On the doorstep of the Peak District, Cromford is a good starting point for a few unique walks, and is only a one-hour direct train from Nottingham.
There are some great features and viewpoints around the area – from the first water-powered cotton mill and nearby canal to the famous Black Rocks and surrounding moorland.
This part of the world is steeped in mining history, which may not interest you, but it’s good to know what’s formed a landscape over the years. The villages and surrounding countryside are abundant in features forged by their historical use, including disused railway elements and unusual, lead-loving plant life that grows where nothing else can.
Travel
Each price includes Trainline’s fee and was booked at least a day in advance (2025 prices):
- £12.79 off-peak return (£8.10 with railcard)
- £15.19 anytime day return (£9.70 with railcard)
I caught the 09:54 train and got to Cromford at 11:04, which gave me enough time for a three-hour walk, leisurely lunch, quick explore of the mills and time to browse the three floors of the famous Scarthin Books, before catching the 16:18 train home.
- Average travel time: 1hr 5min.
- Ten min walk from station to Cromford village (the start of the AllTrails route I followed).
Food and drink
There were no supermarkets or convenience stores in Cromford, so remember to pack plenty of water and high-energy snacks, or buy them Nottingham-side to avoid paying cafe prices.
There are a few nice cafes at the mills and in Cromford village, as well as a nice-looking pub, but that’s about it. There’s also a couple of pubs for potential pit stops along the route I followed, and The Quarry Cafe, if you make a small detour to the National Stone Centre.
I chose the Wheatcroft’s Wharf cafe beside the Cromford Canal (another pleasant-looking walk). I had a BBQ pulled pork panini thing, with coleslaw and side salad, and bought a vegan brownie for a sugar hit during the walk, which all came to just under £13.
That bread was incredible – marketed as a ‘panini-ciabatta’ but it was so, so soft! The coffee I bought on my journey back home burned my tongue, though – can’t win them all!
The trail
I followed the Cromford and Black Rocks Circular route on AllTrails – 9km, 2hr 50 average time, 355m elevation gain.
This trail begins with quite a long, steep incline, so if that’s not for you there’s a few other walks with lower elevation gain nearby, although the whole area is pretty hilly. The five-mile canal walk to Ambergate looked lovely, and my in-laws managed to spot a grass snake and a large pike when they did it. There’s also nearby Lea Wood (34 min walk from Cromford station), which is on my walking list, and a couple of woodland trails from Black Rocks.
Points of interest
- Cromford Mills and independent shops
- Cromford Canal
- Scarthin Books
- Middleton Top Engine House
- National Stone Centre
- Black Rocks
If you follow the Cromford and Black Rocks route, remember to pack suncream – you’ll be crossing high-up fields, where there’s very little in the way of shade.
You begin by cutting through Cromford village and up through Middleton Wood – a beautiful hillside wood that veers away from civilisation, following a little stream up and beyond. I saw no-one here, or for a good distance after (on a random sunny Friday in March).
The woods ends with a very steep climb up, but the views are worth it. Take a breather, and keep going through the fields and hedgerows abundant in butterflies, until you get to the hilltop farmlands. The friendly farmer I passed asked if I had G&T in my water bottle – wish I’d thought of that!
The farmland turns into Middleton village – home to one of the two pubs I noticed en route. The trail takes you further uphill until you have a great view down into the village. There’s a good bench spot at the top of the ascent, with the forbidden quarry entrance behind you. Make sure to take in the views here – you can see all the village, the backdrop of distant hills, and the Black Rocks.
Continue on through more farmland with its beautiful vista, and just beyond the fields of sheep you’ll see the chimney of the Middleton Top Engine House. This is a good little pit stop for another bench-with-a-view and a bit of local history.
Follow the hill down (yes, finally down!), and you’ll pass under a disused railway bridge and its steep walls. Feel the literal coolness of it. There’s another pub here if you jump off the trail and follow the main road, otherwise continue on to reach the Steeple Grange Light Railway.
If I’d known it existed at the time, I’d have taken a detour from the route here to visit Gang Mine Nature Reserve – where once waste minerals were dumped during mining times, now nationally-rare, lead-tolerant plants grow.
Just beyond the light railway is the entrance to Black Rocks. The Black Rocks are on an old lead-mining site just like the aforementioned nature reserve. A short and moderately steep climb rewards you with a view of the moorland and active limestone quarries. Lots of people flock here recreationally – as you can see by the graffiti in the tops of the unusual rock formations and clouds of weed smoke, but it’s still pleasant.
The next part of the trail flows through some lovely woodland, with stunning views down into the valley and some really interesting geology that swallows you up as you go deliciously downhill for the rest of the walk.
This path leads you down into Cromford, where you can either cut away from the AllTrails route to emerge at the mills if you’re heading immediately back to the station (or to browse in the mills’ shops). Otherwise, follow the trail to the end so you can lose a few more hours in the beautiful bookshop.
Make sure to plan better than I did here though – save plenty of time to go to the bookshop after the walk…
Toilet and water refill stops
- Mill cafes
- Scarthin Books (if buying something)
- Middleton Top Engine House
- Pubs en route (if buying something)
- The Quarry Cafe
- Black Rocks
Species seen or heard (in March)
- Toads
- Frogs (my first frog chorus of the year!)
- Minnows(?)
- Nuthatch
- Goldcrest
- Wagtails
- Buzzards
- Peacock butterflies
- Chickens and sheep (obviously!)
Ecoetry 