Westthorpe and River Rother Walk Leaflet
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County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG DE4 Derbyshire, Matlock, Hall, County Designed and produced by Derbyshire County Council, County Derbyshire by produced and Designed Lane, S21 1TZ. 1TZ. S21 Lane, in Westfield Road Industrial Estate, off Green Green off Estate, Industrial Road Westfield in S21 1FY. Or some roadside parking is allowed allowed is parking roadside some Or 1FY. S21 Is available at Killamarsh Shopping Centre, Centre, Shopping Killamarsh at available Is arking arking P Car derbyshirecountryside houses on or just off the route. route. the off just or on houses www.facebook.com/ and food outlets along with several public public several with along outlets food and Killamarsh town centre has a range of shops shops of range a has centre town Killamarsh eshments fr e R www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside For details telephone: 01246 551035 01246 telephone: details For Arkwright Colliery. Colliery. Arkwright other formats. other 1981, living out the end of its days serving serving days its of end the out living 1981, difficulty in reading this leaflet, it is available in in available is it leaflet, this reading in difficulty closed in 1963 and the line closed fully in in fully closed line the and 1963 in closed For further information or if you have have you if or information further For and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The station station The (LNER). Railway Eastern North and Railway line, later to become part of Londen Londen of part become to later line, Railway dry. Central which was on the Great Central Central Great the on was which Central along the canal are easy-going and relatively relatively and easy-going are canal the along former southbound platform, Killamarsh Killamarsh platform, southbound former difficult for some people. The short sections sections short The people. some for difficult stiles and steep slopes may make the walks walks the make may slopes steep and stiles through it; the platform you can see is the the is see can you platform the it; through Make sure you have good footwear. Mud, Mud, footwear. good have you sure Make Killamarsh had three railway lines running running lines railway three had Killamarsh Waymarks are fixed at changes of direction. direction. of changes at fixed are Waymarks tation S Killamarsh 9 13km (8.5 miles) allow 5 hours. 5 allow miles) (8.5 13km alk w Combined Kingfishers. Kingfishers. range of wildlife including Water Voles and and Voles Water including wildlife of range 7km (4.5 miles) allow 3 hours. 3 allow miles) (4.5 7km recovered and provides a habit for a wide wide a for habit a provides and recovered Colliery Loop Colliery the industries, the water quality has now now has quality water the industries, the be unable to sustain life. With the closure of of closure the With life. sustain to unable be tthorpe es W deteriorated and by 1974 was considered to to considered was 1974 by and deteriorated s water quality quality water s river’ the industries, local the 6.5km (4 miles) allow 2.5 hours. 2.5 allow miles) (4 6.5km feed source for the Chesterfield Canal. Due to to Due Canal. Chesterfield the for source feed 6 alk W ther o R er Riv the River Don in Rotherham and is the main main the is and Rotherham in Don River the tthorpe and tthorpe es W source in Pilsley, Derbyshire to where it meets meets it where to Derbyshire Pilsley, in source The River is around 27 miles long from its its from long miles 27 around is River The See map inside and follow these waymarks. these follow and inside map See tthorpe es W & Killamarsh outes r cular cir w ollo f to y Eas ther o R er Riv 8 s in s alk w side Country Gatekeeper Butterfly Beighton to Staveley Trail 1 Park Hall 5 Features of interest Once part of the Great Central Railway; this The home of the now forms part of the southern link of the Pole family who Trans Pennine Trail. These embankments were prominent figures in the Killamarsh have little disturbance and are now a haven for plants and animals. Look out for the history and Killamarsh was mentioned in the Doomsday church politics in Book under the name of Chinewoldemaresc. wildflowers and butterflies through the the 16th It was originally a farming community but spring and summer. Century. A date of 1610 appears above one boomed during the 19th and 20th century of the porticos. The house used to be a after the discovery of its rich coal supplies. Chesterfield Canal 2 country club and hotel but is now a private This fed the Sheffield iron and steel industry. This is the line of the Chesterfield Canal residence. Please respect the owner's privacy. Take a little time to explore the churchyard of designed by canal pioneer James Brindley, St. Giles and see if you can find the Saxon built 1771 - 1777. Forty six miles of Canal High Moor Colliery 6 connect Chesterfield to the River Trent at Cross and wooden stocks. Has been both deep and opencast mined West Stockwith. This section of the canal is during its history. It was part of the South St Giles Church still to be restored. For more information Yorkshire coalfield which produced the and to see how you can help visit bituminous coal, needed for making coal gas www.chesterfield-canal-trust.org.uk and coke. This was then used in the manufacture of iron and steel. Old Pack Horse Route 3 This is an old pack horse route that links Westthorpe colliery 7 Eckington and Killamarsh and would have Opened in 1923 employing 100 men. By been well used, before the canal and railways 1947 when the National Coal Board took over, there were just fewer than 1,000 were built, to carry goods between the workers. The colliery closed in 1984 and villages. reclamation began in 1997 to return the site to nature. Spinkhill 4 As you follow the route up to Park Hall, the Westthorpe Colliery village dominates the skyline to your right. Spinkhill is only a small village but has a historic past. It is first mentioned on a tax list known as a Pipe Roll in 1273. The name 'spink' in the Derbyshire dialect is any bird of the finch family, especially the chaffinch. Do you think this was a place where chaffinch roosted? Westthorpe Colliery and River Rother Walk Follow the Countryside Code Be safe - plan ahead & follow the signs. Leave gates & property as you find them. Protect plants & animals, take your litter home. Keep dogs under close control. KEY Consider other people. Westthorpe Loop Westthorpe and River Rother Walk Westthorpe Colliery Loop O Parking in the industrial estate, head down the road into Westthorpe Hills, follow the way marked route through the site. Walks combined River Rother Walk S Suggested Start/Finish If starting the route follow instructions from here. Enter Westthorpe via the Barrier at the end of the road; continue Start: Parkside Shopping Centre. Features of interest (see overleaf) straight along the path in a southerly direction, upon reaching a A Turn left along main road and take first left up Bridge Street. Footpath Links surfaced area carry on over heading towards Green Lane. B Go past the junction with Peacock Close and turn right just past WC Toilets 'The Lodge' Nursing Home and follow the narrow path along the A Artwork P Cross the road with caution, follow the marked footpath. At the route of the disused Chesterfield Canal. end of the path ('T' Junction) take the right-hand path up the hill, doubling back on yourself uphill for 130 metres until you see the C Go through gate, keeping hedge on right. Cross Metcalfe Avenue finger post on your left. and continue along under metal railway bridge. On reaching Field Lane turn right and walk down to the Killamarsh Greenway waymarker post. Q Cross the wooden sleeper bridge to the road and cross the road A A D Cross over the old railway footbridge and turn left. Cross stile on with caution. Go through the kissing gate on the opposite side, right at end of security fence. (This is a permissive path, granted by S and cross the field diagonally to the right to the wicket gate where the Environment Agency). Bear left and walk right along raised the hedges meet in the top left hand corner of the field. 9 WC causeway beside River Rother. Look out for water voles in the river N here! M R Go through the wicket gate and cross the next field keeping the B hedge on your immediate left. Go through the field gate and up E Just after the end of the raised embankment, go through the D C metal kissing gate and turn immediately over the stile. Cross two the next field towards right-hand side of the farm buildings, the fields and go over the lane and up the wooden steps to disused wicket gate is found next to the gate, turn left following the farm railway line (part of the Trans Pennine Trail and National Cycle 8 L road between the buildings. After you've passed the buildings Network). follow the road round to the right before turning left at the way marker which now takes the route along the left hand field edges. F Turn right along trail. After 250 metres, turn left through kissing gate and up path to tarmac lane (Boiley Lane). S As you follow the way marked route, you will come on to the site KV of the former Highmoor Colliery which later became an opencast G Turn left along the lane, go over the bridge, if you wish to walk the site.