Category: Medium Walks

After battling with the ‘Ring go’ roadside parking app (other parking apps are available), 15 members departed from the café at Grindleford Station, suitably fed and watered, in ‘period surroundings’. We headed upwards towards Hathersage, in our second foray into the Peak District this year, stopping to look at some relics of the area’s industrial past.

Enjoying perfect walking weather, the walk began with an exhilarating escalation of elevation that was eminently worth the effort, as the views were super.  After descending into Hathersage we passed the popular open-air lido before proceeding to the lunch spot at the side of the Derwent and the final push back to the café to complete the 6 mile walk.

Along the way, we were entertained with Mark Jackson’s ‘guess the house price’ competition (answers of at least 7 figures), and also gruesome information about the abandoned riverside chapel, now grade 2 listed.

Our next walk will be in the Ollerton area on Monday 21^st July.

New members are always welcome to join this group.

John Tedstone and Mark Jackson

Tansley and Riber

We had a welcome return to the Peak District for our latest walk. From the start at Tansley, it was mostly either uphill or downhill, and by general agreement a very enjoyable walk, and also slightly longer than usual at just over 7 miles.

After passing Riber Castle, we needed a few minutes to get our bearings, looking down to Matlock Bath, with the cable car in view. We then headed south, above Cromford, before starting our return route near the Azalea gardens at Lea.

After 3 months of very little rainfall, the paths were all dry, and we agreed that this was not a walk for the winter or after bad weather.

Refreshment at the Tavern at Tansley was very welcome, by which time the sun had appeared, and was warming us up considerably.

Our thanks to Kevin Varey for planning and leading this walk. Our next walk in June will be to Hathersage.

John Tedstone

Possibly our warmest April walk so far started at Elvaston Castle, near Borrowash, and just over the border in Derbyshire. The estate is owned by Derbyshire County council, and became one of the first Country Parks, in 1970. The castle, which is not open to the public, was the home of the Earl of Harrington, and mostly dates from the early 1800s, although part dates back to 1633.

We had a pleasant stroll through the grounds, pausing for our mandatory group photo, then left the park to follow the River Derwent, along the Derwent Valley Way. This was a new area for us to explore, and only about 35 minutes drive from Hucknall. We retired to the Queen’s Head in nearby Ockbrook afterwards, although several members of the group took a wrong turn on the way there, and didn’t arrive! Thanks to Gill Hunt for organising this walk.

John Tedstone

Our walk for March was a local walk, starting from Bestwood Village. After chatting to the leader of another walking group from Mansfield, we set off through an area where a lot of horses are stabled, and then onto the trail along the route of the old railway branch line to Calverton. We then continued on part of the Robin Hood Way, and through Killarney Park into the Country Park, having chatted to a passing walker who was distinctive in a bright red fleece, from appearing on Bargain Hunt, the TV series.

After some of our group opted for the steeper option on the next section, we re-assembled for the picnic stop, where there is a good view across to Hucknall and the Annesley woods. Thanks to Steve and Anne Lawrence for planning this walk.

Our April walk will be at Elvaston Castle, and one week later than usual, on Monday 28^th April, due to the later Easter holiday.

John Tedstone

In the spirit of the University of the Third Age, our Medium Walks group set off recently from the University tram stop for our first ramble of 2025.

We followed a route through the newish Science Park, round the much older Dunkirk pond, then over the main railway line using the Stewart Adams bridge, named after the inventor of Ibuprofen. After a pause to watch cars being very quickly reduced to bits in the cruncher at the Sims Metals recycling site, we carried on to the canal towpath at Thane Road. The old footbridge over the canal which we had planned to use is currently closed for renovation, so we carried on around the new road at the perimeter of the Boots site. A large amount of housing is currently being built, and we wondered about the future of the part of the site still in use by Boots.

We then reached the western end of the University campus, and decided to try out the facilities of the Student Union at the top of the hill – these were found to be ideal, both inside and outside, and the weather was as good as can be expected for mid-February.

Our March walk will be another local walk, at Bestwood Country Park. We always welcome new members, just use the tab on the homepage of our website to get in touch.

John Tedstone