It's been a long time since I fitted that much up and down into an eight-mile walk! 740m of steep climbs and steps. My legs were not very happy with me the next day.
Between Matlock and Cromford, the Derwent River runs through a deep valley, with Matlock Bath - a landlocked town which pretends to be a seaside resort - down at the bottom. The ridge of high ground used to run all the way round to Scarthin Rock, cutting off Cromford from the rest of the valley, until somebody blasted a hole through it to build the A6.
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| Matlock Bath: pavilion and amusement park |
I started in Cromford and climbed over the ridge at Harp Edge, then followed a path along through the woods, with the ground dropping sharply away to my right. There were a few small caves among the trees.
At Upperwood someone had thoughtfully provided a bench. I wasn't in need of a rest just yet, though. In fact, I was feeling so bouncy that I went down an entirely unnecessary flight of steps, instead of staying on the reasonably level lane. And then, of course, I had to go up again...
A surprising number of houses cling to the slopes. I stepped out of the way of a Porsche Macan as it squeezed out of a driveway, but the roads were so narrow that the driver had to pull his wing mirrors in and proceed at a cautious walking pace. I could have overtaken it!
I stopped for a swig of water underneath the cable cars that run up to the Heights of Abraham. The route continued past St John the Baptist, which I saw last time, and then dropped down to Matlock.
They've finally finished working on the new flood defences in Matlock. This winter hasn't put them to the test - it's dull today, but dry underfoot. The bridge over the Derwent took me to Hall Leys Park, where I passed a playground, bowling green, splash park, and boating lake. A duck was the only one enjoying the boats!
St Giles' Church is perched on a rocky outcrop. This was the original church for Matlock, before the town expanded northwards. Sadly there was a sign on the door saying it was closed this week for work to be done. I walked up through the extensive graveyard to a war memorial, then made my way round to the start of the High Tor Pleasure Grounds.
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| sundial at St Giles' |
When the railway arrived in Matlock Bath in the middle of the 19th century, excursion trains brought hundreds and hundreds of people to see the sights. As today, I'm sure many stayed in the town, eating fish and chips and visiting amusement arcades, but some yearned to climb to the top of the steep cliffs. High Tor certainly fulfilled that need. There are great viewpoints over the edge; some carefully fenced, and some decidedly not. I accidentally got onto one of the more exposed paths, and had to focus on the white flowers - I wonder what they are? - to distract myself from the sheer drop.
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| look at the flowers... |
After that sweaty-palmed moment, it was an easy yomp back down to the train station. I crossed the Derwent and walked along the main road for a few moments, taking advantage of a lack of traffic to take a photo. The building with the spire is a former Methodist church.
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| Matlock station |
I crossed a footbridge back over the river to reach Lovers' Walks. These were an even earlier attempt to provide entertainment for visitors to Matlock Bath, dating back to around 1740. I was surprised to find that there was a higher path as well as the riverside one. Enticed by the steps once more, I started climbing. By halfway up I had decided that any lover who tried to drag someone up here for a romantic tryst would rapidly find themselves unloved!
Descending again to river level, I ate lunch in Derwent Gardens, which looked rather forlorn on this grey and chilly day. Holy Trinity Church was just on the other side of the main road. Another closed church, sadly. The signs indicate that the minister may be a Beatles fan.
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| Derwent Gardens |
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| Holy Trinity, Matlock Bath |
The stretch back to Cromford was on the A6. Fortunately traffic was light on a March Monday. Along the way, I saw a drinking trough erected by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain & Cattle Trough Association (which, amazingly, still exists in some form); the old schoolhouse, overshadowed by the cliff behind; and the red-brick bulk of Masson Mills.
Turning left off the main road onto Church Walk, Willersley Castle was across the river, and St Mary's Cromford was straight ahead. A group of children in colourful headgear were gathered on the grass. I thought at first that they were wearing helmets and preparing to go canoeing (brr!) but as I got closer, I realised they were all in red baseball caps. They seemed to be having a tour of Cromford.
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| Willersley Castle |
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| St Mary's Church, Cromford |
St Mary's was not only closed but had people outside, so I couldn't get a good look at the front. I took a photo of the information sign instead. Around the corner is a ruined bridge chapel. These were apparently once quite common, but now are rare; there's one in Derby, and there was probably one on Swarkestone Bridge, but there's no trace of it anymore.
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| ruins of bridge chapel |
Cromford Mill is worth seeing, but I'd been there before, so I didn't stop to look around today. I was keen to get to Scarthin Books instead. There I had a browse around the shelves, and a nice coffee in front of an old stove. A good finish to a strenuous walk.
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