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Directions

Start: The Coach & Horses, Horsley

1. Turn right along Church Street towards St Clement's Church.
   Horsley stone pillar box, the 'homemade' pillar box can be found at the corner of Church Street and French Lane. This was erected and brought into use on 24 December 1896. It appears today that the Horsley pillar box is unique in Derbyshire possibly even in the country. The fountains in the village (see front cover) are called Sophia, situated ‘beneath the spreading Chestnut tree’, Rosamund on the triangle opposite the Coach & Horses Inn and Blanche standing opposite the pillar box at the top of French Lane. These are three fountains given to the village in 1864 by the Sitwell family and named after their daughters. The fountains came into use in 1864
2. Just before the church, take the footpath on the left towards Coxbench.
   St Clement’s Parish Church dates back to 1200. The tower shows the decoration of that period and has a wonderful broach spire. Around 1800, whilst England anticipated invasion by the French under Bonaparte, many villages formed a ‘Home Guard’. The Horsley Corps, formed by squire E. S. Sitwell, gathered men from Horsley Woodhouse and district. It is believed that the damage that is evident on the side of Horsley church tower was a result of poor marksmanship by Squire Sitwell’s volunteers.
3. Enter the field, bear left, and walk diagonally across. Follow the line of pylons through three fields. Caution: once you pass through the stone squeeze stiles immediate traffic ahead.
4. Turn right onto the road, then take the footpath on the opposite side about 100m along.
5. Cross the stream and turn right up the hill (ignore the stile on the right). Follow the track for about 400m to a stone wall.
6. Cross the stile on the right and head towards the house, passing a telegraph pole. Through the next gate on the left.
7. Keep the wire fence on your right until you reach an old quarry. Leave the fence and follow the clear path on the left.
   Castle of Horeston - (Look carefully to the left to see the crumbling remains on the sandstone spur.) This was built by Hugh Buron in the 12th century. It passed to King John in 1198 who had it rebuilt between 1200 - 1203. He visited twice during his turbulent reign, breaking his journey from Burton Abbey to Nottingham.
8. Continue on the woodland path around the sandstone spur until you reach a cart track. Turn right onto Sandy Lane. Caution: traffic on this section.
9. Walk uphill towards Brackley Gate. Pass a cul de sac, then take the path on the left next to a farm gate. Cross the yard to a stone stile and continue through two fields.
   Ryknild Street - runs from the Roman fort at Templeborough, near Doncaster, enters Derbyshire in the north-east and runs southwards, close to Chesterfield and the Roman fort at Little Chester, now part of Derby City. It leaves the county towards the fort at Wall near Litchfield. It may well have been a road built by the Romans, as indicated by the Latin word Street.
10. Walk downhill aiming for the left side of a tree gap. Go through the gate and follow the field edge to Smalley Mill Road. Caution: traffic here.
11. Cross the road to the stile opposite. Follow the path to the footbridge, then diagonally across the field to the right hand hedge. Continue to Wood Lane. Caution: traffic.
12. Turn left along the pavement for about 150m, then take the stile on the left (past Hilltop Farm).
13. Cross the top of the field, then diagonally across the next two fields to a bridge.
14. Take the stile immediately on the right. Follow the field edge to a gap, then turn sharply right downhill to a stile and footbridge. Turn left to another stile.
15. Follow the field boundary beside the golf course for two fields. At the golf club gate, bear right with the hedge on your left.
16. Cross the next field, take the path between houses, and turn left onto the main road to return to the Coach & Horses.

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.