{"id":1004804,"date":"2022-01-27T17:38:32","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1004804"},"modified":"2022-11-04T15:49:55","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T15:49:55","slug":"rowsley-beeley-and-the-derwent-valley-heritage-way-near-chatsworth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1004804","title":{"rendered":"Rowsley, Beeley, and the Derwent Valley Heritage Way near Chatsworth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overnight rain had cleared and I hoped for a sunny day as I made my way into the heart of the White Peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turned out that the cloud hung around for much of the walk, with some bright spells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My starting point, Calton Lees, is about an hour\u2019s drive from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk was7.5 miles, with 1032 feet (315m) of ascent. It took 2 hours 50 minutes, plus 15 minutes for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, this would have been great for a dog walk. About half of the walk is on fields which in other seasons will hold livestock. The rest of the walk is on tracks and paths where dogs can run free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a car park at Calton Lees, postcode DE4 2NX, the walk\u2019s starting point. It should cost \u00a35, but the pay kiosk was deserted, so it was free today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walk is on OS Explorer Map OL24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Derwent Valley Heritage Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first section of the walk crossed open fields, occasionally close to the River Derwent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The path reached the outskirts of Rowsley, where a handsome disused railway bridge still spans the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On joining the A6, the route crosses the river, which looks magnificent from the bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rowsley to Smeltingmill Wood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I soon left the busy road to head up a pleasant path straight up the hill towards the woods. There are some nice gardens to the right and one owner has created a grand entrance to the public footpath!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After crossing Chesterfield Lane I was into the attractive Rowsley Wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The section around Smeltingmill Brook felt like it never dried out, as evidenced by the heavily moss-covered rocks, which were, perhaps, remnants of the long gone smelting mill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On reaching the brook I enjoyed the lovely waterfalls from the bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beeley and Hall Bank Plantation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I emerged from the wood at Fallinge, I stopped to watch a flock of around 10 bullfinches feeding on scrubby plant seeds near a livestock holding shed. Beautiful birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stock Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As I crossed the fields, the sky took on a dramatic air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At a very quiet minor road I took the road for a little way before coming to the path into the woods, which I decided was a perfect spot for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I enjoyed the path through the woods, though it was very muddy in parts. It was well signposted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emerging back up onto the road, I found out why it was a very quiet one! I’m glad I took the path through the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After taking the track along the top of the woods, I took a path back on myself back into the trees and wend my way downhill near another pretty stream, and through the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the path emerged from the wood, there was a lovely view down the Derwent valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beeley and Chatsworth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the track down towards Beeley there is a small timber cutting yard, which looks like something from the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The petrol driven cutting machine had a Heath Robinson local exhaust ventilation system that looks like it was taken from a 1970s Ford Escort!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now the sun was out, and, as with most of my walks, there was a nice church to see in Beeley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Back by the river, I enjoyed the stroll back down an avenue of trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the edge of the Chatsworth estate is another fine bridge that led back to the car park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The view upstream towards the House is marvellous<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A good walk in a lovely area on a decent January day. And on the way home, I caught a glimpse of the mansion, so stopped for a quick pic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Finally…..<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

‘The thing is, I do my records for real people, so I put myself in their place. If I didn’t, I’d be hearing, ‘Get out of politics! Just stick to music!’ People don’t want to be challenged socially. Really, my job as a musician, as someone who communicates in a public way, is to get people to listen and then get them to think.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the words in 2019 of Keb’ Mo’, the legendary 70 year old Delta Blues musician, and this is “Louder” from his new 2022 album, Good To Be, is 19th studio album. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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