Cromford Canal and Matlock Bath

After another quiet night in the pub carpark, this morning we drove a few miles to Lidl where we victualled for the week. Fully replenished we hit the road north towards Matlock.

The village of Cromford lies a mile to the south of Matlock, here you can park all day for less than £5 and it is within walking distance of Matlock Bath. We parked in the carpark at Cromford Wharf and after coffee set out for a stroll along the canal.

 

This canal was built at the end of the 18th Century to link Cromford with the rest of the middle-England canal network on the outskirts of Derby.

After about a mile we came to High Peak Junction where the High Peak railway meets the Cromford canal. Built between 1825 and 1830 this was one of the worlds first long distance railways. The route climbs over 1000ft, by means of a series of inclines where engine houses powering a continuous steel cable loop would haul the train uphill. After crossing High Peak, the railway descends via another series of inclines to Buxton.

Continuing along the canal we crossed a viaduct over the river Derwent and shortly afterwards came to the magnificent Leawood Pump house. This beam engine powered pump was used to lift water from the river to fill the canal. Retracing our footsteps we returned to Kiki for lunch.

Suitability fortified we set out again, this time we went in the opposite direction towards Matlock Bath. We wandered along the Main Street past chip shops, cafe’s and amusement arcades wondering why this place is so popular. As the shops petered out we crossed the river and picked up the Lovers Walk that runs along the other side of the river. This was a pleasant walk that was slightly spoiled by the noisy road running through Matlock Bath on other side. Crossing back over the river we returned to Kiki.

A short drive up into the hills above Matlock and we arrived in paradise - a camping field in the middle of nowhere! We emptied our spare toilet cassette (which we swapped over last night) and filled our fresh water tank before pitching up at the top of the field with a magnificent view across the valley.

As the sun went down we sat outside with a hot beverage. We had our evening meal before settling down for the night.