next to the Visitor Centre. Turn left, away from the car park and walk down to a surfaced track following the route of an abandoned colliery railway. Turn right and walk along the track. Cross a narrow side road and then turn right on this for about three quarters of a mile until it reaches two narrow ponds. At the end of the second pond, turn right at a track junction and walk slightly downhill, and then up, through mature deciduous woodland for about a quarter of a mile until the track reaches the ruins and
Places Pevsner Forgot – Hardstoft & Astwith
Hardstoft and Astwith lie atop a pair of west-east ridges, with the Dawley stream rising in between and running down to the Doe Lea, above which towers Hardwick old and new halls, which visually dominate both hamlets from the east. We first made the acquaintance of Hardstoft around 1980, when, with my colleague Mick Stanley and his wife, we were moving about the county looking at the country houses whilst preparing the first edition of The Derbyshire Country House. After visiting Newton Old Hall at Tibshelf, we headed north but needing lunch, stopped at the Shoulder of Mutton, Hardstoft, which lies at the end of a row of 18th century cottages on Deep Lane, leading off the B6039 towards the heart of the hamlet. Then, the pub was a fairly run-of-the mill local one, and if Pevsner saw it in 1951 he perhaps did not require a pint and a sandwich and pushed on in blissful ignorance of the delights of the invisible settlement, in which case he missed a treat, albeit a gentle, unassuming, one. Yet it is not without interest, as there are two listed buildings in Hardstoft and one in the adjacent but far more sequestered hamlet of Astwith. The name commemorates one of those Norse settlers of the ninth century whose name is found nowhere else in the annals of the English Danelaw for it means ‘Hjǫrtr’s farmstead’, in contrast to Astwith, which is also a Norse derived name but means merely ‘east clearing’. Both are part of the parish and manor of Ault Hucknall, held by Steinulf of Calow under Norman grandee Roger de Poitou in Domesday Book (1086) and, from the 16th century, if not before, were long part of the Hardwick Hall estate. Indeed, when the late Duke of Devonshire gave Hardwick to the National Trust in 1950, the Chatsworth estate quite probably retained the working part of the estate, less whatever the Trust required as an endowment. So much for history: we started at the pub which, we were amused to see, had dumbed down its name to The Shoulder, which, let’s face it, sounds more like a painting by Salvador Dali – odd, even in the context of pub names. It is the end element of a row of three 18th century double fronted estate cottages built, like most houses in the two hamlets, of Coal Measures Sandstone, but with most engaging paired chimneystacks with chamfered angles in 18th century brick – no doubt a conceit of the Hardwick estate foreman of the time. We were able to trace the inn back to the 1820s, but it may well have flourished before that. From the early 19th century until the First World War, it was run by the Clay family, several of which were called Sampson; after the war the Tagg family took over for a couple of decades at least. Nevertheless, it was pleasant within and welcoming, and our modest requirements were met with creditable aplomb. We then set off along Deep Lane, which runs from the main road towards the heart of the settlement but turned off right along Farm Lane, a tributary running off it, parallel to the main road and behind the inn with its attendant buildings. At its south end this afforded excellent views south to Biggin Lane and over a declivity in which stood a white painted former farmhouse called Whitton Lodge, about which we were able to discover little other than it is now a roomy holiday let. It boasted a good cartshed or barn, now converted. A much more unspoilt seventeenth century farmhouse lay on the east side of the lane with Hardwick Old Hall across the valley seeming almost within touching distance. The fenestration had been modernised, but otherwise it was charming and largely original; how it escaped listing we couldn’t work out. Further east, on Deep Lane, The Green presented us with a group of engaging stone houses and farms with a neat row of cottages bookended between two of them. Slightly north, was The Yews (alternatively Yew Tree Farm), another farmhouse, one of Hardstoft’s listed buildings, under restoration and empty when we saw it. Historic England reckons it’s mid-18th century, but we reckoned that, with its paired mullioned lights and elegant simplicity it could be late 17th century with an extension to the east. It was probably amongst the buildings on The Green that much of the working life of the hamlet took place, for in 1827 one William Haslam is listed as a gunsmith there and a succession of William Halsams continued the tradition of white-smithing into the 20th century and latterly as ‘hot water engineers.’ Indeed, George Haslam was still pursuing this trade in 1928. There was also a shoe and boot maker, estate gamekeeper and, on the main road further north, the New Inn (a beerhouse long closed) and a school. One of the most notable craftsmen to have graced Hardstoft was Joseph Kirk (1681-1735) who made exceptionally fine clocks, including one at Hardwick and another in a chinoiserie lacquered case. He seems at first to have been based here, but later signed clocks from Nottingham (eg. that in Derby Museum’s Prince Charlie Room) and latterly from Skegby, where his London-trained father, John, had also lived latterly, where he died. A Kirk clock made in Skegby was sold from Chatsworth a decade or so ago, and he also made the stable clock there which survived to be transferred into James Paine’s new, bravura, structure in the 1750s. The old directories mention that the Wesleyan Methodists once had a chapel here, although we couldn’t work out which building it had occupied, but the school, founded as a Church of England School in 1858 (and so dated) lies on the main road between Deep Lane and Astwith Lane. Built of hand-made brick and stone dressings, it has a steep gabled portico with the date, and a bell turret. This pretty little building with its iron railing, long derelict,
Walk Derbyshire – Around Kedleston, Woods & Parkland
Opening my latest copy of WALK DERBYSHIRE the seventh no less, I realised that the first walk in the guide took in much of Kedleston’s parkland, but less than half of its beautiful woods and plantations. As enjoyable as the walk maybe, it would be a great pity to exclude the extensive woodlands covering North Park and Hay Wood just across the ponds in front of the hall. A signposted path starting near North Lodge on the back road from Derby, winds its way in and out of woodlands. This is where mature oaks have grown for so long that the Ordnance Survey has confidently marked them on its maps covering the area between Quarndon and Kedleston. Starting from the National Trust car park to the rear of Kedleston Hall, at first the walk follows the hall’s access drive, round the front of the hall, and then down to the graceful bridge designed by Robert Adam to make a perfect foil for the view of the hall built to architect Paine’s plans. A long stretch of narrow lakes created by damming Blind Brook reach out on either side of the bridge, with the drive continuing, past a golf course before joining the main road at North Lodge, the main entrance to Kedleston Park. A path starting on the edge of woodland enclosing North Lodge, bears left along the edge of the wood before swinging left to follow the boundary of Bracken Wood. A narrow belt of trees shelter a side track which is crossed, (it leads to the estate‘s saw mill). On the far side of the track, the path continues, slightly uphill through Hay Wood for about three quarters of a mile in order to reach the head of the long line of narrow ponds. At this point the walk ignores a footbridge and bears left along the side of Upper Lake, where a seat offers both a resting place and a view opposite an attractive old boat house. Continuing beside the ponds, the bankside path reaches the Adam Bridge, and then crossing it to continue along the opposite side of the lower pond, as far as woodland sheltering the park. Entering Shady Oaks Wood, the way continues through what has been called Derby Screen and then winds its way upwards towards Vicar Wood with its attractively screened views of the south side of Kedleston Hall, continuing above its Pleasure Grounds where the privileged once took their ease. From here the path continues all the way back to the car park. Kedleston is one of the oldest stately homes in Derbyshire. Its founding was created by generations of Curzons who began to build in 1215, but only the Norman-style doorway into the church remains from that time. Loyal to King Charles 1st, John Curzon still managed to be made a baron. Under the family name of Scarsdale, the first Lord Scarsdale set about building what we see today after his elevation in 1761. Paine a prominent eighteenth century architect was employed to design the exterior and general layout of the rooms, and Robert Adam for the interior. In the manner of the time Lord Curzon had the old village of Kedleston moved away from the hall, only leaving the church door in memory of the old settlement. George Nathanial Curzon is the most distinguished member of the Curzons. He is best known as the Viceroy of India where he acquired many fabulous treasures such as the silver and ivory howdah and Lady Curzon’s fabulous Peacock Dress embellished with thousands of glittering beetle wings. It was designed for a special durbar held at Delhi in honour of the Viceroy. Normally these treasures are on display in the hall, but currently the National Trust has removed them for restoration. Lord Curzon was a keen supporter of the National Trust – he even bought an ancient castle in Sussex just to please his wife. Time should be allowed on this walk, in order to visit the magnificent stately home, one of Derbyshire’s finest. Please note that the museum is temporarily closed while many of its treasures, including the Peacock Dress, are being restored. USEFUL INFORMATION: A 5½mile (8.8km) of easy woodland and riverside walk on well-maintained paths. Chance of muddy sections around Vicar Wood after heavy rain. RECOMMENDED MAP: Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 scale, Landranger Sheet 128: Derby and Burton upon Trent. The National Trust also have a free map of Kedleston Park’s walks available at the Visitor Centre near the main car park. This walk combines parts of two of them. PARKING: Next to the Visitor Centre. National Trust members have free parking and entry into the hall, ACCESS: Minor side roads from Belper or Derby via Mackworth are signposted ‘To Kedleston’. REFRESHMENTS: National Trust café in Kedleston Hall close to the car park and Visitor Centre. THE WALK STEP BY STEP From the car park walk back towards the hall and then bear left down its access drive. Go past Bentley’s well in its surrounding iron fence, the last remnant of a failed attempt to create a fashionable spa at Kedleston. Cross the attractive bridge and admire the views up and downstream, plus the great hall topping the gently rising grassland grazed by the estate’s sheep. Walk on down the drive, with the estate golf course on your right – please note there is no access to the golf course, however tempting it might look. Within sight of the North Lodge entrance to Kedleston, look out for a footpath on the left, following the boundary of a small wood. Keeping with the path, bear left and leave the wooded boundary to cross an open field. Continue as far as a second wood and, on reaching it, turn left along its edge. Cross a minor side track and go forwards into Hay Wood. A reasonably straight path continues forward for about a quarter of a mile in order to reach the northern bank of the upper pond. Do
Walk Derbyshire – Historic Deepdale – A walk back into history
Deepdale you may ask, for the name doesn’t appear on any Ordnance Survey map? Now better known as Dale Abbey, the village was once called Depedale, then Deepdale and eventually the modern name, Dale Abbey in remembrance of the abbey that flourished here from 1162 until Henry VIII’s quarrel with Rome in 1536. A lonely stone arch that once framed a glorious east widow, is all that is left of a Premonstratensian abbey taken over from Augustinian monks who came to this spot from Calke Abbey in 1162. They managed to begin building, but lack of funds led to the work being transferred in 1204 to an off-shoot of the wealthier Premonstratensian French foundation based in Lincolnshire. Small by monastic standards, their work led to the draining of surrounding boggy land and the expansion of farming began alongside iron production using raw materials dug from the local countryside. All went well until the Dissolution when the governing abbot managed to stave off the abbey’s closure by payment of a fine. Unfortunately this was wishful thinking and gradually the abbey fell into disuse. Stones from the abandoned abbey found its way into the walls of surrounding cottages and local churches. It is still possible to trace the use of these stones in some of Dale Abbey village’s older houses. The best example is in a cottage close to the village green. Its foundations and the lower walls support attractive half-timbered main walls. Apart from the lonely arch of the east window, a section of the abbey, in this case part of the kitchen, has been incorporated within a cottage close to the field containing the grassed over remains of the rest of the abbey. Unlike other and more extensive monastic relics, the abbey ruins stand on private land, but permission to get closer to the ruins is usually given by the owner of the nearby cottage. Carved stones discovered by occasional excavations are stored in the shed situated in the bottom corner of the site. A short distance along the road leading from the abbey, there stands what is probably one of, if not the most unique churches in the land. Tiny All Saints the Grade I Listed Parish Church is thought to be part of the abbey infirmary, where the local sick and infirm were cared for. It is a strange combination of house and church all under the same roof. The two-roomed half-timbered medieval house used by the verger, was improved in the nineteenth century, but the church is almost untouched. A mere twenty-six feet by twenty-five feet, inside it is a wonderful jumble of props and posts, all set at strange angles; the oak pulpit leans sideways due to the passage of over 300 years since it was made and the only space for worshippers is in one of the 17th century box-pews. But the oddest seating arrangement is on the massive, uncomfortable-looking chair donated in 1824 by an Earl Stanhope who fell in love with the idiosyncratic church. Despite its discomfort, it became known as the Bishop’ Chair, although it is doubtful if one ever sat there. By strange chance the tiniest church in the land, produced one of the largest chalices. Made in 1701, it measures 9 inches high and 15 inches round. The 15th century font is here with worn carvings of the Madonna and Child and the Crucifixion; fragments of coloured glass rescued from the abbey and the remains of wall paintings reward a careful search. A path winds away from the church around the back of a modern house, then on and into Hermit’s Wood. It covers an escarpment composed of easily worked red sandstone. This was used to full advantage by the man who built his home and hermit’s cell, and became known in myth and legend simply as ‘Thomas the hermit’ of Depedale. Before cutting himself off from society, he lived in Derby where in the early thirteenth century, he carried out his profession as a baker. A kind hearted man, he frequently gave away his bread to many who were unable to pay for his produce. One day he had a vision of setting himself apart from the rest of his fellow tradesmen. A few years before building work began on the nearby abbey, somehow or other he was drawn to the spot where easily worked red sandstone lined the edge of a wooded escarpment. Here he carved out a series of rooms for himself and his animals, welcoming passers-by who knelt with him in prayer. Even now it is easy to seek comfort in his hideaway. As the rock was so easy to work he managed to fit a door and two windows to keep out the draft on cold days. He even made a kind of lean-to conservatory, supported by planks set into post holes that still survive. Thomas the Hermit even had a benefactor, Ralph Fitz Geremund, who came across the hermit while out on a hunting trip. Industry developed over time, first mining ironstone and coal, industry that lead to the founding of the Stanton Ironworks. Narrow gauge railways, some of which are covered on this walk, criss-cross the fields between Dale Abbey and Kirk Hallam. There are also traces of small-scale foundries, such as at Furnace Pond Farm beyond Hermit’s Wood; it is likely the name comes from a nearby pond used to provide power for bellows used to melt iron ore in the production of iron. THE WALK STEP BY STEP From Pioneer Meadows car park, turn left along the curving road around the limits of Kirk Hallam, going past houses for about a quarter of a mile. Look out for a footpath sign on your left pointing to Dale Abbey. Follow field boundaries across four fields, passing well to the right of Ladywood Farm. Cross a deep gulley by means of a footbridge and, bearing very slightly left, cross the field beyond the gulley. In the far corner
Walk Derbyshire – The Roaches
As a few members of my brood have a nought at the end of their birthdates this year, we decided to celebrate by holding a family get-together. The venue decided upon was the Mermaid Inn, an old drovers’ pub high on Morridge Ridge above Leek. Due to the change in drinking habits following the ‘drink/drive’ regulations, the pub was fast losing its traditional clientele and either had to close, or change to something better than simply being a supplier of alcoholic drinks. The scheme a developer came up with was to improve the place by changing it into a high class self-service guest house, something that was perfect to our requirements as it easily covered the demands of a family group whose ages ranged from a few months to ninety. By some miracle of organisation, everyone was free for the chosen weekend and travelled safely from points north, south, east and west without too much difficulty. The Mermaid by the way, takes its name from a nearby moorland pool, the haunt of a mermaid who is supposed to snare unwary travellers. Overlooking the head waters of the River Trent’s highest tributaries and on high ground opposite the long ridge known as the Roaches, it makes an ideal base for anyone wishing to explore both the Roaches and Dane Valley as well as the little known areas above the headwaters of the Manifold Valley. It was the Roaches which attracted me most strongly. As an area I have neglected as of late, I decided to take time off and re-explore this long sinuous arm of gritstone, the last fling of that rough stone marking the southern end of the Pennines. The name ‘Roaches’ is supposed to have been conjured up by French monks based on their now ruined Dieulacress Cistercian Abbey to the south of Tittesworth Reservoir. One can imagine that when asked about the name of the line of rocks cresting the skyline at the valley’s head, the questioned monk would simply give a Gallick shrug and maybe said ‘we call them les Rochers’ – the Rocks. As a result and over the years the name stuck, and became anglicised to Roaches. The Roaches offer some of the finest gritstone climbs in the Peak District. This is where many of the top Manchester climbers such as Joe Brown and Don Whillans first developed their skills. Routes of everyday standard can also be found on these crags, along with those that might seem to a novice, as appearing to require the most acrobatic moves. Originally the whole area was private land where animals such as wallabies and a single yack once roamed. Nowadays we have free access to the moors and rocks, which this walk enjoys to the full. During its early stages, the walk passes past an attractive cottage tucked into the lower tier of rocks lining this long gritstone ridge. Called Rockhall Cottage, it is now a comfortable climbers’ hut, but was inhabited until his death a decade or so ago, by the self-styled ‘King of the Roaches’. A constant harrier of walkers and climbers alike, he scoured the local moors for bog oak and other firewood to keep him and his ailing wife warm. The walk starts from roadside parking beneath the sharp peak of Hen Cloud to the south east. It then follows an elongated figure of eight route along the ridge crest as far as the Dane Valley, before returning by the road winding along the foot of the Roaches, and also allowing the tiring walker to enjoy far ranging views across the North Staffordshire Plain; on a clear day it is possible to see as far as the outliers of Snowdonia. Other interesting views will be of Shutlingsloe, Cheshire’s Matterhorn and to the west above Rudyard Lake is The Cloud where because of the mountain’s conical shape, the sun appears to set twice around mid-summer. Another pond, Doxey Pool where another water-sprite is supposed to live, is passed during the walk: strangely the pool does not appear to have any entry or exit, yet it never overflows. At the walk’s turning point in the wooded Dane Valley, the main feature apart from the scenery, is Lud’s Church, a natural ravine cutting deeply into the rocky hillside. This is where Walter de Ludbank, a follower of Wycliffe held dissenting religious services in the 14th century. A more recent legend links the cave with the medieval poem to ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’. If this is correct, then it was upon this spot that King Arthur’s champion met and fought the Green Knight. THE WALK – STEP BY STEP Either take the courtesy bus along the foot of the Roaches, or park in a convenient lay-by along the road. Go through the narrow stone stile on your right of the road to follow the signposted path climbing upwards to the col between Hen Cloud and the Roaches. Walk past Rockhall Cottage and as far as the first rocks on your left. Turn left and scramble through the rocks lining the crag’s upper tier. Turn left at the top and follow the ridge crest. Continue along the airy ridge for around three miles. Go past the mysterious tiny pool where the sprite called Doxey is said to reside. Cross the road where it cuts through the gap at the end of the Roaches. On the far side of the gap, turn right along an access track for about 50yards and then go to the left through a narrow stile, continuing downhill over the rough moor by following the direction of a line of yellow waymark arrows. Use the boundary wall to continue along the way, by keeping it on your right. Follow the heather-clad moorland path for about a mile, then go down into the Dane Valley. Approaching the densest part of the tree-line, turn left away from a more distinct path joining from your right. Continue to follow the pine wood’s upper edge for
Walk Derbyshire – Where Izaak Walton Fished – Hartington
Izaak Walton, seventeenth century author of ‘The Campleat (sic) Angler – The Contemplative Man’s Recreation’ would have been familiar with at least half of this walk. The Dove was one of his favourite places to cast a fly, along with his younger friend, the impecunious Hartington landowner, Charles Cotton. They regularly fished the river’s clear waters, mostly below Hartington, especially favouring the quiet pool opposite Cotton’s home at Beresford Hall. This quiet spot they named Pike Pool in acknowledgement of a monster pike that traditionally lay in wait beneath the shadow of the tall pillar, or spike of rock rising from the deepest and shadiest part of the pool. In the treatise, Walton calls himself VENATOR (traveller) and Cotton is known as PISCATOR (angler). Charles Cotton had a fishing temple built as a resting place for them, it still stands behind a high stone wall in the grounds of now demolished Beresford Hall, but being on private land the only time to catch a glimpse of it is in winter when the surrounding trees are bare. The Dove flows through two accessible dales below Hartington which are followed on this walk. Named in some far off time, these are Beresford and Wolfscote Dales, just waiting to be explored after the walker climbs down through comparatively dry Biggin Dale on the way back to Hartington. Leaving the riverside path and following a short walk across fields beyond the head of Beresford Dale that would have been familiar to the two angling friends, the village is reached after a mere fifty yards of road walking. Hartington has long been a busy village. A market place for locals until a few decades ago, but now the only agricultural industry is the delicious Stilton cheese, made in one of only a handful of places allowed to call the product of its dairy, Stilton cheese. A small converted cottage beside the lane down to the dairy now serves as a shop selling this and other locally made cheeses. The closest the village comes to running a market is on one of the annual events organised locally. Ancient Britons would have known the rich valley land on either side of Hartington and it is believed they fought Roman legionaries on nearby Hartington Moor, perhaps in a dispute over the Roman plan to build their road from Derventio, Derby to Aquae Arnemetiae, their spa which still produces warm water in present day Buxton. Many great and famous personalities have either lived or stayed briefly in and around the village. Literary giants and philosophers, such as Doctor Johnson, fully enjoyed the delights of the shady dale, still unchanged thanks mainly to the care given by the Peak District National Park Authority, or the National Trust, an organisation that owns many sections of the dale, mainly acquired through the generosity of donors. While the walk passes through these three secluded dales and over lush meadows, it runs close to Biggin, one of the least known villages in the Peak District. It is hard to believe that during World War 2, there was a large POW camp close to the village on land now used for sheep auctions. A degree of freedom was offered to trustworthy prisoners who worked on surrounding farms, many of them later recalling their affection towards the Peak District countryside. Hartington Hall, a Jacobean manor house at least 300 years old is now a high standard youth hostel, very much in keeping with a resting place where Bonnie Prince Charlie is said to have stayed on his abortive march on London, a march strangely abandoned for little or no reason at Derby. Useful Information A moderate 5 miles (8km) walk across fields, followed by two dales alongside a famous trout stream, beyond a short walk through a dry dale famous for its semi-alpine flowers every summer. Recommended Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer map, Sheet OL24, 1:25000 scale; White Peak Area. Public Transport: buses from Ashbourne and Buxton. Car Parking: Market Square (free), or pay and display in the car park next to the road towards the Manifold Valley. Refreshments: Two pubs in centre of village and a scattering of small cafés and shops around the market place. Refreshments can also be bought at the youth hostel. Directions From the market place follow the road eastwards, past shops and a café until it reaches a side road marked by a small war memorial commemorating the village dead in two World Wars. Turn right here and walk up the steep hill. Follow the road, uphill to the youth hostel, then turn right opposite its garden gates, into a walled un-surfaced track heading towards fields stocked with grazing cattle. At the end of the lane, go over a stone stile, then turn half right to cross two fields by an indistinct path – aim towards a clump of trees ahead next to a minor road. There are many interesting views both near and distant to be enjoyed as you walk across the elevated open fields. The prominent rise to the south west beyond the cleft marking Dovedale is Ecton Hill above the Manifold Valley, a one-time valuable source of copper, zinc and lead ore deposits. It is said that a Duke of Devonshire in the eighteenth century was able to use the profits from the mine to build the Devonshire Royal Hospital and its dome. Cross the stile beside the trees and turn left along the narrow metalled lane as far as a cross roads. Continue ahead on a rough cart track. Pass a well-made stone barn, then leave the walled track at a gate to walk downhill on an open path into Biggin Dale. Turn right and walk along the rocky dale bottom. Join the main dale as you pass a high limestone crag where harebells and other semi-alpine plants bloom in early summer. Turn right on to a rocky path and walk upstream beside the River Dove. The path fills a narrow ledge between the riverbank and
