Distance: 2.5 miles

Difficulty of the terrain: hard

Get the route: via Ordnance Survey Maps

Walk from Matlock on the edge of the Peak District over the hills above the River Derwent to Cromford, birthplace of the factory system. Walk goes via the hulking Riber Castle.

The Walk

The Story

Getting Back

Matlock’s Wayne Manor

A gaunt gothic structure hulks over Matlock. Known as Riber Castle it is not a medieval defensive structure, rather a Victorian country pile constructed in the early 1860s for the industrialist John Smedley.

John Smedley gained wealth through the toil of the workers at the Lea Mill just east of Matlock. Lea Mill continues to produce John Smedley branded cloth and clothing to this day.

As well as building Riber Castle to loom over Matlock Dale, John Smedley also played a role in the development of the town as a spa resort. Smedley’s Hydro, even larger than Riber Castle, was opened in 1853 as a spa hotel, and since 1950s the has served as the headquarters of Derbyshire County Council was also constructed at his behest.

Besides its commanding position high above Derbyshire’s modern county town, Riber Castle has until very recently been notable for what it is not. That is to say that it has been derelict since the 1930 when it was last occupied as a private boys school.

A recent apartment development has reroofed and refitted the structure, which for decades stood as a facade open to the elements. Riber Castle was listed in 1950 (fairly early for an objectively pretty ugly Victorian pile), however, it was for decades reduced to a folly, sitting slowly crumbling and overtaken by vegetation at the heart of a little zoo attracting locals and visitors to the south eastern Peak District, alike.

The Riber Castle based zoo persisted until the year 2000 when it closed. From then on the site of Riber Castle stood completely derelict until work began on the apartments a few years ago. Now the site is reroofed and its large, somewhat grim windows overlooking Matlock are glazed again.
Riber Castle’s major contribution to popular culture of the niche variety came in 2003 when it was the scene of filming for Shane Meadows’ early film Dead Man’s Shoes (2004). A tight, violent revenger’s tragedy set in mid-2000s Matlock. Two narratively very important but deeply harrowing scenes are filmed in the remains of the zoo around the building. In a couple of key shots the then completely ruined shell of the building is seen in bleak and brutal monochrome, choices which accentuate the dark blackened exterior of the then stricken building.  

The Walk

Get the route via: Ordnance Survey Maps

This walk was created using Ordnance Survey Explorer. To subscribe and also get Ordnance Survey Maps on your phone, click the banner above.

This walk from Matlock to Cromford, via the site of Riber Castle, begins from Matlock Railway Station.

Upon alighting the train at Matlock head out of the station exit.

After leaving the station head right, then approaching a footbridge across to the Sainsbury’s on a hillside above the station, turn left at a fingerpost sign.

This leads you to beside a main road through Matlock running next to the River Derwent. Once beside the road turn right and walk a short distance towards a set of traffic lights.

Cross the road at these traffic lights.

On the other side of the road turn right then immediately left to cross a road bridge over the Derwent.

To the right you get your first glimpse of Riber Castle hulking over the town on its hilltop.

Having crossed the bridge you are on the edge of the main part of Matlock town centre.

Once across the bridge on the other side of the River Derwent, cross the road heading right, into a riverside park.

Upon entering the park, walk straight ahead along a wide, straight, tree lined path beside the river.

Presently you reach the far side of the park and having crossed a bridge step out onto a quiet residential street lined with tall houses constructed during Matlock’s 19th Century spa boom.

After walking along the road for a short distance you come to a junction. Here turn right onto Stoney Lane which runs steeply uphill.

Walk the short, but steep, distance up Stoney Lane, climbing a flight of steps at the top to come out onto a road in the middle of a part of the town called Old Matlock.

Once on the road turn right. Walk along the road heading towards the southern edge of Matlock for some distance.

Approaching a school on your left you see a footpath waymark.

Upon reaching the footpath turn left and begin walking up it. Riber Castle stands gaunt on its ridge, looming over Matlock right above you.

Presently you come to a gate which leads out into a long narrow field directly beneath Riber Castle. Turn right and walk across the field following the intermittent muddy outline of a path.

Soon you reach a path faced with stone sets which runs uphill towards the edge of the Riber Castle grounds.

At the top of the path, directly beneath the Castle, there is an old fashioned stone stile designed to stop sheep. Having crossed the stile turn right.

Follow the path around a short distance and through a gap in a stone wall.

On the far side of the stone wall keep walking straight ahead approaching woodland.

Head along the path walking through the trees, pass through a gate on your way, approaching the back of a cluster of houses.

Passing the side of the houses keep on walking down a driveway towards the main road running through the little village of Ward End.

Once on the main road turn left and begin following the road uphill.

Presently you reach a fork in the road, here take the wider right hand arm of the road and continue walking uphill.

Approaching the top of the hill off to the right there is a fingerpost waymark pointing onto a footpath. Turn right and follow this footpath along the line of a ridge.

As you walk there are spectacular views down the River Derwent gorge to the Midlands ur inland seaside town, Matlock Bath, below you.

Presently you pass through an old stone stile and the path begins running downhill towards woodland. Follow the path as it wends its way downhill, crossing a couple of hedge lines.

Approaching the woodland you come to another old stone stile for stopping sheep which you pass through.

On the other side, now in the trees, keep on heading downhill following the path.

Passing through a gap in an old stone wall you reach the edge of the woodland and the path begins dropping steeply.

A little further along and the path curves around sharply to the right running downhill towards a road. This section was incredibly slippy on the wet early December day that I walked the route, so care and caution on this segment is highly advised.

On reaching the road – which was quite busy on the day that I walked the route so take care – turn left.

Walk along the road for a short distance approaching a white painted building on your left.

Upon reaching this white painted building turn left down a driveway. Here you see a footpath waymark which points to the right.

Down the driveway at the back of the houses, next to a white painted outhouses, there is a stile leading to the left down onto a meadow.

Clamber down onto the field then follow the path to the right heading downhill towards woodland.

Upon reaching the tree line follow the footpath into the woodland, crossing a little bridge across a brook along the way, and following the path through the trees.

Presently you reach a sturdy wooden stile leading out onto open fields. Having crossed the stile walk straight ahead to the brow of the hill looking down into Cromford.

Follow the path downhill making for a stile leading out onto a farm track.

On the other side of the stile turn left and walk up the track a short distance.

At a bend in the track, just after a hedgerow, you come to a place where the outline of a path stretches off to the right across the corner of a field. Turn right here and follow this outline across the field towards woodland.

Soon you reach a stile which you cross. On the other side there is a well worn path. Upon reaching the path turn right and begin heading downhill.

Head downhill along the path, it leads down to the road beside Cromford Meadows near a viaduct carrying the Ambergate to Matlock railway line across the River Derwent.

Upon reaching the road turn right and pass beneath the viaduct.

On the far side of the viaduct lookout on your right for steps leading up to Cromford Railway Station, there is a ramp a little further along.

This is where the walk ends.

However, if you want to visit Cromford village, Cromford Wharf, and the preserved Arkwright’s Mill (which has a decent claim to be the world’s first modern factory) carry on walking straight then turn left across an old stone bridge over the River Derwent.

Getting Back

Cromford Station is served by hourly trains throughout the day north towards Matlock and south towards Derby via Ambergate and Belper, with many services carrying on towards Nottingham. Derby and Nottingham are served by mainline trains to many destinations including Sheffield, Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and London. Cromford village is also well served by buses north towards Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton, and south, some via Wirksworth, to Derby. As well as some services east towards places like Alfreton.