by Rambler
I don’t think I have ever written about a walk where the instructions needed to mention street names, but as this walk involves the use of streets dating back to Matlock’s origins as a spa town, it will be helpful if I name the handful of them necessary, in order to reach the forests surrounding the eastern side of the town. Fortunately street walking will be at the minimum once the height gained by climbing Bank Road from the town centre is accomplished. The reason for all this climbing on pavements and a narrow side alley, or jitty, is due to long term parking currently being difficult around the town centre while the extensive flood prevention works are carried out on the river bank, beyond the road bridge near Crown Square.
In the hey-day of Smedley’s Hydro (now Derbyshire County Council headquarters), trams hauled by an underground cable ran up and down Bank Road from Crown Square. Unfortunately present day traffic has made it impossible to have trams cluttering up the town centre, struggling for space with the never ending convoys of heavy vehicles carrying Derbyshire’s limestone to markets far and wide.
Until Smedley had his brainwave, the great and good seemed to have managed quite well without the need for the likes of high pressure water sprayed all over their quaking bodies, but they did and flocked to Matlock in their droves, that was until the fashion died out around the mid 1940s. Fortunately the white elephant the building had become soon fulfilled a need for new county council headquarters away from overcrowded Derby. While the fashion for the water cure was at its height, Smedley became very rich and encouraged his senior employees to open smaller versions of his hydropathic establishment, rather like chickens around a mother hen. He also built Riber Castle that still dominates the townscape, despite its history of failure.
The eastern hillside above Matlock and as far as the joining of Derwent and lower Wye Valleys was once renowned for plant nurseries, specialising in shrubs and the kind of plants that prefer acid soils, such as that found to the east of the Derwent Valley, especially above Darley Dale. There is even a rich ruby-flowered heather called Erica darleyensise that was developed by one of the hillside nurseries. Regrettably only one of those nurseries survived.
Beyond County Offices, the walk has one last climb, directly up to the attractive housing estate accessed by Cavendish Road. Further on, the way is through established pine forested plantations along with mature mixed woodland which is soon left in order to drop down to the Sydnope section of Two Dales and where a woodland track winds its way towards the stone cottages and small farms bordering Boam Lane. A pleasant high level road walk with many views later descend, leading towards the need to cross a busy main road, the A6. Luckily this is brief and a short field track is joined, going under Peak Rail’s track and then onwards towards the river which together with the railway is followed all the way back into Matlock town Centre.
THE WALK STEP BY STEP
From Crown Square walk up steep Bank Road until you reach County Offices and the site of Smedley’s Hydropathic Institute as it was known in the days of the ‘water cure’.
Turn left at the corner of the main building and follow Smedley Street, past the entrance to County Offices. Cross over the junction with Wellington Street corner marked by the attractive tower and residential property on the site of ‘Tinker’ Wright’s hardware store where you could buy such things as nails and screws in any quantity rather than coming away with the unwanted contents of whole packets.
Cross over to the other side of the junction and walk on for about a hundred yards to reach a side turning to the right into Smith Street.
Follow Smith Street uphill to its junction with Jackson Road.
Cross the double junction and go to the left along Jackson Tor Road, following it to its end and then turn right on to a steeply inclined jitty – the local word for an alley.
Leave the narrow jitty at the top where it passes a children’s play area in order to join Cavendish Road. Turn left along this road, walking past houses on your right and the local sports ground on your left.
Where the road turns sharply to the right, continue forwards along a narrow tree lined track winding steadily uphill and into mature woodland.
When the track begins to bear right, continue along it, climbing steadily right, uphill and beginning to bear left, scrambling upwards as far as the remains of an old stone boundary wall.
Turn left at the wall and walk on, joining a level grassy path running between mature mixed woodland on your left and a plantation of pines on the right.
At the end of the path turn right and then go diagonally left to cross a grassy fire break.
Currently work is in progress to remove fully grown trees destined to be converted into woodchip used for building purposes. Look out for notices advising current operations and listen out for machinery and loaded trucks.
Continue into pinewood and follow a path through the dense woodland.
Where the woodland path reaches a forestry track, turn left and follow it for about a quarter of a mile, turning right and then left at a track junction after another quarter of a mile.
Follow this section of track for around half a mile, past open fields grazed by sheep on your left. Continue until the track bears right opposite the boundary of a private garden developed in an abandoned gritstone quarry. From the middle of May, the wild garden is filled with the pinks and reds of rhododendrons.
About a hundred yards beyond the turning, go to the left following the garden boundary, along a rough path winding between trees. At an abandoned stone wall, go steeply downhill with the path until it reaches the road.
Cross the road and turn right on to a narrow, surfaced drive. This is the second of two adjacent access drives – take the right hand one, not the left as it only gives access to Tax Farm.
Bear left downhill with the drive which is followed as far as its turning towards Tax Cottage.
Bear right opposite the cottage and walk down the boggy field as far as a narrow stone stile.
Go through the stile and bear left for about a mile along the frequently muddy path, high above the flooded section of Sydnope Dale.
Where the path becomes a surfaced lane – Holt Road, continue to its junction with Greenaway Lane and bear left.
Continue along the lane, now called Hackney Road until it reaches the second side road on the left – Burnett Lane. Do not enter this lane, but turn right and cross Hackney Road and then follow narrow Boam Lane swinging right and then left when it reaches a narrow stone stile.
Go through the stile and follow the surfaced path steeply downhill towards a stone cottage, and then turn right along Old Hackney Lane. Follow this road as far as the main road, the A6.
Cross the A6 and go through a wooden gate in order to follow a field path passing beneath the railway track to join a riverside path.
Turn left along the path, now following the railway for one and a half miles as far as the centre of Matlock.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
A moderate 6¼ mile (10km) walk which after a steep climb along paved roads, follows forest tracks and riverside paths back into Matlock. Muddy sections will be encountered during wet weather, especially above Warney Brook woods. One 682ft (208m) climb partly along paved roads.
RECOMMENDED MAP:
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map Sheet OL24. 1:25,000 scale. The Peak District – White Peak area.
PARKING: Long term parking currently difficult in Matlock during flood prevention works, but space is usually available in the car park adjacent to Matlock Station. Alternatively, roadside parking can often be found on Snitterton Road.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Frequent buses between Derby and Matlock, or by rail from Derby mainline station.
REFRESHMENTS: Cafes and pubs in Matlock Town Centre.
