South Derbyshire has large areas of picturesque open countryside that is popular with those who want less strenuous walking. For those seeking more challenging terrain, the Peak District is just a short drive away.

Local Led and Organised Walks

» Footsteps in the Forest- The National Forest Walking Festival 
» Get Active in the Forest includes around 40 led walks per month
» The Walking the Way to Health Initiative (external link) (WHI) lists news and events 
» Derby and South Derbyshire Ramblers' Association (external link)
» Findern Footpaths Group (external link)

Country Walks in South Derbyshire

These circular walks are mostly based on local villages and can be combined with visits to local attractions and/or eateries. The routes can be walked one at a time, or, in some cases if you are feeling energetic, several routes can be combined to make a single longer walk. A3 size (420mm by 297mm) the five walks leaflets contained in a pack are full colour and include interpretative material as well as clear instructions to guide you around the route.

The pack of walks leaflets is available to purchase from local Tourist Information Centres, libraries and selected attractions. Alternatively, individual walks may be downloaded in a lower resolution PDF format for you to print out yourself (though please do note these are smaller at A4 size, or 297mm by 210mm):

More Country Walks in South Derbyshire

• Shardlow Walk
• Newton Solney Walk
• Hartshorne Walk
• Findern and Willington Walk
• Three Churches Walk

Any changes to these walks following publication, or any additional information, will be posted on this web page as it becomes available, so do check before setting out.

Audio Trail

Launched alongside the Footsteps in the Forest Walking Festival. Listen to this soundtrack using your mp3 player as you enjoy the walk.

Rosliston Forestry Centre Audio Trail (mp3 format, 11.5 Mb)

• Rosliston Forestry Centre

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Trail Guides    

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Trail Guides

• No.1: A Saunter Around Swadlincote
• No.2: The Delights of The National Forest and Beyond
• No.3: A Scenic Circle of Country Villages

• File Format: Adobe PDF (help and accessibility)
• Documents will open in a new window

Other Walks Leaflets for South Derbyshire

• Aston on Trent Historical Walk, published jointly by Derbyshire County Council, South Derbyshire District Council and the Aston-on-Trent Local History Group, available free from Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre.
• Walks Around Melbourne, published by Melbourne Civic Society, is a book of fourteen walks in and around Melbourne which can be purchased from Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre priced at £5.
• The Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk 1745-1995 is a waymarked route from Ashbourne to Derby now available as a leaflet from by the Ramblers' Association. (external link)
• Repton Trail, published by Repton Village History Group and available to callers at Repton Church.Ticknall Village Walk is on sale at the Village Store in the village, price £1, or by post from Ticknall Preservation & Historical Society, 3 Harpur Avenue, Ticknall, Derby, DE73 1JS.
• Shardlow Village Trail can be purchased for 25p from the sales area at Shardlow Heritage Centre, London Road, Shardlow, Derby, DE72 2GA.
• Walks from Highfields Happy Hens (nr Etwall) costs £2.50 from Highfields Happy Hens, The Paddocks, Highfields Farm, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derby, DE65 6LS or telephone 01283 732083.
• Forest Walks is a folder of 15 walks in The National Forest. This includes several walks within South Derbyshire, costs £5 and is available from local tourist information centres and the National Forest Company, Bath Lane, Moira, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 6BD or telephone 01283 551211. Alternatively, the Forest Walks can be downloaded.(external link)
• The National Heritage Corridor is a long distance walk from Derwent Mouth to Howden Reservoir along the entire length of the Derwent Valley. Within South Derbyshire it passes by Shardlow Heritage Centre and Elvaston Castle Country Park. Further details of National Heritage Corridor (external link) and Jarrolds have published a guidebook, which describes the route in ten stages and is available from bookshops at £11.99.
• Findern - A series of walks in and around Findern have been devised by the Findern Footpaths Group (external link) and can be found on their webpages.
• DEFRA - Walks, rides and areas of open access provided under the Countryside Stewardship, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Environmental Stewardship Schemes: Covert Farm, Daniel Hayes Farm, Long Acres Farm, Sapperton Manor, St Brides and St Brides Farm. (external links)
• Calke Park & Abbey Wildlife Walk - A short wildlife walk in the grounds of the National Trust property at Calke Park. Download the Calke walk. (external link)
  

If you are aware of other walks in South Derbyshire that could be featured on this page, please contact us at tourism@south-derbys.gov.uk or on 01283 595 755. In addition, a number of commercially produced books featuring walks in the area are available from bookstores.

Useful Links

Learn more about the countryside code, countryside access, where to go and what to do.(external link)

Further information about the Walking the way to Health Initiative (WHI) for South Derbyshire and The National Forest. (external link)

Derby and South Derbyshire Ramblers' Association (external link)

Findern Footpaths Group(external link)

If you come across an obstruction on a footpath whilst walking, please notify us.