Black Rock and the Derwent Valley

Saturday 23rd March 2019

Eager for another walk in the Peak District I caught a train to Ambergate on the Matlock line for a walk around the Derwent Valley. Coincidentally, on my way to Ambergate I saw a poster at Derby station for Derwent Valley Walks so I immediately downloaded some of these onto my phone and thought I’d follow some that were not too dissimilar to my originally planned route, while Black Rock remained my ultimate goal. Leaving the station I crossed the main road and headed into Shining Cliff Woods where I remember walking ten years ago while on my way to the viewpoint of Alport Height, and twenty years ago right at the start of my walking career. Thanks to the mild winter and early spring I could already see many wild flowers including infant bluebells and ramson, already deliciously smelling of garlic. Slowly I made my way up a byway that became rough underfoot as I climbed but was quite firm thanks to the reduced rain over the last twelve months. Coming off the byway I descended to a pond that looked like it had been dammed in ages past to feed the mills in the Derwent Valley, and from there I climbed steeply through the lovely woodland to reach the Midshires Way on the edge of the wood.

Following this trail I passed through Alderwasley Park with views across the Derwent Valley under hazy, overcast skies that would eventually improve. Further on the path was lined with the small yellow flowers of celandine that brings cheer to my heart and epitomises spring when it is seen growing abundantly in many places. Eventually the trail enters Intake Lane that runs along the side of Cromford Moor, but fields now bar entry onto the moor so I had to stay on the lane until I was near the northern end at a wood that has open access and a path that beckoned me inside. The O.S. map doesn’t show any paths and with the trees preventing easy route-finding I had to pick a path that I hoped was going where I wanted, which was uphill. I was disappointed by the lack of wild flowers on the moor, especially in contrast to the edges of farmer’s fields where celandine and other flowers were shining clearly. Dead bracken and other scrubland vegetation were smothering the ground and prevented anything of interest to grow. Eventually I found my way to Black Rock, which is a place I have wanted to visit for many years.

I passed below these rocks two years ago while on the High Peak Trail and I have memories of being in this area when I was a child, but I had never reached the top. The views were still murky but it was good to have finally reached Black Rock, however this is obviously not the highest point on the moor. I had come off the described Derwent Valley Walk to reach Black Rock and I should have turned back north to resume the trail, but the highest point on the moor is south of Black Rock so I turned my back on the trail and headed across the moor gradually climbing until I reached the top, only to find it surrounded by my worst nightmare: teenagers. Quickly passing by I descended to the edge of the wood and stopped to have my lunch. I was now unsure what to do as I should have turned around and headed back north so I could resume my walk around the Derwent Valley, but that was becoming less appealing. Eventually I decided to turn south onto a bridleway that crosses the southern edge of Cromford Moor and descend steeply into the Derwent Valley at High Peak Junction. I had passed through there at the start of my walk two years ago when nothing was open as it was too early, but now I was able to have a look around and explore.

I could have resumed the Derwent Valley Walk from this point, but since that would involve a lot of hill climbing, including up Bilberry Knott and back down again I elected for the simpler and more relaxing option. Enjoying the warm sunshine that had finally broken through the clouds I slowly followed the Cromford Canal from High Peak Junction along the bottom of the Derwent Valley on a lovely walk with trees lining the bank while my feet passed ramson leaves and primrose flowers with the sun shining overhead. When a train passed me heading down the valley at quarter to two I thought it would be a good idea to follow the canal all the way to Ambergate so I could reach the station in time for the next train an hour later at quarter to three. I didn’t see any point in going anywhere else so I quickened my pace slightly from the gentle stroll I had been doing and followed the deteriorating remains of the Cromford Canal that is no longer navigable, but passes through a delightful green corridor that is immensely peaceful and blissful. This was not the walk that I’d planned, though with hindsight it might have been better if I’d planned a linear walk from Ambergate to Matlock or vice versa. It had always been my plan to walk beside the Cromford Canal on this walk and that delight was clearly the highlight.