🌳Wirksworth 10 miles🌤️Carsington Village🌥Brassington🌳

This varied walk goes through open countryside woodland along waterside paths and visits pretty villages.
We start from the fascinating Market Town of Wirksworth with its narrow streets and maze of interesting winding alleyways, St Mary's Church dates back to 653, the churchyard contains the 'Wirksworth Stone' apparently, one of our greatest archeological treasures.
Limestone cottages on Green Hill and the Dale are perched on the hillside. Along the alleyways and jitties, there are many little cottages.
The town itself and many of its shops and houses in the Market Place date back to 1760.

The route heads away from the town across pastures and up to join the reservoir for a short way into Carsington Village. A peaceful little limestone village with pretty cottages and was once a centre for lead mining, it stayed almost unchanged for centuries.
Nearby Carsington Pastures is a site of archeological interest and the area around Carsington reservoir is excellent for wildlife and bird watching.

The route leaves the village and heads across hilly pastures with a succession of hollows known as rakes, which marks the site of a disused mine.
Eventually the path descends into Brassington, set on a hilltop in the rocky uplands of the southern Peak District, it's an attractive old village with a timeless feel to it with old characterful houses and pretty cottages set amongst narrow streets. Surrounded by spectacular countryside, it was once a centre for land mining and there are still remnants around the area.

The route leaves the village and heads across fields to Carsington Waters Visitors Centre, a chance for coffee and cake with views of the reservoir.

The route continues along Carsington Waters to rejoin the path to Carsington Village, but this time we head through the small Hamlet of Hopton linked to its neighbour, Carsington Village.
A small roadside boundary stone divides the two villages and can still be found close to Hopton Hall.
Apart from the Hall, there's a former tollbar cottage, a roadside wall with a stone carving reputed to depict George and the Dragon and The Almshouses of Hopton founded in 1719 which was a hospital for four poor residents.

The route back to Wirksworth climbs up through woodland and pastures and brings us through the vast Quarry, it leads us down narrow winding streets with beautiful views as we walk back into the quirky town of Wirksworth.

A fairly moderate walk with undulating paths..

Catching up points and breaks along the way as always

Toilets in Wirksworth and at Carsington Visitors Centre

Bring a picnic lunch and plenty of water to keep you going

Walking boots are essential
As always check the weather and dress accordingly

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