⛅️Belper🪻Bluebell Walk 9 miles🪻Shining Cliff Wood🪻Alderwasley Midshires Way⛅️

This walk starts in the Riverside Market Town of Belper with its rich industrial heritage.
Jedediah Strutt built the world's first water powered cotton yarn mill here in 1776, harnessing the power of the River Derwent. The largest of the mills, 'North Mill', was destroyed by fire in 1803.
William Strutt rebuilt the mill using a unique iron frame structure thus preventing its further destruction by fire. This iron frame design was the first of its kind in the world and is said to be the forerunner of modern day high rise construction.
The Strutts provided housing for their mill workers, Long Row shows some of the best examples. These include long terraces and back-to-back style cluster houses, with much of their original features still intact. The next three parallel streets, George Street, William Street and Joseph Street, were named after the sons of Jedediah Strutt.
The impressive horseshoe-shaped weir (near the town bridge), was built to create a head of water to power the cotton Mills. The century old river gardens, built beside the weir, are the Jewel In The Crown of the Derwent Valley.

Heading out of Belper, the route follows a riverside path, Wyver Lane Nature Reserve. This wonderful wildlife haven is run by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
This wetland nature reserve is an excellent place to see many birds which visit throughout the year.
It's one of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's most important wetland reserves, consisting of two pools, one main one and a smaller pool, wonderful water meadows and reed beds. A good selection of birds have been recorded there over the years, including fire crests, pied flycatchers, spotted flycatchers, crossbills and hawfinch, the latter two coming from coppice woods at the end of Wyver Lane, an area with great potential for seeing significant sightings.
Not only is the nature reserve a wonderful attraction for common species, it is home to several birds of prey who hunt there, including the hobby, buzzard, kestrel and sparrowhawk and there have even been occasional visits by peregrines and red kites.

Leaving the Nature Reserve our route heads up to join the Derwent Valley Way, the views are surprisingly beautiful of Nether Heage and Ambergate.

We continue through Beggarswell and Shining Cliff Woods, there should be a carpet of bluebells waiting for us. We visit the ancient remains of the Betty Kenney Yew Tree around 2000 years old.
In the late 1700s, a woman named Betty Kenny lived in the woods with her husband Luke and their eight children. They worked as charcoal burners for the Hurt family, who owned the land at the time.
The Kenny family spent a lot of time within the shelter of the old Yew Tree. They lived in ramshackle turf-covered hut beneath its sprawling branches and used the tree’s trunk to support the structure.
Betty Kenny would lay her babies in the boughs of this Ancient Yew Tree and her husband Luke, tended to their charcoal burning here in Shining Cliff Woods, Derbyshire.
Sadly the tree was badly burnt in the 1930's, the devastating remains lie in the shade of the woodland along with its secrets..

Leaving this enchanted woodland we emerge onto Alderwasley Plantation.
Beautiful views of the Georgian Alderwasley Hall, the All Saints Parish church, and a panorama which includes landscaped parkland with a cascading stream and a series of ornamental lakes, a celtic cross mounted on a twenty foot high column, standing majestically alone on the hillside, all come into view.

After walking through Alderwasley Village, our chosen route reaches the halfway point and joins the Midshires Way.
It takes us through scenic pastures eventually descending steeply to Mount Pleasant with a pleasant walk into Belper.

During the walk, we make sure everyone is ok with catching up points and breaks along the way. As well as supporting eachother, and taking our time to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.
Enjoyment is first and foremost, as well as respecting slower walkers..

A moderate undulating walk with a gentle climb through woodland and easy tracks along open pastures

Catching up points and breaks along the way as always

Toilets at the start in Belper near the Mill

Bring a picnic lunch and plenty of snacks water to keep you going, lunch time is when we find a suitable area weather dependent

Walking boots are essential, as always check the weather and dress accordingly

Doggies are always welcome 🐕‍🦺🐕

Look forward to sharing another adventure with you..🐕🚶‍♀️🌸🪻🐄👩‍🦯🧑‍🦯🚶🐑