Bow Wood Cromford Canal Ramble
4 March 2018
The clubs fortnightly winter rambles programme starts with a scenic steady 10 mile linear walk embracing a rich mix of autumnal colours on the southern fringes of the White Peak. Points of interest throughout the day include woods, a lime kiln, dales, attractive villages and the Cromford Canal.
The ramble begins at Grangemill (grid ref 243576) at the head of the Via Gellia and initially heads south east to the hamlet of Ible. From there we visit Grange Wood and view a reconstructed lime kiln. The route then takes us eastwards to Bonsall Dale and to the pretty village of Bonsall at the head of a limestone valley. At some point there will be the opportunity to have a mid-morning break.
We conclude the morning by following footpaths down to Cromford village for our main lunchtime stop. A choice of refreshments here including the Bell Inn.
In the afternoon we meander southwards and circumnavigate Bow Wood and eventually join the Cromford Canal footpath near High Peak Junction. The canal was built in 1794 by William Jessop and Benjamin Outram, partners in the Butterley Company. It has SSSI status from Cromford to Ambergate and is a rich haven for a variety of wildlife. It was closed as a working waterway in 1944.
We follow the canal towpath to Whatstandwell where we leave the canal and head across to our finishing point, the tranquil village of Crich which was once a flourishing market town. The coach will depart from here, opposite the Black Swan pub at approximately 4.30 pm
We are always pleased to welcome new members to the club offering a day of healthy exercise, attractive scenery and friendly company. The coach sets off from the “Staff Of Life” pub in Sutton-in-Ashfield at 9.15am and the Bancroft Lane end of Stockwell Gate (near the Asda supermarket) at 9.30am There are other pick-up points between these locations The coach fare is £10,accompanied juniors free. There is no necessity to prebook your seat.
You may wish to see details of our next ramble or our latest rambling calendar
