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This walk explores the wider influence of the Strutt family, who shaped Belper’s landscape, farmland and industry. Their estate produced fresh food for mill workers, helping improve the health of the workforce. The route begins and ends by the cotton mills on the River Derwent.

Directions

Start: Belper River Gardens car park

1. Turn right out of the car park towards Belper, then right at the traffic lights into Bridge Foot. Cross Belper Bridge over the Derwent and continue up Belper Lane, taking the first right onto Wyver Lane.
2. After 1 km pass the entrance sign to Wyver Lane Nature Reserve, then take the next left onto the bridlepath up to Wyver Farm. Follow the wall on your left to the farm buildings and continue straight between the tall wall and cowshed.
   Wyver Lane Nature Reserve is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. It protects rare inland wetland habitats that attract many bird and insect species. As you climb, there are excellent views towards Crich Beacon and Broadholme.
3. Go through the next two gates and continue straight with the boundary on your right through four fields to Belper Lane End. Join the road near Chapel House and turn right towards the former Bulls Head pub. Turn right at the pub and take the left fork towards Shottle. At Gorses Farm turn left between the buildings up the track. It bends right and becomes Narrow Lane, a footpath rising between stone walls.
4. At the top, cross straight over onto Wilderbrook Lane. After about 100 metres take the stile on the left. Go down the walled track, then keep the hedge on your right over the next field. Pass through a squeeze stile, cross the field and continue into Hillside Farm.
5. Keep close to the stone wall on the right and go through the squeeze stile after 25 metres. Keep the boundary on your left across the next field. Cross scrubland to the stepping stones over Wilder Brook. Climb uphill past a large oak and between hedges. At the top, cross the stile into more scrub, heading for the left corner by the barn. Continue through two fields with stone walls on your left. At the top, turn left before the gateway and descend the field with the wall on your right. Leave via the gap at the bottom corner and follow the track down through two fields to a gate by the road.
6. Before the gate, turn left towards the wood. Follow the track as it bends left and through a gate into trees. After 200 metres turn right downhill. Cross Black Brook and climb steeply through pinewoods.
7. At the top go through the wall gate and continue across two fields to a squeeze stile. Turn right in the next field, keeping the wall on your right. Pass the pond on your left and continue straight through two fields to a sandy track. Turn right and follow it to the A517 at Blackbrook.
8. Cross carefully and turn right. After 100 metres take the bridleway on the left, crossing Lumb Brook by the wooden bridge beside the ford. Follow the lane uphill to Lumb Farm. Continue ahead and after 30 metres take the footpath on the left to join the Midshires Way. At the next stile head straight on towards the woodland edge.
9. Continue up through the wood to the stone steps in the wall. Climb them and walk along the field edge. Cross two close-set stiles and continue uphill to the road. Cross with care, turn right, then take the first left to pass Chevin Mount. After the sharp bend turn left through a squeeze stile and descend two fields with stone walls on your left. Turn left at the road, then right after 100 metres onto a track and over the stile.
10. Where the stone wall ends, turn left and head diagonally across the field towards East Mill. Follow the stone path down and cross three fields to reach a wicket gate by the River Derwent.
11. Keep the river on your right through one field. Turn left at the track and immediately right to cross the bridge. (Small openings in the wall here allow floodwater to escape.) Continue up two fields to the Severn Trent pumping station. Follow the lane beside the river to the main road near Strutt’s North Mill, home of the Derwent Valley Visitor Centre. Cross carefully, turn right, then left at the lights to return to the car park.

Disclaimer

Please note that the council update these leaflets on a periodic rolling basis and that some landmark information may have changed. The footpaths should remain in place and be signposted and be clearly marked on the Ordnance Survey maps. Please report problems you may find so that these can be investigated to tourism@ambervalley.gov.uk.