Walking guide Derbyshire, Peak District - England, UK

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• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
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WALK 1

Creswell Crags

Distance  9km/5½ miles

Start  Creswell Crags Visitor Centre off the B6042 which runs between the A616 at Creswell and the A60

Map  OS Explorer 28 Sherwood Forest

Terrain  Easy walking along fields, country lanes and tracks

Creswell Crags is a dramatic magnesian limestone gorge ­honeycombed with caves, which bisects the Nottinghamshire/ northeast Derbyshire border. The animal and plant remains found in the caves provide a unique time-capsule and tell the fascinating story of the origins of human life during the last Ice Age.

Following the discovery of human remains by archaeologists in the late 19th century this ’miniature Cheddar Gorge’ has become one of Europe’s most important sites for palaeontology and archaeology, ranking alongside Stonehenge and Hadrian’s Wall, although from the public perspective it is not as well known. Creswell Crags Visitor Centre provides an interpretation and appreciation of the importance of the ravine in the evolution of man.

The entire gorge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. From the first Victorian archaeologists, however, the crags have suffered from poor and inappropriate management, such as the use of dynamite to blast the caves and a road and sewage works built in the gorge. There has been recent substantial development in the gorge and surrounding area to implement the higher standards of management, conservation, infrastructure and interpretation that the site deserved to repair the damage done in the last century.

ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

1 From the visitor centre car park, which is on the route of the Robin Hood Way, walk past the visitor centre and take the path off to the left signposted “To The Crags”. Turn left again over a bridge into Crags Meadow. The Crags are signposted to the right. There is a path down each side of the pond and either option may be taken.

At the end of the pond turn left and climb a stile in a few metres. Continue uphill reaching the brow of a hill and look for a redundant stile in the far left-hand corner of the field.

2 Follow the wall edge on your left which later becomes a wire fence. The clear path then begins to swing right to a stile. Climb the stile and follow the waymarked path straight ahead across several fields until you reach the road in Holbeck.

3 Turn left and then immediately right at a signpost onto a surfaced tree-lined track. Halfway down this track on the right-hand side is St Winifred’s Church, which is the private church of the Portland family from nearby Welbeck Abbey. On meeting a road leave the Robin Hood Way by turning right. Walk through Holbeck Woodhouse and where the road forks bear to the right. At a T-junction turn right and walk to another T-junction. Cross over the road and follow the signposted track in front of you which is hedged on both sides. This clear track takes you to the A616.

4 At the road turn right and follow the footpath along the right-hand side of the A616 into Creswell. Shortly after crossing a road junction off to the right which leads to the Crags, turn right at a signpost and head up towards Bank House Farm.

Follow the track around the right-hand perimeter of the farm, which shortly becomes hedged on both sides. Turn left on reaching the B6042 and then right in 100m onto Hennymoor Lane. Continue past the driveway to Hennymoor Farm and 100m further on turn right onto a green lane and walk to the A60. Turn right onto this road and then right again in 30m onto a track by a lodge, which returns you to the visitor centre.

Refreshments  Creswell Crags Visitor Centre

Toilets  Creswell Crags Visitor Centre

Key Features  Creswell Crags and its visitor centre (01909 720378)