Country Images Magazine North Edition July 2017 | Page 58

Walking around Crich Chase Scrub woodland and lush grazing along a hillside climbing above the Derwent Valley was once part of a thousand acre hunting and pleasure ground used only by royalty. Established in the 13 th century for King Henry III’s son the Earl of Leicester who was also called Edmund Crouchback, it became known as Beaurepaire, ‘a beautiful retreat’, a name which eventually changed into Belper, the main town at its heart. With Crich Chase as its northern boundary and Duffi eld Castle to the south, with Belper in between, all the land on either side of the Derwent was the preserve of the aristocracy and woe betide anyone else found taking his lord and master’s game. Due to the constraints of the narrow valley, the A6 road, canal and railway all crowd together within the space of a hundred yards or so in this section below the chase, with canal and railway perched above a high stone wall between Whatstandwell and Ambergate. It is here that they run below the wooded lower reaches of Crich Chase. At the top of the hill beyond the natural woodland, the almost alpine village of Crich makes a breezy welcome to travellers. Field paths skirting the northern limits of Crich lead to two unexpected features. Standing proud on top of the highest point around the village, Crich Stand, the memorial to those who gave their lives for the nation in two world wars and beyond, is in the shape of a lighthouse. Probably the furthest lighthouse in the country from the sea, the view from the tower is said to encompass all the Midland counties. On a clear day it is claimed that it is possible to see the Humber Bridge and Lincoln Cathedral. Below the memorial tower and in a section of an abandoned quarry, trams running on a short length of track would once have graced the streets in places as far apart as Portugal’s Lisbon, or Blackpool promenade. Restored shops and public buildings sit alongside modern workshops where vintage trams are restored in full working order. On the return leg of the walk, steep fi eld paths drop down through Duke’s Wood and its naturalised gritstone quarries, to the Cromford Canal. Although barges no longer travel along this one-time link between the Trent and links to the industrial North West, the canal and its wooded surrounds have become an important nature reserve. Here the walk follows the tow path back to Ambergate. www.tramway.co.uk Useful Information 7½ miles (12km) of moderate woodland, fi eld path and level canal tow path walking. Total ascent/decent 721ft (220m). Recommended map: Ordnance Survey1:25000 scale Outdoor Leisure Sheet OL24, the White Peak Area. Public transport. Hourly trains between Derby and Ambergate and frequent bus services from all over the area. Car parking space at Ambergate station (pay and display). Refreshments. Hurt Arms across the A6 from Ambergate station, the Black Swan and the Cliff Inn in Crich. Th e Family Tree café/ restaurant below the canal tow- path at Whatstandwell, is walker and dog friendly and makes an ideal place to pause on the last leg of the walk. We have a range of events for you to enjoy throughout the year. Each event incorporates the Village scene, and trams from the appropriate era or city of origin are run throughout the day. EDWARDIAN EVENT: Sat 15th & Sun 16th July WWII HOME FRONT EVENT: Sat 12th & Sun 13th August MODEL TRAM AND RAILWAY EVENT: Sat 19th & Sun 20th August CLASSIC TRANSPORT GATHERING: Sun 27th & Mon 28th August HORSE TRAM DAYS: Mon 31st July, Tues 22nd & Thurs 31st August SITUATED NEAR MATLOCK AND ONLY 8 MILES FROM M1 JUNCTION 28 58 | CountryImagesMagazine.co.uk Crich Tramway Village, Crich, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 5DP Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected]