On the Cromford Canal

Found the Derwent Valley World Heritage site a little disappointing after looking forward to our visit. The best part was walking along the Cromford Canal for two or so miles and then back again. A lovely walk through verdant green countryside following in the footsteps of history and seeing a treecreeper and quite a few young ducklings and some goslings.

We past by the workshops of the Cromford and High Peak Railway built only to link two canals across a high watershed, one of the earliest long distance lines to be built, pre dating the Stockton and Darlington. I remembered visiting this site in its very early days, perhaps 40 years ago so it was nice to go back and see it again.

Eventually the C&HPR was absorbed into the national network when the Midland Railway came along. That Railway runs along the canal and the River Derwent hereabouts (and also the busy A6 - Cromford was awash with trucks)

The rest of the site, which was billed as the gateway to the World Heritage site, was OK, but didn't make a huge impression and, as I mentioned the village which was built to house mill workers was chocked with traffic. The site claims to be the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution as Sir Richard Arkwright set up his first cotton mill factory there. I dare say other places might claim that title, especially Coalbrookdale in Shropshire. Scones were good though made from flour milled by Caudwells using mill powered by water on the nearby River Wye.

To be fair, the Heritage site stretches 15 miles south from the gateway and encompasses many other locations of historical importance as well as many trails and other attractions that celebrate this very important area. It was just that the "Gateway" didn't really do its job.