0845 9072244 0845 . on or Erewash Borough Council Council Borough Erewash or 0115 9177777 0115 on or call Broxtowe Borough Council Council Borough Broxtowe call or www.erewashvalleytrail.co.uk www.erewashvalleytrail.co.uk for open days. open for Tel: 07590 818045 07590 Tel: For more information see see information more For acres of parkland. of acres 16th Century House in 200 200 in House Century 16th Thrumpton Hall - Hall Thrumpton • Delivery through Partnership through Delivery Tel: 0115 9721777 0115 Tel: wildlife site and visitors centre. visitors and site wildlife Pretty village with impressive impressive with village Pretty Attenborough - - Attenborough • from Nottingham. from good access and facilities. and access good town of Beeston and 4 miles miles 4 and Beeston of town junction of waterways with with waterways of junction Boating centre a mile from the the from mile a centre Boating Trent Lock - Lock Trent • Beeston Lock - Lock Beeston • Interesting Interesting centre. Tel: 0115 9153900 0115 Tel: development as a lace making making lace a as development beautiful parkland setting. parkland beautiful connected with the town’s town’s the with connected Museum with lake and and lake with Museum Wollaton Hall - Hall Wollaton • architecture left in Long Eaton Eaton Long in left architecture fine examples of industrial industrial of examples fine winning multi-facility park. multi-facility winning town next to trail, there are are there trail, to next town Bramcote Hills Park - Park Hills Bramcote • Award Award Long Eaton - Eaton Long • Busy market market Busy next to Bramcote Hills Park. Hills Bramcote to next project partners include: partners project hermit’s cave nearby. cave hermit’s Impressive geological feature feature geological Impressive Ancient local landmark with with landmark local Ancient Hemlock Stone - Stone Hemlock • people and wildlife. and people Dale Abbey - Abbey Dale • Canals. improve and promote the valley for for valley the promote and improve valley. Nottingham and Cromford Cromford and Nottingham structure which dominates the the dominates which structure The partnership continues to work to to work to continues partnership The junction of the Erewash, Erewash, the of junction 2, very rare type of railway railway of type rare very 2, Local landmark and on the the on and landmark Local Bennerley Viaduct - Viaduct Bennerley • Grade Grade major improvements. major Great Northern Basin - Basin Northern Great • High Street. High Initiative Fund has helped to deliver deliver to helped has Fund Initiative Tel: 01773 717353 01773 Tel: fine Georgian building in the the in building Georgian fine from partners and the 6C’s Green Green 6C’s the and partners from Eastwood’s famous author. famous Eastwood’s Erewash Museum, housed in a a in housed Museum, Erewash Museum - Museum Museum of of Museum the project and substantial funding funding substantial and project the past which is told in the the in told is which past D. H. Lawrence Birthplace Lawrence H. D. • market town with an industrial industrial an with town market have been a great help in developing developing in help great a been have Ilkeston - Ilkeston • Busy hill top top hill Busy Association and local history groups groups history local and Association sites along the valley, most of which have public access. public have which of most valley, the along sites Tel: 01773 719961 01773 Tel: Canal Preservation and Development Development and Preservation Canal landscape and leisure facilities. leisure and landscape near to the trail. The map overleaf gives an idea of the wealth of wildlife wildlife of wealth the of idea an gives overleaf map The trail. the to near Local groups such as the Erewash Erewash the as such groups Local 650 acres of attractive attractive of acres 650 These points of interest give just a flavour of the attractions available available attractions the of flavour a just give interest of points These Shipley Country Park - Park Country Shipley • of the organisations shown below. shown organisations the of railways, lace and brewing. and lace railways, Points of interest along the trail the along interest of Points in 2009 through a partnership consisting consisting partnership a through 2009 in Interesting town with history of of history with town Interesting The concept of the Trail was developed developed was Trail the of concept The Kimberley - Kimberley • EREWASH A Smile with every Mile VALLEY TRAIL The Erewash Valley Trail is a circular Wildlife of the valley walking and cycling route which takes Strategically the Erewash Valley is important as a wildlife Much of what we corridor connecting the Trent Valley with the countryside of in over 30 miles of waterway and see in the valley Derbyshire. This migration route allows a variety of species, today reflects the major countryside on the Nottinghamshire particularly birds to move into different habitats with the activities of the late 18th and Derbyshire border. There are seasons. The valley has a chain of marvellous wildlife sites with Century. The river has always Attenborough Nature Reserve at the mouth of the river Erewash many shortcuts and links across the offered the prospect of travel and and many nature reserves and designated sites on both sides of transport and prior to the steam age, trail which connect communities and the valley. provide shorter local water power for mills. The remains of Central to the quality of the wildlife habitats is the cleanliness this can be seen on the ground and in the many references to loops and split the of the water and the work of the Environment Agency over Mill in place and road names along the valley. recent years has seen major improvement. Otters and Trout are trail into smaller The industrial revolution increased the need for transport and returning to the valley and rare wetland birds such as Bittern, this is demonstrated by the existence of two canals in the valley. sections. which are regularly seen at Attenborough, are starting to explore These canals transported a variety of products but especially the valley. coal from the local coal fields which was often taken as far As well as wetlands the valley is highly regarded for its grasslands. as London. The major ironworks at Stanton also generated a Many wet meadows are full of colourful wildflowers in the spring significant demand for transport and along with brick making, pottery, and lace supported the canals until the early 20th The valley is a special place which has inspired great and these areas are essential for diverse insect populations. Several such areas have been designated by Nottinghamshire Century when railways authors such as D. H. Lawrence and Alan Sillitoe and the took over. Again the valley Erewash Valley Trail project is supported by local celebrities Wildlife Trust as Blue Butterfly sites recognising their value as grasslands managed with wildlife in mind. boasted two major lines including actors Robert Lindsay and William Roache, fashion run by the Great Northern designer Paul Smith and environmental champion David Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trusts have been Railway which followed the Attenborough. working closely through the Erewash Valley Trail project to line of the A610 and the Although the trail is a major feature of the valley there is undertake wildlife survey work to deepen knowledge of the Midland railway which still much more. The valley is a haven for wildlife providing a area and the valuable habitats it provides. This work will help exists. The need for railway valuable wetland corridor and at the same time a living to establish priorities and guide future work to ensure the area transport resulted in many Stanton Iron Works. landscape for local residents and visitors to enjoy. continues to improve. spin off industries which supported the local economy especially in Long Eaton. However you choose to use the valley, please consider For more information on the wildlife of the valley see special other users and take only memories and leave only foot leaflet on the Erewash Valley Trail website. The mining theme continued in the middle of the 20th century (and tyre!) prints. with coal opencast mining at Newthorpe and gravel extraction at Attenborough which continues nearby to this day and has History of the Valley resulted in the creation of a vast, nationally important, wetland The archaeological record gives mention nature reserve. of 4000 year old Neolithic finds in Cotmanhay, along with evidence of Saxon and Roman The Valley today presence at a number of The valley has long been the playground for local communities places in the valley. The linking settlements in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Much Erewash Museum in of the heavy industry has gone replaced by smaller hi-tech Ilkeston has many employment and as the value of healthy living is recognised interesting local many leisure activities thrive. Walking, cycling, angling, boating, exhibits and its jogging and bird watching are very popular. Dog walkers building lies The Saxon Cross in are major users often providing important feedback and close to the Stapleford. informal policing of the area. ‘Monks Way’, a stone slabbed causeway that formed Attractions such as Shipley Country Park, Attenborough part of a network of routes linking Nature Reserve, DH Lawrence Birthplace and Erewash monasteries such as Dale Abbey and Museum provide local tourism opportunities Strelley Priory, perhaps as far back as and are developing as national tourist the 14th Century. destinations. The valley hosts a range The valley has long been recognised of events throughout the year, see for its agricultural value particularly its Erewash Valley Trail website for grassland and water meadows. Evidence further information. of ancient ridge and furrow (humps and hollows) meadows can be found throughout the valley but notably at Sandiacre next to the Erewash Canal just down stream of Moorbridge Lane.