It’s only ten years old – but the Derwent Valley Heritage Way has become one of England’s most popular long-distance footpaths. Rosie Gilligan is walking every inch of its 55 miles to raise money for Brainstrust and Ashgate Hospice – and here’s her account of the section between Whatstandwell and Little Eaton.
THE AMBER VALLEY district lacks the obvious drama of Matlock gorge, a feature of last month’s section of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. But as we progressed along the Cromford Canal from Whatstandwell to Ambergate we discovered just how wooded and green this valley is. Across the canal, Crich Chase rose to our left while Shining Cliff Woods appeared off to the right in the distance…