Derwent Valley Heritage Way Walk, Derbyshire

Devised by: Mike Warner, Official Walk Recorder

Walk 10: Crich Stand 9 miles

Parking: Cromford Wharf (opposite Cromford Mill just off the A6) (GR299571)

Overview: From the environs of Cromford Mill we climb slowly to the village of Holloway and pass Lea Hurst, the former home of Florence Nightingale. We then climb higher still to visit Crich Stand - a memorial to the Sherwood Foresters Regiment which at 858' can be seen for miles around. We descend through the hamlet of Crich Carr and follow the Cromford Canal for 3 miles back to the start.

Terrain: A steady climb mainly through fields and woodland to Crich, then a gradual descent to the Cromford canal and a flat finish along its towpath.

Leave Cromford Wharf car park by walking back to the road and turning right. Soon we cross the bridge over the River Derwent, after which the road bends right. We, however, turn left and start the steady climb up Willersley Lane. Be very careful on this lane because although it is a very minor road, it is a 'rat run' for locals who wish to avoid driving through Matlock.

After 250 yards locate a farm gate on your right indicating the entrance to Meadow Wood Farm. Follow the farm track as it gradually bends right ignoring a stile on your left just before you cross a cattle grid and then, 75 yards later, turn half right down hill as indicated by the waymark post.

Pass under power lines until the opposite field corner is reached in 150 yards at a wooden step stile which we cross over onto a path junction. Here turn left and immediately pass through a stone squeezer stile into Wood End. Follow the pleasant path through the wood, soon climbing some wooden steps and then finally emerging at a wooden step stile which we cross over into the field.

Keep ahead across an open hillside, meeting a broken wall after 100 yards and following this for a further 50 yards. Here there is a vague junction of paths. We need to turn half right down hill towards a lone telegraph pole, passing a line of hawthorn bushes on our right. Upon reaching the telegraph pole at the end of an old wall, bear slightly left contouring the hillside with Cromford Meadows away to your right. After 150 yards a stone cattle trough is passed on our left and then in 100 yards time a wire fence on our left leads us to a dual wooden and stone gated squeezer stile. Once through, bear very slightly right up and over a small hill through a marshy area, heading towards three power line posts.

Just before these, you will locate a wooden step stile to the right of a metal farm gate and to the left of a footpath sign. Cross over this onto a farm road and turn left up hill soon passing a farm road on the right to The Gables. 150 yards later, when our farm track turns abruptly left in front of Sunnybank, we take the footpath on the right as indicated by the footpath sign and carry on into Bow Wood which is entered at two redundant stone gate posts.

Keep ahead through the wood ignoring all side paths after mile at a stone squeezer stile to the right of a wooden gate with a sign post on our right.

With John Smedley's mill on our left, join the road and turn left shortly crossing a bridge. Ignore the left hand turn for Lea Road and continue up hill along Mill Lane soon ignoring another turn off on the left and carry on up hill along the road signposted Holloway and Crich.

After a further 250 yards with Hollins Wood on our left locate a wooden kissing gate over the road to our right by a signpost. Be very careful as you cross the road as this is on a blind bend! Once through as indicated, follow the stone wall on our left for 200 yards to pass through another wooden kissing gate where our path now becomes enclosed by a deer fence. Eventually our path disgorges over a stone step stile into a field with the perimeter walls of Lea Hurst, once the home of Florence Nightingale, in front of us. Turn half right in 80 yards to meet the wall end, then bear right to pass through a field gap where our path now has paving stones.

Continue along the paving stones, soon crossing over the entrance stones to Lea Hurst and then continue ahead following the right hand field boundary as our paved area soon peters out and then to a wooden kissing gate in the right hand field corner. Once through this ignore the kissing gate on our right and continue ahead through a gap in the stone wall and then bear left on an enclosed path which soon meets a road at a public footpath sign.

Here turn left up hill for 100 yards and turn right as indicated by the public footpath sign into a cul-de-sac. Follow the road which soon peters out into a path that turns left up hill to climb some stone steps and finally emerge at a road near a wrought iron gate.

Cross the road diagonally to the right of Rose Cottage and locate a squeezer stile to the left of a metal gate. Passing a public footpath sign we then climb steps to shortly pass through a stone squeezer stile. Once through another series of steps which carry us up hill (you will find a wooden bench we pass on our left halfway up very inviting) you will eventually emerge at a path junction 15 yards to the right of a footpath sign which is located on a minor road slightly above us. From the footpath junction, keep ahead contouring the hillside, soon ignoring a footpath on the right and then shortly joining an old stone wall on our left to locate on our left after 200 yards a stone squeezer stile. Pass through this and then follow the path right as it gradually climbs alongside a field edge and shortly pass through another stone squeezer stile into a field.

With glorious views away to our right, continue along the right hand field edge to pass through a stone squeezer stile in 300 yards.

Our main objective for the day, Crich Stand, is now dead ahead in front of us and we cross the next field half left to locate in 300 yards a farm track via two redundant stone gate posts. In the next field walk up hill half left for 150 yards to the field edge. Here locate a sunken farm track heading downhill half right and follow this for 50 yards until it meets a junction with another farm track. Bear right down hill and after 150 yards locate a redundant wooden stile at a cross road of tracks at the end of farm buildings. Continue downhill across the next field passing over a gravel drive and then locating a stone squeezer stile, which we pass through to the left of a public footpath sign to Dethick.

Keep forward to the road junction and then turn left for 80 yards (take care: this road is busy) to locate on our left a tarmac entrance to Cliff Farm, with a public footpath sign on our right indicating Plaistow Green.

Follow the farm road soon passing through a metal farm gate and then proceed up hill towards the farm for a further 100 yards. Just before the farmhouse is reached, look out for a path which forks up hill to a stile to the left of a metal barrier. Having squeezed through, our path continues steeply up hill with old mine workings on our right and shortly comes to a footpath junction.

We carry on ahead up hill as indicated (Crich 1 mile, Plaistow mile). After 200 yards our track turns sharply right to meet the Crich Tramway where, if you are lucky, you may catch sight of a tram - they terminate at this point. Cross the tramway with care heading up hill passing a public footpath on our right then taking the left fork of a wide stony track still up hill and follow this with the quarry on our right and Crich Stand homing back into view. Ignore a left hand fork after 300 yards as our track gradually bears rough to the right to meet our objective - Crich Stand. The views from here are extensive. Although not quite halfway at 4 miles, you have the happy knowledge that the rest of the walk is mainly down hill and on the flat.

From the monument follow the path down hill passing toilets and a café on our right to reach a road via a metal kissing gate. At the road, turn right (taking care as it bends round to the right) until locating across the road after 50 yards a footpath sign. A stone barn three fields away indicates our route following right hand field boundaries and two stone squeezer stiles.

Upon reaching the barn turn right by a footpath sign through a metal farm gate onto a track. Follow this to shortly come to a road. Cross this with care half left to a public footpath sign indicating Whatstandwell 1 miles. Proceed along the alleyway down hill turning left at the end by a public footpath sign and follow the cul-de-sac round to the right to reach in 100 yards another public footpath sign and waymarking post at the entrance to a bridge which crossed an old mineral railway leading from the quarries at Crich. Cross the bridge to a wooden step stile to the right of a metal farm gate and, as indicated by the waymark, keep ahead on the farm track for 50 yards until reaching a junction of paths at a signpost. Here chicane right and left through a pair of redundant stone gate posts and follow a path on the left hand edge of a field for 50 yards before bearing slightly right for another 50 yards to climb over a stone step stile into the next field. Here keep ahead for another 50 yards and pass through a stone squeezer stile into the next field and then following the right hand boundary for 130 yards downhill to yet another stone squeezer stile to the right of a sawn off waymarked telegraph pole.

At this point look back across your right shoulder for a dramatic view of Crich Stand.

Once through the squeezer stile follow the left hand field boundary down hill to locate - you've guessed it - a stone squeezer stile in the left hand field corner. Once through, cross the next field ahead to pass through another stone squeezer stile to the right of a waymarking post. Once through, the path continues ahead downhill to very shortly reach another stone squeezer stile via stone steps. Once through, cross a track and continue with waymarks downhill via steps to enter an alleyway via a stone squeezer stile and then more steps leading down to a road at Crich Carr at a public footpath sign.

Turn right and then, after 20 yards, left at a public footpath sign to Whatstandwell 1/3 mile. Look out also for the attractive stone seat next to the stone trough. Proceed ahead down the alleyway in front of us which soon widens out into a road which bears right downhill. A road sign on the left shows us that we are on Glen Road. 20 yards after this, fork left down an alleyway between houses to reach a road.

Here carry on downhill to locate after 70 yards a path on our right to the right of which is a lamp post with the number 21769 written on it. Our track now takes us through a wooden gate shortly passing a stone trough on our right and then, ignoring a track on the right, continue ahead passing allotments on our right to reach a stone step stile. Cross this and then follow the left hand corner of the next field for a short distance to reach a wooden step stile. Once over, the path continues through woods downhill via wooden steps. Our path then bears right and then left for 150 yards to reach a T junction in front of a sheer rock face. Here turn left for 250 yards, shortly ignoring a turn off on the right which leads to a redundant quarry. After this our path descends to shortly reach a road at a public footpath sign.

At the road turn left and proceed downhill to reach a T junction after 280 yards. Turn right over the bridge crossing the Cromford Canal and then turn immediately right via a small car park to join the tow path and the Derwent Valley Heritage Way.

The rest of our walk needs very little explanation. We simply follow the tow path passing through a tunnel in 1 mile and then, another mile later, a swing bridge number 6 which is located at a junction which used to be a branch line to Smedley's Mill. Cross over the swing bridge, ignore the public footpath ahead and instead turn left onto the tow path through High Peak Junction and, in 1 miles, reach the end of the canal and our starting point at Cromford Wharf.

Derwent Valley Heritage Way Walk, Derbyshire

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