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The Cromford Canal

Distance: 5.25 miles
Price: £6.00 per person

(Group & family rates available)


Leawood Pumphouse Leawood Pumphouse Leawood Pumphouse Leawood Pumphouse Leawood Pumphouse Leawood Pumphouse
Leawood Pumphouse


This is an enjoyable end-to-end walk of the surviving western section of the Cromford Canal, looking at the history of the Canal and the various industries it once served.

The walk begins at Cromford Wharf, which once served the huge cotton mills of Richard Arkwright where the Industrial Revolution was born. Following the canal southwards, it passes High Peak Junction, site of one of the earliest railway workshops in the world, and the preserved Leawood Pumphouse, which supplied water for the canal by drawing it from the river below. It then continues along the canal through Whatstandwell, finally ending where the line of the canal is broken by modern industrial construction at Ambergate.

The entire length of the Canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the diverse wildlife found along its length, while the section from Whatstandwell Bridge to Ambergate is also a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). Besides the other wildlife that can be seen along its length, the Canal has also become a haven for the Water Vole, under threat elsewhere from the introduced American Mink.



Duration (approx):
3 hours.
Start point:
Cromford Canal Wharf,
Off Mill Road (Mill Lane),
Cromford,
Derbyshire.
Start time:
1:30pm.
End point:
Opposite the Hurt Arms public house,
Ambergate,
Derbyshire.
Dates available:
Available as an open walk from March to November on a date of your choosing on Mondays, some Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays.

Scheduled walks available on the following dates:
March 1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th, 16th, 20th, 23rd, 27th, 31st.
April 3rd, 6th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 24th, 27th.
May 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 18th, 22nd, 25th, 29th.
June 2nd, 5th, 7th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, 26th, 30th.
July 3rd, 6th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 24th, 26th, 31st.
August 3rd, 7th, 9th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 31st.
September 4th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 18th, 21st, 25th, 29th.
October 2nd, 5th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 23rd, 27th, 30th.
November 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 29th, 30th.
(Online pre-booking is essential for these walks.)

Private group bookings are also available on a date of your choosing between March 1st and November 30th (subject to availability and Coronavirus restrictions).







When is this walk available?

This walk is available on a date of your choosing from March 1st to November 30th. Scheduled walks take place at least once each month from March to November. It may also be booked as a private booking via a Personal Walking Guide between the same dates.



Is this walk Covid-secure?

At Derbyshire Heritage Walks we follow all current government and industry guidelines, and all of our guides have been fully vaccinated. Therefore you can be confident that this walk is as Covid-secure as we can possibly make it. Details of how we do this can be found here.



Will we have the exclusive services of the guide?

All of our open and scheduled walks are open to all. If you book onto either of these types of walk, then there is a chance that there may well be other people on the walk with you. If you wish to have the exclusive services of the guide, you MUST book a Personal Walking Guide.



Prices.

The following prices apply for this walk:

Ticket
Price
Deposit
(Included in overall price)
Adult or Child aged 16 and over
(Up to 8 people in group)
£6.00 per person
£2.00 per person
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of up to 4)
£40.00 per group
£10.00 per group
Personal Walking Guide
(Group of 5 to 8)
£60.00 per group
£15.00 per group

Discounted family tickets also available, giving cheaper prices for groups including children aged 15 and under. Please e-mail us for details.

Due to restricted space on the canal towpath, we cannot accept bookings for groups of more than 8 people.




Travel to and from the walk.

This walk is easily accessible by both car and public transport, with regular buses and trains from Derby and elsewhere serving both Cromford and Ambergate. If you do need to use public transport, the latest information on buses and trains to and from this walk can be found on our travel information page.



Are there any disabled access issues?

The first part of the Canal, from Cromford Wharf to Leawood Pumphouse, is suitable for wheelchairs, with easy access onto the canal towpath at Cromford Wharf, and also off the towpath at High Peak Junction. Beyond Leawood Pumphouse, wheelchair access is impossible due to a narrow wooden bridge and the narrowness and surface condition of the towpath. For this reason, we are unable to accept bookings for wheelchair users on this walk. Others of more restricted mobility may also find difficulties with some sections of the towpath.



Is this walk suitable for dogs?

Given the narrow towpath, the sensitive nature of the natural environment and the large number of cyclists also using the canal towpath, we strongly recommend that you do not bring your dog with you. This is also a view shared by Derbyshire County Council, as they have had many issues with incidents where free-running dogs have disturbed the protected species found along the canal, and have an on-going campaign to educate owners using the canal as a walking route for their dogs.

If you feel that you must bring your dog with you, we do ask that you inform us at the time of booking. We also ask that you keep your dog under close control on a short non-extendible lead at all times and do not allow it to run free under any circumstances.




Booking

You can book places on any of our open or scheduled walks via the PayPal button below. Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.

If you wish to make a Personal Walking Guide booking for this walk, please see our Personal Walking Guide booking page here.

Bookings for walks can be made at any time up to 48 hours before the intended date of your walk, or up to 72 hours beforehand for Personal Walking Guides. We regret that we cannot accept bookings made less than 48 hours prior to the planned start time of the walk (72 hours for Personal Walking Guide bookings).

Please ensure before booking that the date you require is not listed below and on our online calendar as unavailable or fully booked, and that you have read and agree to our terms and conditions.




Latest Booking News

  • The March 10th walk is unavailable due to all guides being busy with other walks.
  • Bookings are open for all other scheduled dates listed, and close at 1:00pm two days prior to the date of the walk.
  • We are now accepting open walk and Personal Walking Guide bookings for this walk on Mondays, some Tuesdays, Wednesdays, some Thursdays, Fridays, most Saturdays and some Sundays from the beginning of March to the end of November 2024.



Book An Open Or Scheduled Walk

Please select the number of places you would like to book, the start time you would like, and enter the date required.

Other payment options are available on request - Please e-mail us for details if required.

By placing a booking with us, you are accepting and agreeing to our terms and conditions.

Number of places
Date required
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Book A Personal Walking Guide

To book a Personal Walking Guide for this walk, please go to our Personal Walking Guide page.




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