I've never been to Holbrook before. It's a small village on a hill, just south of Belper, and I instantly like it. Look at the view! And interesting buildings too. I leave my car to enjoy the scenery and head down Stony Lane. Good thing I didn't bring a vehicle for this bit - there are several signs warning me that This Is Not A Road. I pass a few farms and the back of Holbrook School for Autism and come out on Port Way, just where I left it last time . A short distance up the road is St Michael's Church, which has a semi-circular window, a secret tunnel, and a sprawling graveyard. The church is closed today. I'm now back in the centre of Holbrook. I take a left on Mellors Lane and soon leave the houses behind. There's a good playground. I still find myself rating play equipment, even though my boys are far too old for it now! I cross a couple of fields, then the ground starts to slope downhill, with a fantastic view across the Derwent Valley. There's a squa...
If I told you my route today crossed several major highways, wandered around abandoned quarries, and passed a hotel and a dismantled railway, you would probably think I was still in the ex-industrial suburbs of Nottingham. If I told you that I visited seventeenth-century almshouses and a ruined castle, spotted field mice and frisky lambs, and soaked up the sight of bluebells, you might picture somewhere more bucolic. Even though all the things in the first sentence are true, the second one gives you a much better idea of how the walk felt. It's amazing how much will fit into one small piece of Derbyshire countryside. I parked in Little Eaton, which was convenient to get to. It's between Morley and Holbrook, so I started by heading towards Morley. This valley's north-south road has been upgraded several times: I parked on the oldest of roads, crossed the newer one, then went under the A38, which superseded them both. Hopefully that speedy dual carriageway will not itself nee...