5.2 miles / 8.4 km
From Rowsley the Way follows the Derwent closely at first then visits the quiet, attractive settlements of Churchtown, Darley Bridge and Oker before again running alongside the river to enter Matlock, the first sizeable town on the route.
Near the start of this section a steam railway is operated by the Peak Railways Heritage Trust and there are also exhibitions, shops and refreshments. The high ground of Stanton Moor, with its stone circles and Bronze Age burial mounds, is worthy of exploration while St Helen’s churchyard at Churchtown has a 1,000-year-old yew tree.
Terrain
Tracks, paths and minor roads. Occasionally muddy in places.
Public transport
To the start at Rowsley, buses from Manchester, Buxton, Sheffield, Matlock and Derby; Peak Rail between Rowsley South and Matlock Station. From the finish at Matlock, buses to Manchester, Buxton, Sheffield, Chesterfield and Derby; trains to Belper, Derby, and Nottingham.
Accessibility
None of this section apart from roads is suitable for a wheelchair, however by following the White Peak Loop cycleway you can get to Matlock.
