Matlock Bath to Ambergate - DVH Way Section 5

Location

Derwent Valley, Derbyshire

OutdoorLads shares the exact meeting point with people who have signed up, closer to the date. See the OutdoorLads listing for details.

About this event

The Derwent Valley Trust was set up in 1996 to promote the history, arts, wildlife and leisure opportunities that surround the river Derwent along its 55 mile course through Derbyshire. The Derwent Valley Heritage Way takes us from Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District National Park to its end at Derwent Mouth where it flows into the River Trent near Shardlow. The Duke of Devonshire opened the walk at Chatsworth House in 2003.The route takes us through the Chatsworth estate, Derbyshire dales, towns, villages, canals and many points of interests through the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. There are plenty of pubs and tea shops for refreshments along the way. The route follows the riverside path through Derby City and continues southeastwards to the historic inland port of Shardlow. Journey’s end is at Derwent Mouth where the Derwent flows into the River Trent.The route is divided into eight sections of between  ~13 km (8 miles) and ~17 km (10.5 miles), each with a clear public transport solution. All, except the first section, are linear routes. We park at the end, travel to the start, and walk back to our cars. Sections 5, 6, 7 are brilliantly served by the East Midlands Railway Derwent Valley Line (Derby–Matlock, hourly), which runs almost parallel to the trail the whole way. For sections (2, 3, 4 and 8), we use local buses. Each section is a walk in itself. Join one or more, as you wish, or walk all eight sections to complete the whole route through Derbyshire. Please ask other attendees for a lift if you need one.Section 5 – Matlock Bath to Ambergate ~13.5 km (8.4 miles) Total ascent 210 m (689 ft)From the station we see the cable cars that take visitors up to the Heights of Abraham on the other side of the Derwent. Matlock Bath is a former spa town, now a popular holiday destination for motorcyslists and other tourists. It feels rather like a land-locked seaside town! Masson Mills working Textiles Museum is the finest surviving and best preserved example of a Richard Arkwright cotton spinning mill with 100-year-old working looms, water turbines and ‘Titanic’ steam boilers. From the mill we climb up through ancient woodlands at Harp Edge to Cromford, where Arkwright built rows of houses for his mill-workers. Scathin bookshop has a huge stock of old books and local interest titles.We climb Scathin Rock to view Akwright's former family home of Willersley Castle and take a look at the Cromford Mills visitor attraction. Along the Cromford Canal, at High Peak Junction, railway workshops have been faithfully restored to how they would have looked in the 1880s, and a visitor centre provides information about this historic transport hub. We skirt the bottom of Lea Wood from where we can see the impressive Leawood Pumphouse, maintained and operated by volunteers. We follow the disused Cromford Canal, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and local nature reserve, through Whatstandwell between Crich Chase and Shining Cliff Wood back to Ambergate station.Well behaved dogs are welcome but must kept under control at all times. Note: If there are no places left on this event, join the waiting list, as people frequently drop out during the week before an event, and you are likely to get a place.All photos obtained online with permission to modify use and share: All images by ODL Derventio with DVH Way logo from commons.wikimedia.org, Nissarana.Want to keep in touch with what's going on in the Midlands / ODL Central Region? bookmark our upcoming events list via the short link: https://outdoorlads.events/central