Rest by the Cromford Canal, spot rare birds and other native wildlife, all amongst our UNESCO World Heritage site.
Walks & trails
Rest by the Cromford Canal, spot rare birds and other native wildlife, all amongst our UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cromford Canal and Black Rocks
Weaving up the Derwent Valley for five and a half miles of its length the Cromford Canal passes through stunning countryside.
Sponsored by local businessmen, including Sir Richard Arkwright, the canal was engineered by William Jessop, whose son Josias went on to engineer the Cromford and High Peak Railway, now the High Peak Trail. The top section of the canal to Cromford was used as a working waterway until 1944.
The 5 mile stretch along the towpath from Cromford Wharf to Ambergate is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the canal is home to water voles, little grebes and a variety of wildflowers, birds and ducks.
A mile along the towpath from Cromford Wharf is High Peak Junction and some of the oldest surviving railway workshops in the world. You can find out more at the High Peak Junction Visitor Centre. Continue a little further and you will find Leawood Pumphouse, built in 1849 and still in pristine working order. Aqueduct Cottage, once part of Florence Nightingale’s family estate, is now fully restored.
If you fancy a walking challenge – at High Peak Junction you can join the High Peak Trail by taking the route up Sheep Pasture Incline (a 1 in 9 gradient). The effort is worth it when you reach Black Rocks at the top, with fantastic views of Matlock Gorge, Cromford Mills, Carsington Reservoir, and the Derwent Valley. From here you can continue along the High Peak Trial or head across Cromford Moor with its woodland trails and heather moorland.
At the top of Sheep Pasture Incline, you can also take a public footpath through the fields back into Cromford Village, to make a circular route. (Public footpaths can be wet and muddy and involve stiles and gates)
Cromford Canal offers flat terrain that can be enjoyed by everyone; you can hire a Tramper (an ‘all terrain mobility scooter’) from Cromford Mills or High Peak Junction. To book call 01629 343050 between 10.30 and 4 or complete and return this form.
Beyond The Mill Walls and Cromford Village
Step beyond the main car park for Cromford Mills and you will discover a whole different area of nature.
The area we call ‘Beyond the Mill Walls’ used to be known as known as Smelting Mill Green before Sir Richard Arkwright came and built the cotton mills and St Mary’s Church.
Lead smelting mills were sited here from around 1575 and these were converted into “Callimy Works” (producing calamine for brass making) in about 1761. When Sir Richard Arkwright began to build Willersley Castle on the other side of the River Derwent, the cottages and smelting mills were cleared as part of the landscaping. Visit our ‘Beyond the Mill Walls’ page to discover more about this area.
The footpath along Church Walk starts at St Mary’s Church and follows the bank of the River Derwent towards the A6. Get up close to nature walking through the meadows full of wildflowers and look on the river for birds such as dippers, grey wagtails and kingfishers.
From the end of Church Walk, cross the A6 at the pedestrian crossing and you will arrive in Cromford Village. Arkwright developed the village in the 1770s and built the earliest industrial housing in Derbyshire along North Street to house his growing workforce. There are several shops and places to eat and drink in the village; stop for a tipple at the Greyhound Hotel, built by Arkwright, or lose hours browsing the shelves of Scarthin Books opposite the Greyhound Pond.
Guided audio tours for the route from Cromford Mills to the village and along Church Walk are available to hire from the Mill Shop in the mill yard subject to availability. They will take you to discover hidden historical gems such as the Bear Pit –Arkwright’s water management system, hidden away near the historic village Lock up, and workers allotments.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Dunsley Meadows and Slinter Woodland
Meander through Cromford Village along Water Lane towards the old corn mill and adjacent pond, where behind it you will find the steps leading up to Slinter Woodland.
Slinter Woodland is a beautiful landscape of ash trees and a rich flowering woodland floor. A special tree of this woodland is the native large leaved lime, an indicator of ancient woodland.
Take the path that follows the famous Bonsall Brook (which supplied Cromford Mills) and discover old water features, the sawmill and more. This area is abundant with wildlife and has been designated a Derbyshire Wildlife site, a Local Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation.
Dunsley meadows, which adjoin Slinter Wood, consist of seven small fields that once were part of the upland commons of the villages of Cromford and Middleton on which the villagers had grazing rights. Wildflowers blossom along the wood-edge and the meadows are awash with colour throughout spring and summer. Now owned by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, when originally in the ownership of The Arkwright Society, the old hay meadows became Derbyshire Dales District Council’s first Local Nature Reserve.
Follow a longer walking route towards Bonsall, or go back into Slinter Woods and climb the steep slope up through the woodland towards Rose End Meadows, then return to Cromford Mills via Cromford Hill.
Explore more of Cromford Mills
Cafés
Make a day of it by refuelling in one of our welcoming cafés. From hot drinks and delicious cakes to ice creams and our seasonal lunch menus there is something to enjoy all year round.
Shops
We have a variety of independent retailers selling unique art, crafts, food and gifts as well as our own gift shop.
What’s On
Check out our calendar of events. With something on almost every weekend and every day during the school holidays, there is something for everyone to enjoy at Cromford Mills.