A Derwent Valley Round

Saturday 9th April 2022

Spring last year I caught a train to the town of Matlock, just outside the Peak District to do a walk around the valley just to the south of the town. My guide for this walk came from the Derbyshire County Council website where leaflets can be found on walks in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The third leaflet describes four walks between Cromford and Matlock, but since they are each no more than three miles long I linked some of them together to create a fantastic walk through some stunning scenery and past some gorgeous woodland vegetation. On reaching the railway station in Matlock I started to climb out of the town initially on the route of the Limestone Way, but soon branched off to head south keeping the Derwent Valley to my left. It wasn’t long before I was enveloped by trees with a gorgeous covering of woodland flowers at my feet while limestone cliffs lined the hillside. Bluebells had already begun to appear and I enthusiastically took in the sight of this wonderful flower while trying to not ignore the celandines and wood anemones that were glowing at the peak of their season. A magical path led me through this delight above the noise of the vehicles on the A6 road at the bottom of the valley, but I had eyes only on the wildflowers that covered the woodland floor.

The path led me across the hillside below Shining Cliff and onto a lane that provides access to Masson Farm which the leaflet directed me to pass close by, but I wanted to stay on the edge of the valley so at a junction I turned left to head below the cable car for the Heights of Abraham. Soon I emerged onto the narrow, steep streets above Matlock Bath, which I negotiated until I came upon a path that climbed steeply up the hillside through banks covered in wood anemones and past old mine workings. At the top of the path I turned left to head slowly back down the hill through woodland covered in dog’s mercury and finally reached the road on the outskirts of Cromford. Although I was now back on the route of my guidebook, I ignored it again to continue heading south, however initially I headed west through a delightful valley that was only partly marred by the Via Gellia Road that runs through the middle of it. Eventually I started to climb steeply through Slinter Wood emerging on the edge of some quarry workings. A path took me around the hillside and through fields that were part of a nature reserve and provided me with a beautiful display of wildflowers, especially celandines, and stunning views down into the valley, but all too soon I came upon the entrance to a large Quarry.

My objective was to visit Black Rocks, but first I had to walk alongside the B5036 road until I reached a wood on the left that provided me with a direct route up to the car park for Black Rocks with the High Peak Trail running past it. I walked along this old railway line in 2017, but failed to visit the actual Black Rock. Two years later I did a walk inspired by the second leaflet available from the Derbyshire County Council website and visited the summit that overlooks the Black Rock but again I failed to visit the actual weathered outcrop. Therefore, I now eagerly made my way up the steep, stony slope where the huge rock dominated my view under clear blue skies. I was mesmerised and kicking myself for not having properly visited Black Rocks earlier. Slowly, I climbed the hillside below the outcrop, in awe of the view up to the rock, and then after walking past and around it, I climbed onto the top of the rock to admire the stunning views. Cromford and the Derwent Valley looked amazing, but the open quarries to the left rather spoilt the view, so I tried to focus on the valley and ignore the scars. Eventually I tore myself away from the views and continued the climb behind up the hillside until eventually I reached the edge of Cromford Moor where I had walked in 2019, though in overcast weather.

After eating my lunch I slowly made my way down the hillside eventually dropping onto the High Peak Trail and steeply down to reach Highpeak Junction where the old railway connected with the canal and existing railway. Now I crossed the valley, over the River Derwent, and up into Bow Wood whose floor was not as colourful as I had found on the western bank of the valley earlier in the walk. On reaching Hearthstone Lane I followed this old track back onto the route of the council leaflet through less interesting, more open terrain, with Riber Castle now slowly beginning to dominate the view ahead of me. As the skies overhead began to thicken I stuck to my guidebook, walking along Hearthstone Lane before branching off towards the picturesque village of Riber and then steeply down the hill, below the castle, and through the village of Starkholmes. Dark clouds were now overhead and Matlock Bath was ahead of me, but to my right were the steep slopes of High Tor whose ascent I could not resist despite the heavy rain that began to fall just as I started. The rain was short-lived and by the time I reached the top the sun had come out although everywhere was now wet from the drenching.

From the precipitous cliffs at the top of High Tor I had stunning views across the Derwent Valley, although the bottom of the valley was hidden far below. With my mind on the time of the next train, I quickly made my way down the hill, around Pic Tor, which I would have loved to have visited, but I didn’t have the time, and through Hall Leys Park back to the railway station. This was an amazing walk that stayed in my memory for many months afterwards. The weather for most of the day was brilliant but the highlight of the walk, without doubt, was the woodland flowers in the woodland on the western bank of the valley. These short-lived displays each year are always eagerly appreciated and I love to see them year after year. The woodland in the Derwent Valley was fabulous and I am sure they will be drawing me back this spring.