Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks
Home Guided Walks Private Bookings Custom Walks Self-Guided Walks Derbyshire Scenes Other Services About Us Environmental Mission Contact Us

Frequently Asked Questions
On this page, you'll find answers to all of the questions we get asked most frequently about our walks.

Do we have to be experienced walkers to take part in your walks?

Not at all. The great majority of our walks are designed to be relaxing strolls, rather than punishing energetic slogs. When planning a new walk, we try to base them on an average walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour, with allowance made for stopping to look at the various points of interest along the way. Where possible, we also try to avoid difficult terrain or steep climbs, and instead use established footpaths etc on fairly level ground. Yes, you will encounter a few hills at times, but you certainly won't find yourself scrambling up or down scree slopes or anything like that.

Do we need a lot of specialist (and expensive) equipment to take part in your walks?

For the majority of walks, no special equipment at all is needed. Usually, all you need is a good pair of walking boots or stout comfortable shoes - Even trainers would be OK for one of our more urban walks around a town or village. However, we do not recommend less sensible shoes such as high heels, even for our urban walks, as some of the surfaces we walk over can be very uneven and wearing of heels may result in injury. As walks take place in all weathers, except when extreme weather would make it too dangerous, it is also a good idea to make sure you have some waterproof clothing with you. For the longer walks, we would also recommend a small day-sized rucksack. If any specialist items are required or recommended for a specific walk, this is mentioned in the walk description, and you will also be informed of this when you book. For more advice on what to bring with you on our walks, see the "Walking Tips" page here.

What about food and drink - Is that provided?

No, it is up to you to provide your own refreshments on each walk. For the shorter half-day walks, you shouldn't need to bring much in the way of refreshments with you, as they only last for a couple of hours. What we would recommend you do think about bringing with you on these walks is a small bottle of water, especially in warm weather. For the longer half-day walks, such as those along the Cromford Canal, we strongly recommend that you bring water with you as there is little opportunity to purchase it along the way. For the full-day walks, we definitely recommend you bring not just water (at least two litres is recommended, especially in warm weather), but also sufficient food for the day. On most of the full-day walks, we cannot guarantee that you would be able to purchase any food along the way, so it is important that you do bring what you need with you. More advice on food and drink can be found on the "Walking Tips" page.

Can we just turn up on the day of the walk, instead of booking in advance?

Definitely not! The reason we insist on advance booking is because, as a small company, we need to keep our costs to a minimum. Because of this, if we have not received any advance bookings for a walk, then the guide will not turn up and that walk will not take place. This saves us having to pay travel costs for days when there is nobody for the scheduled walk. So, as a walk does not take place if there have been no bookings for it, there is a chance that if you were to simply turn up at the start point of the walk without booking in advance, you may find nobody there and that your trip has been wasted. This is why we insist on advance booking for all walks - not only does it save us money, but it also potentially saves you money too.

Do you provide transport to and from your walks?

No, we do not provide any transport services for any of our walks, and it is your responsibility to make all of your own travel arrangements to and from the walk. Where possible, the start and end points of our walks are easily accessible by public transport. Where this is not possible, the walk will be a circular one beginning and ending at a car park or other off-road parking. We can provide advice about the public transport options available to you, and this information can usually be found on the page detailing each walk, but it is up to you to make the actual arrangements.

Are your walks suitable for young children?

The majority of our walks, especially the longer ones, are not really suitable for very young children below the age of about 10. This is mainly due to the distances and times involved, and the lack of facilities in many areas. Additionally, some of the paths etc we use may not be suitable for very young children or pushchairs. While we can accommodate older children on most of our walks, we do insist that you contact us in advance if you have any children under the age of 13 in your party. We can then inform you if we believe the walk in question is suitable for them or not. If you have children under the age of 18 in your party, they must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, who will be expected to take and accept all responsibility for supervision of those under-18s.

Do you do family rates for your walks?

Yes, the majority of our walks offer special family rates that provide a discount of around 20-25% on the cost of a booking. For most walks, we offer two different family rates. The first is for one adult and up to three children aged 15 and below, while the second is for two adults and up to three children aged 15 and below. Children aged 16 and over pay the full adult rate for all walks. So, if you have a family of two adults with two children aged 15 or below, plus one aged 16 or over, you can make a family booking to cover yourselves and the two children under 15, but you would also need one adult booking for the older child. As our system cannot currently cope with multiple bookings of this type, please e-mail us with details of your booking and we can send you a PayPal invoice or details of alternative payment methods.

Are dogs allowed on your walks?

We are able to accommodate dogs on many of our walks. However, some do pass through nature reserves or other areas where dogs may not be welcome. If you would like to bring your dog with you on the walk, we do ask that you contact us well in advance to arrange this with us. Additionally, while on the walk, we also request that you keep your dog under very close control. This means keeping it on a short non-extendible lead at all times, and failure to properly control your dog may result in early termination of the walk.

Why does the cost of the booking include a non-refundable deposit?

The reason for the non-refundable deposit is quite simple. It helps to cover the work involved in processing your booking, and also the non-recoverable costs such as the payment processing and banking fees that we incur while doing this.

Can you do walks in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Sign Language, etc?

Unfortunately, at this time, we can only offer walks in English. This is because we do not have any guides who are fluent enough in other languages to lead any of our walks. We do have experience of working with translators, so if you can provide your own translator, then we can certainly accommodate you on our walks. However, we do request that, if you need the services of a translator, you make a private booking rather than book onto one of our scheduled walks. This then allows us to pace the walk appropriately, and avoids any problems with other customers who may want a faster pace.

IPD logo
BPD logo

TripAdvisor GuideAdvisor

This website is © Derbyshire Heritage Walks, 2024.

Cookie Policy: Like almost every other website on the Internet today, this site does use cookies. The only thing they are used for is as part of Google Analytics, so that we can tell how successful this site is at attracting visitors and which pages they look at most. If you don't want cookies on your system, then please don't view this site any further, as we can't change the underlying technology used by Google Analytics. We also suggest that you clear your cookies after leaving this site.

Derbyshire Heritage Walks Derbyshire Heritage Walks (Adrian Brown)
E-mail: enquiries@derbysheritagewalks.com
Home Walks Other Services Walking Tips About Us FAQs Contact Us Links Terms & Conditions


Frequently Asked Questions


On this page, you'll find answers to all of the questions we get asked most frequently about our walks.


Do we have to be experienced walkers to take part in your walks?

Not at all. The great majority of our walks are designed to be relaxing strolls, rather than punishing energetic slogs. When planning a new walk, we try to base them on an average walking speed of 2.5 miles per hour, with allowance made for stopping to look at the various points of interest along the way. Where possible, we also try to avoid difficult terrain or steep climbs, and instead use established footpaths etc on fairly level ground. Yes, you will encounter a few hills at times, but you certainly won't find yourself scrambling up or down scree slopes or anything like that.


Do we need a lot of specialist (and expensive) equipment to take part in your walks?

For the majority of walks, no special equipment at all is needed. Usually, all you need is a good pair of walking boots or stout comfortable shoes - Even trainers would be OK for one of our more urban walks around a town or village. However, we do not recommend less sensible shoes such as high heels, even for our urban walks, as some of the surfaces we walk over can be very uneven and wearing of heels may result in injury. As walks take place in all weathers, except when extreme weather would make it too dangerous, it is also a good idea to make sure you have some waterproof clothing with you. For the longer walks, we would also recommend a small day-sized rucksack. If any specialist items are required or recommended for a specific walk, this is mentioned in the walk description, and you will also be informed of this when you book. For more advice on what to bring with you on our walks, see the "Walking Tips" page here.


What about food and drink - Is that provided?

No, it is up to you to provide your own refreshments on each walk. For the shorter half-day walks, you shouldn't need to bring much in the way of refreshments with you, as they only last for a couple of hours. What we would recommend you do think about bringing with you on these walks is a small bottle of water, especially in warm weather. For the longer half-day walks, such as those along the Cromford Canal, we strongly recommend that you bring water with you as there is little opportunity to purchase it along the way. For the full-day walks, we definitely recommend you bring not just water (at least two litres is recommended, especially in warm weather), but also sufficient food for the day. On most of the full-day walks, we cannot guarantee that you would be able to purchase any food along the way, so it is important that you do bring what you need with you. More advice on food and drink can be found on the "Walking Tips" page.


Can we just turn up on the day of the walk, instead of booking in advance?

Definitely not! The reason we insist on advance booking is because, as a small company, we need to keep our costs to a minimum. Because of this, if we have not received any advance bookings for a walk, then the guide will not turn up and that walk will not take place. This saves us having to pay travel costs for days when there is nobody for the scheduled walk. So, as a walk does not take place if there have been no bookings for it, there is a chance that if you were to simply turn up at the start point of the walk without booking in advance, you may find nobody there and that your trip has been wasted. This is why we insist on advance booking for all walks - not only does it save us money, but it also potentially saves you money too.


Do you provide transport to and from your walks?

No, we do not provide any transport services for any of our walks, and it is your responsibility to make all of your own travel arrangements to and from the walk. Where possible, the start and end points of our walks are easily accessible by public transport. Where this is not possible, the walk will be a circular one beginning and ending at a car park or other off-road parking. We can provide advice about the public transport options available to you, and this information can usually be found on the page detailing each walk, but it is up to you to make the actual arrangements.


Are your walks suitable for young children?

The majority of our walks, especially the longer ones, are not really suitable for very young children below the age of about 10. This is mainly due to the distances and times involved, and the lack of facilities in many areas. Additionally, some of the paths etc we use may not be suitable for very young children or pushchairs. While we can accommodate older children on most of our walks, we do insist that you contact us in advance if you have any children under the age of 13 in your party. We can then inform you if we believe the walk in question is suitable for them or not. If you have children under the age of 18 in your party, they must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, who will be expected to take and accept all responsibility for supervision of those under-18s.


Do you do family rates for your walks?

Yes, the majority of our walks offer special family rates that provide a discount of around 20-25% on the cost of a booking. For most walks, we offer two different family rates. The first is for one adult and up to three children aged 15 and below, while the second is for two adults and up to three children aged 15 and below. Children aged 16 and over pay the full adult rate for all walks. So, if you have a family of two adults with two children aged 15 or below, plus one aged 16 or over, you can make a family booking to cover yourselves and the two children under 15, but you would also need one adult booking for the older child. As our system cannot currently cope with multiple bookings of this type, please e-mail us with details of your booking and we can send you a PayPal invoice or details of alternative payment methods.


Are dogs allowed on your walks?

We are able to accommodate dogs on many of our walks. However, some do pass through nature reserves or other areas where dogs may not be welcome. If you would like to bring your dog with you on the walk, we do ask that you contact us well in advance to arrange this with us. Additionally, while on the walk, we also request that you keep your dog under very close control. This means keeping it on a short non-extendible lead at all times, and failure to properly control your dog may result in early termination of the walk.


Why does the cost of the booking include a non-refundable deposit?

The reason for the non-refundable deposit is quite simple. It helps to cover the work involved in processing your booking, and also the non-recoverable costs such as the payment processing and banking fees that we incur while doing this.


Can you do walks in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Sign Language, etc?

Unfortunately, at this time, we can only offer walks in English. This is because we do not have any guides who are fluent enough in other languages to lead any of our walks. We do have experience of working with translators, so if you can provide your own translator, then we can certainly accommodate you on our walks. However, we do request that, if you need the services of a translator, you make a private booking rather than book onto one of our scheduled walks. This then allows us to pace the walk appropriately, and avoids any problems with other customers who may want a faster pace.


GuideAdvisor


Cookie policy

Like almost every other website on the Internet today, this site does use cookies. The only thing they are used for is as part of Google Analytics, so that we can tell how successful this site is at attracting visitors and which pages they look at most. If you don't want cookies on your system, then please don't view this site any further, as we can't change the underlying technology used by Google Analytics. We also suggest that you clear your cookies after leaving this site.