Erewash Valley Cycle Trail

just down stream of Moorbridge Lane. Moorbridge of stream down just Sandiacre next to the Erewash Canal Canal Erewash the to next Sandiacre throughout the valley but notably at at notably but valley the throughout and hollows) meadows can be found found be can meadows hollows) and of ancient ridge and furrow (humps (humps furrow and ridge ancient of further information. further grassland and water meadows. Evidence Evidence meadows. water and grassland Erewash Valley Trail website for for website Trail Valley Erewash for its agricultural value particularly its its particularly value agricultural its for of events throughout the year, see see year, the throughout events of The valley has long been recognised recognised been long has valley The The valley hosts a range range a hosts valley The destinations. destinations. the 14th Century. 14th the and are developing as national tourist tourist national as developing are and Strelley Priory, perhaps as far back as as back far as perhaps Priory, Strelley Museum provide local tourism opportunities opportunities tourism local provide Museum monasteries such as Dale Abbey and and Abbey Dale as such monasteries Nature Reserve, DH Lawrence Birthplace and Erewash Erewash and Birthplace Lawrence DH Reserve, Nature part of a network of routes linking linking routes of network a of part Attractions such as Shipley Country Park, Attenborough Attenborough Park, Country Shipley as such Attractions stone slabbed causeway that formed formed that causeway slabbed stone ‘Monks Way’, a a Way’, ‘Monks informal policing of the area. the of policing informal Stapleford. close to the the to close are major users often providing important feedback and and feedback important providing often users major are The Saxon Cross in in Cross Saxon The building lies lies building jogging and bird watching are very popular. Dog walkers walkers Dog popular. very are watching bird and jogging exhibits and its its and exhibits many leisure activities thrive. Walking, cycling, angling, boating, boating, angling, cycling, Walking, thrive. activities leisure many interesting local local interesting employment and as the value of healthy living is recognised recognised is living healthy of value the as and employment Ilkeston has many many has Ilkeston of the heavy industry has gone replaced by smaller hi-tech hi-tech smaller by replaced gone has industry heavy the of Erewash Museum in in Museum Erewash linking settlements in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Much Much Nottinghamshire. and Derbyshire in settlements linking places in the valley. The The valley. the in places The valley has long been the playground for local communities communities local for playground the been long has valley The presence at a number of of number a at presence of Saxon and Roman Roman and Saxon of The Valley today Valley The Cotmanhay, along with evidence evidence with along Cotmanhay, of 4000 year old Neolithic fi nds in in nds fi Neolithic old year 4000 of nature reserve. nature The archaeological record gives mention mention gives record archaeological The resulted in the creation of a vast, nationally important, wetland wetland important, nationally vast, a of creation the in resulted History of the Valley the of History at Attenborough which continues nearby to this day and has has and day this to nearby continues which Attenborough at (and tyre!) prints. tyre!) (and with coal opencast mining at Newthorpe and gravel extraction extraction gravel and Newthorpe at mining opencast coal with other users and take only memories and leave only foot foot only leave and memories only take and users other leafl et on the Erewash Valley Trail website. Trail Valley Erewash the on et leafl The mining theme continued in the middle of the 20th century century 20th the of middle the in continued theme mining The However you choose to use the valley, please consider consider please valley, the use to choose you However For more information on the wildlife of the valley see special special see valley the of wildlife the on information more For supported the local economy especially in Long Eaton. Long in especially economy local the supported landscape for local residents and visitors to enjoy. to visitors and residents local for landscape spin off industries which which industries off spin continues to improve. to continues valuable wetland corridor and at the same time a living living a time same the at and corridor wetland valuable Stanton Iron Works. Iron Stanton transport resulted in many many in resulted transport to establish priorities and guide future work to ensure the area area the ensure to work future guide and priorities establish to much more. The valley is a haven for wildlife providing a a providing wildlife for haven a is valley The more. much exists. The need for railway railway for need The exists. area and the valuable habitats it provides. This work will help help will work This provides. it habitats valuable the and area Although the trail is a major feature of the valley there is is there valley the of feature major a is trail the Although Midland railway which still still which railway Midland undertake wildlife survey work to deepen knowledge of the the of knowledge deepen to work survey wildlife undertake line of the A610 and the the and A610 the of line working closely through the Erewash Valley Trail project to to project Trail Valley Erewash the through closely working Attenborough. Railway which followed the the followed which Railway Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trusts have been been have Trusts Wildlife Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire designer Paul Smith and environmental champion David David champion environmental and Smith Paul designer run by the Great Northern Northern Great the by run including actors Robert Lindsay and William Roache, fashion fashion Roache, William and Lindsay Robert actors including grasslands managed with wildlife in mind. in wildlife with managed grasslands boasted two major lines lines major two boasted Erewash Valley Trail project is supported by local celebrities celebrities local by supported is project Trail Valley Erewash Wildlife Trust as Blue Butterfl y sites recognising their value as as value their recognising sites y Butterfl Blue as Trust Wildlife took over. Again the valley valley the Again over. took authors such as D. H. Lawrence and Alan Sillitoe and the the and Sillitoe Alan and Lawrence H. D. as such authors Several such areas have been designated by Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire by designated been have areas such Several Century when railways railways when Century The valley is a special place which has inspired great great inspired has which place special a is valley The and these areas are essential for diverse insect populations. populations. insect diverse for essential are areas these and pottery, and lace supported the canals until the early 20th 20th early the until canals the supported lace and pottery, Many wet meadows are full of colourful wildfl owers in the spring spring the in owers wildfl colourful of full are meadows wet Many signifi cant demand for transport and along with brick making, making, brick with along and transport for demand cant signifi As well as wetlands the valley is highly regarded for its grasslands. grasslands. its for regarded highly is valley the wetlands as well As as London. The major ironworks at Stanton also generated a a generated also Stanton at ironworks major The London. as coal from the local coal fi elds which was often taken as far far as taken often was which elds fi coal local the from coal the valley. the These canals transported a variety of products but especially especially but products of variety a transported canals These which are regularly seen at Attenborough, are starting to explore explore to starting are Attenborough, at seen regularly are which sections. this is demonstrated by the existence of two canals in the valley. valley. the in canals two of existence the by demonstrated is this returning to the valley and rare wetland birds such as Bittern, Bittern, as such birds wetland rare and valley the to returning The industrial revolution increased the need for transport and and transport for need the increased revolution industrial The trail into smaller smaller into trail recent years has seen major improvement. Otters and Trout are are Trout and Otters improvement. major seen has years recent of the water and the work of the Environment Agency over over Agency Environment the of work the and water the of loops and split the the split and loops Mill in place and road names along the valley. the along names road and place in Mill Central to the quality of the wildlife habitats is the cleanliness cleanliness the is habitats wildlife the of quality the to Central this can be seen on the ground and in the many references to to references many the in and ground the on seen be can this provide shorter local local shorter provide water power for mills. The remains of of remains The mills. for power water the valley. valley. the trail which connect communities and and communities connect which trail transport and prior to the steam age, age, steam the to prior and transport and many nature reserves and designated sites on both sides of of sides both on sites designated and reserves nature many and offered the prospect of travel and and travel of prospect the offered many shortcuts and links across the the across links and shortcuts many Attenborough Nature Reserve at the mouth of the river Erewash Erewash river the of mouth the at Reserve Nature Attenborough Century. The river has always always has river The Century. and Derbyshire border. There are are There border. Derbyshire and seasons. The valley has a chain of marvellous wildlife sites with with sites wildlife marvellous of chain a has valley The seasons.

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