Cromford Canal, Derbyshire, United Kingdom

4.5 (560 reviews) Spent Ranking #2 in Derbyshire Bodies of Water • Historic Walking Areas • Nature & Wildlife Areas

Beautiful, picturesque history

The construction of the Cromford Canal by William Jessop and Benjamin Outram, partners in the Butterley company, was completed in 1794. It is 14.5 miles long and joined Cromford with the Erewash Canal at Langley Mill. The site has a wealth of industrial heritage and lies in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage site. The canal is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its entire length from Cromford to Ambergate. The 3.3km southern section from Whatstandwell Bridge to Ambergate is a Local Nature Reserve. The canal is a haven for water vole, a threatened and declining species, and for grass snakes, little grebes, moorhen and coots. The southern end towards Poyser's Bridge is excellent for dragonflies. The canal can be explored from the towpath between Cromford Wharf and Ambergate, a distance of just over five miles. The walk from Cromford Wharf to High Peak Junction is suitable for pushchair's and wheel chairs. We manage the section from Cromford to Ambergate for recreation and wildlife. The canal has a very rich and diverse wildlife running through the attractive Derwent Valley and part of it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve can be accessed from the north end at Whatstandwell or at the southern end from Ambergate by a towpath off Chase Road. The old towing path which follows the canal is a public footpath - please note that this path is narrow and uneven in places. Birdswood, a restored narrow boat is run on scheduled trips through the year by the Friends of Cromford Canal. Open to all members of the public. Come and enjoy a peaceful journey along the canal, from Cromford Wharf to High Peak Junction, introduced by a booming announcement from the FCC President, Brian Blessed. Birdswood is also available for private hire and for specialist educational trips. Limited canoeing is permitted on the Cromford Canal between Cromford Wharf and High Peak Junction. Because of the sensitive nature of ...
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Address

Cromford Wharf, Cromford, Matlock DE4 3RP England

Mobile

+44 1629 823204

Website

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/countryside-sites/waterways-wetlands/cromford-canal.aspx

Email

[email protected]

Current local date and time now

Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 9:06

User Ratings

4.5 based on (560 reviews)

Excellent

58%

Good

35%

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Reviews

5cave 5:00 PM Aug 13, 2021
Brilliant day out
Just like to say how much we enjoyed our day in Birdwood and Canford Canal. The boat trip is really good value nearly 2hrs on the boat with commentary talking about the canal etc. We have said we will go back in a couple of weeks and go back on the boat it was that good. Recomend anyone who is in and around Matlock to come here. Well worth the money and a beautiful place were you can sit and enjoy the views along with having a picnic.
4mercuryderbyshire 5:00 PM Apr 24, 2021
First visit to the Cromford Canal
An enjoyable walk alongside the canal. We saw some bird life on the water - coots, moorhens, mallards - and surprisingly 4 Mandarin ducks. The High Peak Junction Visitor Centre cafe was a welcome stop off and we enjoyed our hot drinks and snack at an outside table. Interesting too, to read about the history of the railway and canal network here and it’s connections with the Peak Forest canal at Whaley Bridge, 33 miles away. The only downside was that at a couple of places near the Junction there were small drainage outlets from the installations on the bank above that were making the canal water cloudy where they entered. Otherwise the canal would have got 5 out of 5.