Derbyshire – Up Hill Down Dale Walks

Creswell Crags to Worksop – April 2024

This was a lovely walk from Creswell Crags (which I’m very fond of) to the centre of Worksop, going through the Welbeck Estate. It’s a mixture of forest, farmland and some beautiful wild sections.

Creswell Crags is easily accessible from the M1 Motorway at Junction 30 – follow the signs for ‘Creswell Crags’ and you can’t go wrong. Creswell Railway station if you fancy the train or the no. 77 bus between Chesterfield and Worksop.

Try the Traveline website for further information about bus and train options.

I got there fairly early as the forecast was very favourable. We’ve had utterly miserable weather with rain, strong winds and even thunder and lightning the past couple of weeks. Those slate grey skies are not a delight!

At 6am the sun is just coming up and it’s a treat to see the sun move so quickly into the heavens…

Then it’s out of the Crags and heading east.

Then it’s over the A60 (take care as it can be busy!) and you’re on the Robin Hood Way. It’s quite a confusing and winding route with many offshoots, so take a look here for ideas to walk it.

Still heading east with the main estate house to the south:

It’s a wonderfully peaceful section with no-one about. remember that there’s a lot of restrictions where you can walk and the Welbeck Estate owners provide lots of helpful red signs to keep you where they want you to be.

Then it’s out into farmland with wonderful ‘big skies’:

And then into a section of managed forest… with one last look back at the skies:

The lake is beautiful and full of birds, geese especially making their prescence known.

The lake area also gives views of the sky. I’m a big fan of clouds and I thought the fomrations were beautiful!

The video below probably does it more justice?

And then onwards easterly…

I think this might be an old gatehouse with the cottage next to it for the gatekeeper? Apologies for my shadow but you can’t do much about that with a low sun in the sky.

A nice bit of forest but apart from the bluebells, there’s not a lot of nature here – it’s all pine trees for logging, I think? Very sterile and quiet – no bird song at all.

It’s quite a relief to be in open country again. There were skylarks everywhere singing and flying about. Othere birds too but they much to quick for me to take pictures. I enjoyed the riot of different birdson though.

This was another area with ‘big skies’ and I loved all the difefrent sorts of cluds forming from the west:

The last section wasn’t so nice. You have to cross the busy A57 road southwest of Worsop. Fortunately it’s not a dual carriageway and there were gaps in traffic. Then you run for it!

I’m not so keen on these huge lorries, to be honest?

Once over the road, you’re into urban Worksop. There the beautiful countryside and vistas end and it’s housing and finally the town centre. I caught the no. 77 from Worksop bus station to Creswell and then walked back to Creswell Crags.

Try the Traveline website for further information about bus and train options.

But not before ruining all my healthy walking with a large fried breakfast with black pudding and lots of coffee:

A Brief Walk Around Creswell Crags – Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border – October 2023

This was a very short walk at around three miles. I haven’t had time to do much this year, what with one thing and another.

Creswell Crags is a site of special scientific interest. People (in one shape or another) have been visiting for 50,000 years, starting with Neanderthals in the last Ice Age. You can find a lot more about the area here, particularly about the cave art created by its residents.

You can get to Creswell Crags by train to Creswell (Robin Hood Line) and a twenty minute walk or by car: it’s very well sign-posted from Junction 30 of the M1.

It’s also a lovely place to go and wander around and I was lucky that it was an unseasonably warm and sunny day. I haven’t done the place any justice and I’ll have to go back some time to take some proper photos.

Then a view detour to admire the skies near the Crags…

Clowne to Markham Vale, Derbyshire – October 2023

This was a continuation of the walk from Creswell to Clowne on the Clowne Greenway, a former railway line. It was a lucky day, with sunny big blue skies and clouds formations, walking from Clowne to Markham Vale.

If you want a better view of a picture, right click on it and select ‘Open Image in New Tab’.

You can park in the free car park next to the Nag’s Head pub in Clowne and you’re right next to the Greenway:

Unlike the Creswell to Clowne section of the Greenway, this part does gradually open out onto countryside which makes it a little more interesting.

Then it’s onwards to the joy of the the countryside but the gradual roar of traffic on the M1 motorway:

Until it really is loud!

And finally to Markham Vale where I turned back. The whole area has been transformed into storage units because of its proximity to the motorway. I’m not so keen on pavement walking with cars and lorries roaring by.

There are lots of other walks west of Markham Vale, heading south to Chesterfield and north to the outskirts of Sheffield and it’s also close to the Trans-Pennine Way, which I’ll explore at a later date.

A Spider! Nearer to Home, Derbyshire – October 2022

It’s just a few pictures of a spider, in Autumn last year. An unusually sunny day in October. I know people don’t like spiders, but I thought this one was beautiful!

A Brief Walk Around Creswell Crags – Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire Border

This was a very short walk at around three miles. I haven’t had time to do much this year, what with one thing and another.

You can get to Creswell Crags by train to Creswell (Robin Hood Line) and a twenty minute walk or by car: it’s very well sign-posted from Junction 30 of the M1.

Forgot to add the sole video!

Biggin to Parsley Hay on the Tissington Trail – September 2022

This is the latest in a group of posts exploring the Tissington Trail. The last one ended at Biggin.

This was another early start, parking outside St. Thomas’ Church in Biggin, just before sunrise. It’s a short walk to the Tissington Trail outside the village.

The early pictures quite ‘dull’ because of the lack of sunlight, particularly in the cuttings, but they d show the different environments: some dark, damp and autumnal and some more exposed that cling on to summer. Almost.

I was quite disappointed to see someone else immediately I got onto the trail. Like a geriatric version of ‘The Terminator’ he followed me for about a mile. A lovely bloke but it was hard to get any pictures or videos without him and his dog being there.

Never mind, he’s got as much right as me (if not more) to enjoy the surroundings with his dog!

As you might already know, the Tissington Trail was a train line from Ashbourne to Buxton (the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and it closed in 1969. There isn’t much railway paraphernalia left, apart from the bridges and an occasional tribute to the railways of yesteryear…

The walk continued, sometimes looking ahead to the trail and sometimes looking back as the sun began to rise:

I was delighted to get a shot of an aeroplane crossing the moon. It’s not a great picture but I was so pleased to be able to get it.

Then onwards, but still looking back at the sun coming up:

Some of the cuttings don’t get much sun, particularly first thing in the morning, so they smell very autumnal: of rot and damp. Most plants here have long gone to seed and they plants await winter and a new start next Spring…

Then you’re suddenly into rocky landscape, blasted by the men who built the railway line.

Hartington Station: somewhere to sit and have a break, or avail yourselves of the toilets. Sadly the teashop (part of the signal house) looks empty and is presumably closed down. I was gagging for a mug of tea, too…

My first genuine picture of wildlife, if you can actually see it: a deer grazing. I managed a couple of pictures but it heard the ‘click’ when I changed my camera lens and it was soon gone:

Then it’s off north, continuing on to Parsley Hay: the landscape continuous to be a mixture of of open, pastoral countryside and bleak, rocky cuttings hacked away by manual labour and explosives. Some people may be unaffected, but I found my mood changing between the bright, open and sunny sections and the darker, rocky parts of the trail.

This is an impressive cutting right through the rock leading to open countryside and the former Parsley Hay station. There isn’t much left of it but you can get a tea and something to eat, or hire a bike. Bear in mind these facilities will be closed in the winter.

It’s also where the Tissington Trail meets the High Peak Trail.

I walked back via the High Peak Trail but that’s another post and another website as I’ve run out of storage space again here!

I’ve set up Up Hill and Down Dale Walks Three but it might be a while before I get to add to it….

There’s also a future walk north of Parsley Hay to be done!

You’ll notice the Croatian roundhouse, which was gifted to European Union members by Croatia when they joined the EU in 2013. Sadly, the UK should have been celebrating 50 years of membership a few days ago on the 1st of January 1st 2023, but that’s British politics and a dose of stupidity for you. 😣

And lastly, the videos…

Tissington to Biggin on the Tissington Trail, Derbyshire – August 2022

This is a continuation from the last post where I walked from Ashbourne to Tissington.

It was an early start at 6.15am from Tissington, mainly to avoid holiday crowds. It’s actually quite dark as the station is in a cutting.

Once you get out of the cutting you get the full benefit of the morning sun. It was 10 minutes after sunrise so the landscape looked spectacular.

This stretch of the Tissington Trail is a mixture of cuttings and raised up areas, so in one area you get lots more trees, foliage and insects and in the other, the landscape is sparser but the views are beautiful. It can get very windy in the winter, so take care when you walk on more exposed sections of the trail.

The wind is cool and helps on a sunny day as this (luckily) was:

The views here are lovely, particularly if you like blue sky and cloud. There were a lot of trails from aeroplanes passing overhead…

Then it’s onwards as the trail gently begins to rise, in and out of the cuttings:

This is my favourite picture of the walk:

Then you arrive at Alsop. There isn’t much there apart from a shelter and several benches to stop and have a break. It’s worth having a rest as the next section does get a little more steeper and there’s nowhere to stop after Alsop (apart from one bench) until you get to Hartington, 5 miles north.

The views do get more interesting if you like landscapes…

The useful bench:

Flies can be bothersome here although they are more interested in flowers that you or I.

I left the Tissington Trail at Biggin:

Biggin itself isn’t exciting but the church of St. Thomas is worth a look. Sadly it’s locked (as churches have to be) so you can’t go inside.

The bus stop to head north to Buxton is outside the church and the bus south to Ashbourne is opposite. Buses run roughly hourly in the morning until midday(ish) and hourly from 3pm. Check the timetable before you think of using bus services around here!

I took the bus back to Tissington and hobbled back to the Tissington trail but walked through Tisington church on the way:

Ashbourne to Tissington on the Tissington Trail, Derbyshire – August 2022

It’s not the most exciting of walks but it is peaceful and rural. I started early, around 6.30am, to avoid the school holiday crowds.

The sun was strong from the east as I headed north, up the Tissington Trail to Tissington and a quick wander around Tissington village and Tissington Hall. Needless to say, I wasn’t invited in for tea…

It was much busier with people on the way back, around 10.30am, so if you don’t like crowds, start early.

The matriarch was on guard for ‘her’ herd, while the rest of the cows got on with eating:

It was a great day for clouds:

And sheep…

I love the bridges that cross the trail as it begins to rise up:

Dew on the grass. Despite the dry weather, there’s still plenty of moisture here as it’s shaded.

Eventually arriving at Tissington for a well-deserved sit down! There’s well-kept toilets and also an accessible toilet. The cafe opens at 10am.

Then a quick wander around Tissington village. Most of the shops don’t open until 10am and I arrived too early. Tissington Hall is impressive, dating from 1605.

Who can resist taking pictures of budleia?

Then is was back down south to Ashbourne. It wasn’t madly busy but there were enough people about to make it less enjoyable than the outward walk.

It’s about 8 to 8.5 miles. Recommended. I plan to walk the next section of the Tissington Trail from Tissington to Alsop, where the trail rises up into the Peak District properly. There’s less trees and the views are fantastic.

Castleton to Mam Tor and back to Castleton – Derbyshire – April 2022

Castleton is a village in Derbyshire and is part of the High Peak. It’s very busy tourist trap in the Spring and Summer and parking can be difficult. That’s why I set off very early from home and arrived at 6.30am for the walk.

I headed north from the village and uphill to The Great Ridge. It’s very steep and as you’ll see, can be a challenge to navigate in parts: rocky, muddy and sometimes with running water. Stout walking boots with good ankle support are recommended.

The ascent took me around 90 minutes including breaks and time to enjoy the scenery as I got higher. Don’t be afraid to plonk yourself down on a handy boulder for a breather – you’ll enjoy yourself much more.

There are a lot of sheep with lambs this time of year…

Plus a supremely disinterested cat:

Then it’s onwards and a lot of upwards:

A breather…

And some more upwards…

The view from the Great Ridge is worth the ascent, though.

Then it’s off west to Mam Tor with some more upwards but this time with more gentle inclines.

The day began to brighten!

Then you’re at Mam Tor, the ‘mother hill’. The monument is at the site of a bronze age fort. It allows another great view of Castleton on one side and Edale on the other.

Then it’s all downhill:

Personally I found the entrance to the Blue John Cavern rather uninteresting and at £15 to get in, unlikely. I did enjoy a cup of tea while admiring Mam Tor. Shame about the camper van?

Downwards over the brow of the hill. The walk is a little rough with fine limestone and it’s easy to slip while enjoying the view.

A better view of Mam Tor. You can see where the hillside has repeatedly fallen away.

More sheep and lambs:

And a look at Winnat’s Pass while heading back to heading back to Castleton. It’s spectacular to drive though and the picture and video hardly does it justice. Some hang-gliders too!

And lastly, The Devil’s Arse, if you like that kind of thing…

High Peak Trail: High Peak Junction to Middleton Top – Derbyshire – March 2022

This is a trail using the remnants of the former Cromford and High Peak Railway which ran from Cromford Canal, south of Matlock, to Parsley Hey, where it meets the Tissington Trail heading north.

Although it looks bucolic, it’s actually a very industrialised landscape built for the Industrial Revolution and the transport of raw and finished goods. The whole area is pocked-marked by small ancient quarries and their huge modern equivalents.

It is a challenging walk at the beginning because of the inclines, some of them 1 in 8. For an unfit walker, it’s a gasp a minute!