Derbyshire Portway Day 2

Day 2 of the Derbyshire Portway, This Long Distance Footpath, that starts in Nottinghamshire and then crosses the county border into Derbyshire, the route then goes through Derbyshire’s Erewash area, across the Amber Valley, continuing through Derby Dales as it enters the Peak District National Park. The route is 4000 years old which makes it one of the oldest trails in the UK. The path begins at the Hemlock Stone a sandstone outcrop believed to be used as an altar for the Druids and wanders through Derbyshire passing many landscape features and locations before reaching Mam Tor and it summit where an ancient Iron Age Fortress once stood. In total the Portway is 48 miles in length.

Day 2 of the Route:
Today we begin in the woods near Blackbrook after a wild camp in a farmer’s field last night, not far from Belper in the Amber Valley of Derbyshire. Back on the Derbyshire Portway, today the aim is to get to Winster the old lead mining centre of the peak district 12 miles away, first we need to reach the summit of Alport Heights, standing at 319m high by walking along the Midshires Way passing Crowtree farm along the way. On reaching Alport Heights, on a good clear day you can see ‘The Wrekin’ a 407 m high hill in Shropshire by the Welsh border some 80km’s away.
After Alport Heights we head to Gorsey Bank and Wirksworth via Pratthall Lane, on arriving in Wirksworth the market town that gained its wealth through lead mining and the nearby quarries, we head up and out passing the disused quarries towards the High Peak Trail/Pennine Bridleway and to Carsington Pastures at its wind farm. Via Brassington lane and passing a standing stone on our left.
As we reach the works near to Harboro Rocks we reach the midpoint of the Portway where its 40km’s in either direction, continuing along the crushed limestone path we head across the landscape to Grangemill passing the 17th century Coaching Inn on our left, cross the main road and take the 2nd road on right past Tophill Farm and onto the footpath scattered with disused lead mines to Bonsall Lane. Cross the lane and down to the Limestone Way where we go left and pass the Ore Safe house as we reach The Miners Standard pub and the campsite behind this inn – if you go in the pub for a meal – look for the squirrel balls on the menu…..

Part 3 of the Portway will be coming next week
New upload day for my videos – Monday’s 7pm UK time

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Thanks for Watching
Happy Walking

Andy
Expedition Hiker

#portway #derbyshire #ldwa