The Cromford Canal And High Peak Trail

The following prices apply for this walk:

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

This walk is easily accessible by both car and public transport, with regular buses and trains from Derby and elsewhere serving Cromford. 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.

If travelling by train, the railway station is about half a mile from the start of the walk. Although there is a wide pavement from the station to the bridge over the river, the pavement over the bridge is too narrow for a wheelchair or scooter, and so it will be necessary to use the road in order to cross the bridge. As the bridge is located in the middle of an S-bend, this is not ideal, and we suggest that you only attempt this if you have others with you who can warn oncoming traffic that you are in the road.

Most buses stop either in the village or on the A6, around five minutes walk from the start of the walk. The pavements between the bus stops and the start of the walk are good, and there are light-controlled pedestrian crossings over Cromford Hill and the A6. There is no controlled crossing over Mill Road/Mill Lane, although this is a reasonably quiet road with good visibility so crossing should not be an issue if you cross by the Canal Wharf.

If travelling by car, there is "pay-and-display" car parking available on Cromford Wharf itself, on the adjacent Cromford Meadows, and also across the road at Cromford Mill. The postcode for sat-navs to reach Cromford Wharf is DE4 3RQ, and the Wharf is directly opposite Cromford Mill and St Mary's Church, just south of the bridge over the river.

If you are on foot, then we recommend sensible stout footwear such as walking boots or trainer-style walking shoes. In dry weather, it is possible to do this walk in trainers. However, we do not recommend that you try it in sandals, flip-flops or any other similar footwear.

If you are in a self-propelled wheelchair, then you will almost certainly need someone to help you up the long incline from High Peak Junction to Black Rocks. With a gradient of up to 1 in 8 and a length of almost one mile, this climb can be a challenge for even the fittest wheelchair user.

We also recommend that you bring a small bottle of water as, whether on foot or on wheels, the long climb up from High Peak junction to Black Rocks can be very thirsty work in warm weather.

This walk is specifically designed to be as accessible as possible to persons of reduced mobility, especially users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The surfacing all around the route is good, combining packed earth and fine gravel with tarmac and other paved surfaces. There are no stiles or significant steps, and all road crossings feature dropped curbs. However, the route does include a mile-long ascent up a 1 in 8 incline, and a slightly shorter descent down a similar 1 in 8 gradient from Black Rocks to the village of Cromford. For this reason, it is not really suitable for unassisted wheelchairs or less-powerful electric scooters, so we have graded its accessibility as "For Many" using the Miles Without Stiles grading system. Due to the possibly high battery drain during the long climb up Cromford and Sheep Pasture Inclines, we do not recommend attempting this route on a mobility scooter with a range of less than 8 miles (ideally more), and always recommend making sure that your battery is fully charged before starting.

This walk is suitable for dogs. However, due to the closeness of the water, the presence of wild water fowl and the large number of cyclists using the route, we strongly recommend that you keep your dog on a short lead and under close control at all times. We also ask that, in order to avoid disturbing the wild water fowl, you do not allow your dog to go into the water at any time.

You can book places on any of our 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 scheduled 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.