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Discover the countryside: Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

Tomislav Dodig / Unsplash

TRAIL: Walk the Chesterfield Canal

CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire recommends the Chesterfield Canal, which runs 46 miles from Chesterfield in Derbyshire to West Stockwith in Nottinghamshire, where it joins the River Trent.

Known locally as the Cuckoo Dyke, it was one of the last canals designed by James Brindley, the pioneering canal engineer who died before it was completed in 1777. The towpath gives easy access to countryside walks across both counties, sticking to public paths, with circular routes leading off into the surrounding fields and villages.

PLACE TO EXPLORE: Follow Byron’s footsteps at Newstead Abbey

CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire also recommends the walk around Newstead Abbey, near Hucknall, ancestral home of the poet Lord Byron. The route loops through the villages of Papplewick and Linby, with the Horse and Groom in Linby a good spot to stop along the way.

PLACE TO EXPLORE: Watch birds at Ogston Reservoir

CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire also recommends the circular walk around Ogston Reservoir in the Amber Valley, a Site of Special Scientific Interest that draws birdwatchers throughout the year.

PLACE TO EXPLORE: Creswell Crags

Okay, this one might not be the best-kept secret. But it is home to Britain’s only example of Ice Age cave art!

PLACE TO EXPLORE: Masson Lees Quarry

Sitting just outside the Peak District, this is a lovely spot for climbing (but be safe, take precautions and follow instructions!) It’s recently been purchased by father and son who are keen to protect the area and encourage access to the outdoors.

TRAIL: Follow the Five Pits Trail

The Five Pits Trail follows 5.5 miles of former colliery railway between Tibshelf and Grassmoor, now a surfaced, accessible route for walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users, with several places to join or leave the trail along the way.

LANDSCAPE STORY: Walk land that nearly disappeared

The South Wingfield to Alfreton walk crosses historic Alfreton Park, land once earmarked for a large solar development before local campaigning, including from CPRE, helped keep it as open countryside. The route offers views across the Amber Valley towards the Crich Memorial.