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Cromford, High Peak Junction & Black Rock.
Walk Information
Walk Area:
Distance:
Start Point:
Map Ref:
Post Code
Cromford
5.0 miles
Cromford Wharf
SK 300 570
DE4 3RQ
OS Map:
General Information
Parking:
Pay And Display
Tea Shops:
Three
Duration:
2 Hours 30 Minutes
Explorer OL24
White Peak Area
1:25000
Altitude Data
Start:
262 ft (80m)
Minimum
262 ft (80m)
Maximum
744 ft (227m)
Altitude Profile
A three tea shop walk! This walk starts as a gentle
canal side stroll followed by a long climb up a
disused inclined plane of the former Cromford and
High peak Railway that forms middle section of the
walk. Finishing with descent through woodland and
fields, and a bit of a maze between houses and back
gardens on the return to Cromford Village.
Getting There:
Cromford is around one mile south of Matlock Bath
on the A6 towards Derby. At the staggered traffic
Sunrise At Cromford Wharf
light controlled junction on the A6 do not take the
road into Cromford it's self but take the Mill Land down the side of Sir Richard Awkright's
Mill.Car-parks are to be found at end of the Mill buildings. Should you wish to start the walk from
High Peak Junction continue along this road, over the river Derwent and past Cromford Station
around a mile and a half. The car-park and picnic area are on the right. Cromford can also be
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Cromford, High Peak Junction & Black Rock.
reached by train or bus from either Derby or Matlock/Matlock Bath. It is worth noting that this car
park can become very busy on Sunday's, Bank Holiday's, or weekends when the nearby Leawood
Pump is in steam.
The Walk:
This walk begins and ends at Cromford Wharf, this is also
the site of one of the tree tea rooms to be found on the
route. Wheatcroft's Wharf Cafe is a converted warehouse
and has a good selection of hot and cold drinks and food.
There are also toilets available in the car-park, and across
the road in the Awkrights Mill complex. From Wheatcrofts
Wharf, which is co-incidentally the start of the Cromford
Canal. From this point follow the canal tow-path for
around a mile and a quarter to High Peak Junction.
Although a flat canal side walk, this section is teeming
with Wildlife, from the ducks at the Wharf, through Coots
and Moorhens; to the noisy diving dab's (Little Grebe's).
During the late spring all of these can be seen sitting on
eggs or feeding their young along the whole length of the
canal. Other things to watch for are large Pike hiding in the
rushes, Nuthatches, and as the walk approaches High Peak
Junction "Ratty" of Wind In The Willows fame - the Water
Vole. At High Peak Junction the walk crosses the canal via
the wooden swing bridge. The path leading away from the
canal over the rail tracks leads to the nearby car park
which is the alternate start point for this walk.
At this point there is a choice, continues over the bridge to
the only climb of the walk, or take a short diversion along
the towpath to visit Leawood Pump and Wigwell
Aquaduct.
High Peak Junction
Water Vole
The visitors centre is also the venue for the second tea stop of the walk. At this point the walk starts
the only only climb of the route. From the visitors centre and workshops take the path between the
building and the preserved brake van, the track begins to climb then passes through a short tunnel
under the A6. From this point the rise in this walk can be seen. The climb is around 450 feet
(137m), 400 feet (122m) of which are in this single ascent up the inclined plane of the now disused
Cromford and High Peak Railway. The combined Cromford and Sheep Pasture inclines stretch
uninterrupted for 1292 yards (1.2Km), with the gradient varying from 1:9 in the first half mile or so,
to 1:8 for the remainder of the incline. Just as the climb gets under way the route passes the catch
pit built as the result of an accident involving a runaway wagon during in the winter of 1888. The
pit is now a memorial to those who died on the Cromford and High Peak Railway.
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Cromford, High Peak Junction & Black Rock.
Around half way up the incline is a bench on the left, opposite are the remains of a small quarry and
it's crane. At the top of the incline is the shell of Sheep Pasture winding house, this used to power
the cables that controlled the wagons on their journeys up and down the incline. It now stands as a
sad reminder of it's industrial past. From this point there is a great view down into the valley over
looking Cromford Village and Matlock Bath in the distance. The tower of Cromford's St Mary's
Church located near the to the start point of this walk can be clearly seen rising above the trees that
surround it. The track continues to rise gently for the remaining half mile or so the the Black Rock
Visitors Centre, the last of the three possible refreshment stops.
On leaving Black Rock, retrace your steps pack to the
point there the car park ends and a five bar gate separated
it from the path leading back to Sheep Pasture Top and
the incline. Take the path on the car park side of the wall
and descend the stone steps onto a track through a
wooded area. Follow this path as it descends through the
woodland and bears to the right before emerging into an
area of rough stone ground. The exit from this rough
patch is into the corner of the field opposite the point
where the track leaves the woodland. Because the exit is
not immediately obvious I have highlighted it in the
image opposite. Carefully negotiate the narrow uneven
steps that lead down into the field and follow the wall
across the top of the field to the gate visible in the
distance. Part way across the field there is a very wet and
muddy section fed by run-off from a water trough, this
can be navigated fairly easily via some stepping stones,
Rough Ground Exit
but these may well become icy in cold weather; please
take care if you walk in the winter months. The gate
arrangement at the exit from the field is a bit odd, made up of three gates sort of stuck together to
fill the gap. Use the small gate to enter the enclosed area, then use the large gate to exit onto the
roadway beside the field.
Follow the roadway down the slope towards Cromford Village, shortly after passing between two
houses and swinging left look for a wooden sign post and a narrow gap in the wall on the right (this
can easily be missed so watch out for it), take this path and follow it down the hill with the hedge of
tall conifers on the right. After passing between hedgerows, front and back gardens the footpath
leads out onto to a quiet road. The next part of the route is down Bedehouse Lane, opposite and
slightly to the right. Continuse down Bedehouse Lane until it looks as if you are about to walk into
someones kitchen, then pass to the right between the house and the wall, then left down the side of
the house. Walk down the path past yet more gardens and fields until you reach the other end of
Bedehouse Lane. Exit onto Cromford Hill (B6056) and turn right and walk down the hill into
Cromford it's self. On the way down the hill there is a cul-de-sac with terraced houses which I
assume used to be the homes of Mill employees.
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Cromford, High Peak Junction & Black Rock.
Continue to walk down Cromford Hill to the junction
with the A6, on the way keep a look our for one of
Cromford's most colourful residents. On arriving at the
main road (A6) cross at the traffic lights. There is now a
choice of two routes back to the start point, the short
route is to turn right then left down Mill Lane back to the
car park. The slightly longer route but more interesting
requires you to turn left after crossing the A6. After a few
meters there is an track between two large gate posts, this
path runs down to St Mary's Church with the River
Derwent to the left and high rock face to the right,
although supposedly not allowed it is not unusual to find
climbers attached to ropes or clinging to the rock face.
Before reaching the St Mary's a path split to the right to
the car park of Awkrights Mill, on the approach to the car
park there is a flight of steps ascending to the top of the
rock face, at the top of which can be found a viewing area
that overlooks the nearby Willersley Castle. Depending
on which car park you chose to park in you have either
reached the end of the walk, or need to cross Mill Lane to
the car park of Wheatcroft's Wharf.
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