A New Short Circular Walk at Cromford

 After my recent few days away in Norfolk I came home feeling exhausted, so I've decided it's time to get fitter. With this in mind, I've been taking advantage of good weather and light evenings. and getting out and about walking.




We frequently head to Cromford when looking for somewhere to walk - the path beside the canal is flat (always good, especially as Derbyshire tends to be 'hilly'), hard enough to not get muddy after rain, and there are always ducks and swans bobbing about.







This time we started with our normal walk from the start of the canal in Cromford to the old workshops at High Peak Junction.







Usually we'd turn round here, and follow the same route back to the car - this time I decided to be a bit more adventurous and energetic by heading up the High Peak Trail.










A railway once followed this route, bringing goods down to the canal, and the last section - Sheep Pasture Incline - was notoriously steep. It's a bit of a slog to walk up!












It's straight and the gradient doesn't vary, and it seems to keep going for ever. It passes under the busy A6 road, and onward and upward. After a while the view opens up, looking back across the valley, and there's something to take your mind off the monotonous plodding.








































I was sure I'd remembered correctly that a track heading for Cromford crossed the trail, but we continued to climb, entering another cutting, without sight of it. There are another footpaths which lead back to Cromford, but higher up the High Peak Trail, and dropping back down quite steeply.







 I needn't have worried. After the cutting, maybe half/three quarters of a mile from the start of the climb, we spotted joggers on a different track to our left, and soon found the way, circling round and down, to join it. There was even a signpost to make sure we didn't get lost.









Following the new track, Intake Lane, we went back under the High Peak Trail, and downhill towards Cromford and the car.







I thought this might make a good walk in the opposite direction, but as we reached the first houses the gradient steepened (worse than Sheep Pasture Incline, I'm sure) so if I walk this route again it will be in exactly the same way.












 It wasn't much longer in distance than returning along the canal towpath but definitely more exercise and therefore slower. Cromford to High Peak Junction is marked as a mile, the return was maybe half a mile longer - not far, but a pleasant walk to get me back towards longer distances.