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Horsley, Coxbench and Horsley Castle
Walk Information
Walk Area:
Distance:
Start Point:
Map Ref:
Horsley
4.5 Miles (7.2 Km)
Horsley
SK 375 444
OS Map:
General Information
Parking:
Road Side
Tea Shops:
None
Duration:
2 Hours 10 Minutes
Explorer 259
Derby, Ashbourne & Cheadle
1:25000
Altitude Data
Start:
318 ft (97m)
Minimum
216 ft (66m)
Maximum
462 ft (141m)
Altitude Profile
A relatively easy circular walk starting at the Church of St
Clement in Horsley and taking in the site of Horsley Castle
once a stopping off point for King John on his travels between
Burton Abbey and Nottingham. Although there is now little to
see due to quarrying in previous centuries and what little does
remain is rather overgrown. The route of walk passes through
open fields, woodland and a golf course giving a variety of
habitats for both flora and fauna. Near the start and end of the
walk look out for Sophia, Blanche and Rosamund the three
fountains of the village as well as the unique stone pillar box on
the corner of French Lane.
Getting There:
Horsley is situated six miles to the north of Derby and around
four miles to the south of Ripley. Horsley has a regular bus
service "Amberline" which stops near to the start of this walk
St Clement's
making this walk easily accessible from Derby, Heanor,
Hucknall and Eastwood. The current times for this service are available from both Derby Bus Info
and Trent Barton Buses websites. Access by road to Horsley is best from the A38 to the north of
Derby. Leave the A38 at the exit for Kilburn B6179, follow the signs for Kilburn and Ripley, at the
traffic lights turn right onto the A609. Follow the road past a small painted traffic island into the
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Horsley, Coxbench and Horsley Castle
outskirts of Kilburn. After a short distance the A609 swings sharp left, here take the side road that
appears to go straight ahead on the crown of the bend. This road is quite narrow and parked cars
often reduce it to single file traffic. Follow the road into Horsley and to the Church of St Clements
and St John, parking for this walk is road side only.
It is also worth noting that St Clement's is a well attended church and on Sundays when services are
held you may find that you need to park a little further away from the start point of this walk than at
other times.
The Walk:
From the point where you have parked you car walk towards the
church of St Clement and St James, known locally as St
Clement's, which is the start point of the walk. At the gates of
the church yard the footpath that starts this walk is on the left
between the wall of the house on the left and the church gates,
this footpath is signed Coxbench. Pass through the squeeze stile
between the house and the edge of the church yard then follow
the path between the old boundary wall and the church yard for
the past the private garden and beside a paddock to a second
squeeze stile. Once through the second stile the path splits, take
the route to the left diagonally across the field heading in the
general direction of an electricity pylon that is visible ahead.
The Walk Starts Here!
Once across the first field exit through a gap the hedge in the
that allows farm vehicle access between fields, continue in the
same general direction as the pylons to a metal farm gate with a
wooden squeeze stile to the right, go through this stile and look
the short distance across the next field for a wooden stile with a
yellow arrow way marker. Pass through the second stile and
keeping the hedge to your left walk down the field to a stone
squeeze stile and down some stone steps to exit onto Coxbench
Lane. Turn right and walk along the footpath to the junction,
cross the junction then walk on the grass verge as there is no
longer a foot path, on the opposite side of the road roughly level
with the telegraph pole to the right is a footpath marker post.
Take care when crossing the road as it is quite busy and also a
bus route.
First Field
This next section is potentially the muddiest part of the walk, mostly due to the passage of cattle.
Having safely crossed the road descend some stone steps to a wooden stile, cross the stile the via a
few more steps enter a small enclosed area of paddock, turn right and follow the well worn path
alongside Park Brook. After a short distance the path crosses the brook over a pipe culvert the
continues in the same direction as before. The track soon leave the brook 's side and begins to climb
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Horsley, Coxbench and Horsley Castle
across the hillside, continue along the uneven and often muddy cattle track as it becomes less well
used and less muddy until it arrives at a wooden step stile. Cross the stile ahead now between the
trees should be a house, roughly 90° to the right should be visible the spire of St Clements in
Horsley. Walk in the general direction of the house with the A38 beyond until the fence line on the
left rejoins the path at the edge of some woodland. A few yards (meters) further on there is a
yellow arrow way marked stile in the fence, cross this stile into
the woodland. Keeping the chain link fencing to your right
follow the path up the hill into the woodland. Continue up the
hill always keeping the fence to the right as the path curves right
along its ascent. After a wile the path meets a sunken lane to the
left, it is easy to imagine a cavalcade of noblemen passing along
this lane to the castle. Do not take the lane instead continue
directly ahead, almost immediately the path leaves the wire link
fence and swings left, to the left in the woods is the sandstone
spur on which the castle once stood, some of the keep walls
remain although they are difficult to spot.
Castle Of Horeston (Horsley)
Site Of Horeston
(Horsley) Castle
The Castle of Horleston was one of only a handful in
Derbyshire to make the transition from wooden fortress to a
fully fledged Stone Castle and Keep. Due to quarrying very
little remains of the Castle that once stood on this sandstone
spur. Horeston was originally built by Hugh Burton in the 12th
century and passed to King John in 1198 who had it rebuilt
between the years of 1200 and 1203. King John visited this
castle twice during his turbulent reign in both cases using it as
an overnight stop to break his journey between Burton Abbey
and Nottingham.
View From Castle Wood
To the right is a view down across farmland towards Breadsall and Derby, this view makes it easy
to understand why this pace was chosen for the location of a Castle. Stay on this path as it passes
between the site of the castle and the drop to the right, in places the path gets fairly near the edge so
take care if walking with children or pets. The path continues to curve left away from the edge of
the sandstone spur, passing along the way a rather active wood ant nest based on a piece of fallen
silver birch. These ants are quite quick and get everywhere, so pass quickly or observe from a
distance. Eventually the path meets a broader farm type track, here turn right and follow the track
for around a third of a mile until it meets Sandy Lane.
Turn right and walk up Sandy Lane for half a mile the bungalows at Brackley Gate. Sandy Lane is a
main route between Horsley, Coxbench and Brackley Gate, as a result you will no doubt encounter
traffic. There are no footpaths so be careful on this stretch, especially near the two 90° sharp
bends on the approach to Brackley Gate, as the visibility is very restricted.
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Horsley, Coxbench and Horsley Castle
At Brackley Gate turn left, and look for a wooden farm gate
with a footpath post on the left, cross the stone step stile on the
far side of the gate and walk toward the farm buildings. Look to
the right for a stone squeeze stile next to a metal farm gate, go
through this stile, in front of an animal shelter then forward
towards the far end of the field. Look for another squeeze stile
in the stone wall with a yellow arrow way marker and pass into
the next field, the next exit is next to a lone Hawthorne with a
cracked cast iron bell shaped object to one side. Walk between
the bell like object and the fence post then continue across the
field to a gate and footbridge bridge across a ditch on the
Lone Hawthorn Field Exit
opposite side of the field. Negotiate the gate and footbridge to
enter the final field of this leg of the route, keeping to the left hand side of the field walk down the
length of the field to a stock gate in the hedge, go through the gate and exit onto Smalley Mill Road.
Smalley Mill Road is a busy road along which traffic travels quite quickly, not only is it the main
link between Horsley and the A609, it is also the feeder road to Horsley Lodge Golf Club, keeping
this in mind take extra care when crossing the road to the other side. Once over the road go through
the metal kissing gate to the left of the driveway, then through a wooden stock-gate visible on the
far side of the small paddock. Cross a second paddock to another stock-gate then over the
footbridge across Park Brook to exit into a field. Walk up the the length of the filed keeping path
near the right hand side of the field, at the far end of the filed pass over a two plank footbridge over
a ditch into another field, after a short distance the path splits, continue forward towards the two
houses visible ahead on the skyline. At the far end of the field is another stock gate, this one does
not open very far due or a large post positioned to limit it's opening, once through the gate go
through a second clearly visible a short distance ahead beside a five bar gate. Cross Wood Lane to
the pavement on the other side, then turn left and walk away from the public house towards Horsley
Woodhouse.
Walk up Wood Lane for a little under a quarter of a mile, then look for a low wooden step stile and
footpath marker on the left, roughly opposite a small 40mph speed limit sign. The next section of
the walk crosses fields often populated with sheep, so please keep any dogs under control. Cross
the stile and follow the path across the top of the field keeping the hedgerow to the left, on the far
side of the field in the corner is a metal stock gate with a well worn plank over a muddy
ditch. This gate is not immediately obvious as it is shielded by overhanging branches, go
through the gate then look across the next field about 45° right for a second metal gate in the
hedgerow opposite. Walk across the field and through the second metal gate then over
another plank bridge across another ditch then follow the obvious path ahead across the
middle of a third wider field to a wooden kissing gate and a third plank footbridge. Once
over the bridge follow the somewhat over grown path between the hedge (right) and a fence
(left) until it reaches a wooded step stile and exits into an open field.
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Horsley, Coxbench and Horsley Castle
Turn left and keeping the hedge to the left walk to a large gap on the boundary on the other
side of the field. Once at the gap enter the next field and look right down the field for a
narrow gap in the hedge row. Walk down the field to this gap then over a stile and another
footbridge that crosses Gypsy Brook.
To the left here is Horsley Lodge Golf Club, looking
Horsley Lodge Golf Club
at the hedge across the field to the left there is a gap
in the hedge just to the right of a clump of trees, this
Founded in 1988 when Bill White
suggested to land owner John Salt
is the next way point of the walk. This will take us
that his land would make a good
along the boundary of the golf course rather than
site
for a golf course. In 1999 the
across it..Pass through the hedge and head across to a
greens were redesigned by World
metal kissing gate visible on the far side of the next
Champion, Peter McEvoy and it
field. Now with a hedge to the left once more walk
became the first USGA
along the edge of the next field to a squeeze stile
specification 18 hole course in
formed by two stone pillars. Squeeze through or go
The Midlands.
around this stile then long the path beside the hedge
to another metal kissing gate. Carry on along the
path to a point where it splits just before another metal kissing gate, take the path to the
right. If you end up at the tee of the 15th “Bill's Revenge” 340 yards Par 4, then you are off
course;backtrack through the last metal kissing gate and go left!
Walk up the paddock again with a hedge to the left to another metal kissing gate, once
through there should be clearly visible ahead houses and Horsley Telephone Exchange.
Follow the path across this final grassy area to a metal garden type gate and exit out into a
lane between the houses. Turn left and walk a short distance up to Lady Lea Road. Once
again turn left and walk past the Coach and Horses Public House into back into Horsley.
Just past the Coach and Horses on the right is a small triangle of grass in the middle of a
road junction. This grass triangle contains one of the three fountains donated to Horsley by
the Sacheverell Sitwell in 1864, this one Rosamund is quite easily missed. Continue through
the village along Church Street back towards St Clement's and the start of the walk, along
the way look out for the stone pillar box and the Blanche fountain on the corner of French
Lane (opposite the primary school), and the more ornate Sophia fountain on the village
green as you approach the church.
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