As I mentioned in my previous post about the Peak District border, my original plan was to just take the train to see the station with an Oasis connection and then return to Leicester. However, when my dad showed an interest, it turned into a father and son day out taking in a few other sights in the area.

There is of course a lot more to this area of Derbyshire (UK) than having a railway station feature on the sleeve of an Oasis single in the mid-90s, and I was ultimately very glad that I got to see and experience the beauty beyond the station.

It was eventually decided that we’d go hiking there for a few hours on New Year’s Eve. Our train tickets were around £30 each and following a 90-minute journey with changes at Leicester and Derby stations we arrived at Cromford station at about 11:15 am. Naturally, I spent a fair amount of time there trying to line up some matching shots to the single sleeve for ‘Some Might Say‘ (1995) whilst my dad waited patiently.

Once we finally left the station behind, we soon passed Willersley Castle and were at Cromford Mills within about ten minutes. This is the historically significant water-powered cotton mill from the 1800s which has been well-preserved.

It now operates as a visitor centre with guided tours, a cafe, and a variety of shops selling crafts, antiques and local produce such as cheese.

The lanes just beyond that were like something out of a period drama or the Hovis bread advert!

After a short walk up the hill it was time to turn off and go off-road for the proper start of our hiking course with my dad as navigator using a good old fashioned paper map.

My dad planned the route in advance but after coming across Black Rocks on my maps app I pushed for that to be included in our itinerary too, and it proved to be even more impressive than I anticipated in terms of the views from the top.

The wind just happened to really pick up whilst I was on top of the rock so I had to be careful and couldn’t go to the end as hoped. Still, the shots do look pretty good and only took two attempts to get right!

A quarry could be seen amidst the green fields in the distance from the top.

Due to the way that we approached the rocks, it really didn’t seem too interesting when we saw it for the first time but a walk round the back and short, easy climb took us to the aforementioned lookout point.

Back down on the hiking path we followed the tree-lined trail with rocks to the side and the likes of moss-covered walls, tunnels, a catch-pit (built to trap runaway wagons) and fine views in the vicinity too.

Along the way there were a few old derelict buildings that could be briefly explored but there wasn’t too much to see inside.

High Peak Junction was once a major hub of transport activity where the railway met the canal network. It lies within Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, designated in 2001, and marks the end of the High Peak trail where an old train carriage is on display. There’s also a cafe, toilets, wharf sheds and an old workshop with a blacksmith’s forge and other rooms displaying local history if I can be so vague!

A couple of hundred metres further on was Leawood Pump House that’s run by volunteers and pumps water from the river to the canal. It’s a well-maintained monument to the industrial revolution which is only open a few times a year and not surprisingly this was not one of those occasions!

One of the quirkier sights along the trail back to the station was across the river where Stella the Stegosaurus is located. It seems impossible to get close to the dinosaur without swimming or a boat so I’m not sure why it’s there!

Overall, Cromford station bookended a gentle hike of about three hours including stops. It would’ve been quite sad for me to have stuck to my original plan of just visiting that station (a wonderful sight in itself) so I was ultimately very glad that I got to experience far more of the area, and with my dad too!

Click here to read ‘Some Might Say This Is an Essential Train Station for Oasis Fans to Visit!’

Click here to read ‘Back to the UK For The 1st Time In 6 Years for Some Family Festive Fun!’

Click here to read ‘Izu Coastal Adventures; Eel-Flavoured Cola, Unstaffed Stations, Outdoor Hot Spring Baths, Abandoned Buildings & Hiking Courses!’

Click here to read ‘Rock Climbing in Hiroshima with my Father-In-Law’