West Bolsover Way (East Chesterfield Way - 3)

By public transport: The bus services 82 and 83 run frequently between Stephenson Place, Chesterfield, and Market Place, Bolsover.
Along the route there is an opportunity to catch buses to either Chesterfield or Bolsover at Arkwright Town. Near the finish the route passes close to Chesterfield Railway Station. 

[1] Standing with your back to the entrance to Bolsover Castle (A) turn right along the road and follow the downhill sloping path beneath the castle wall to meet and take a path through trees on your right. At the end of the wooded section Castle Fields opens out, continue downhill and meet a track at the bottom of the slope.  Turn left along the track and where the track turns left again continue forward through a gate and down a path between a fence and a hedge until the houses of the Model Village (B) are on your left.

[2] Take the path between the houses by number 37 to enter the Model Village Green and fork right to visit the Interpretation Panel near the children's playground. Thereafter continue diagonally across the grass to the far houses of the village. By number 166 turn left along Villas Road and, as the road bends left,  continue straight ahead along a hard surface track, turning right at the path junction.

[3] At the signs for the Stockley Trail turn right to meet an artwork 'Breaking the Mould' (C). Continue along the main track, ignoring an entrance and car park on your right, and head gradually downhill. On crossing the bridge over a small brook head for the Peter Fidler Cairn (D). From the cairn return to the track and continue on towards Mill Farm and take a stile to the right. Cross over the stile with the farm on your right. Turn left along the broad track. After a short distance, as this path turns back to the left, fork right diagonally across the field to meet a stile at the start of the former railway line.

[4] Go across, forking slightly to the right, what is now a narrow field, over a stile and straight across the following field to turn right after the hedge. Continue along this field edge straight ahead and eventually go thorough a tunnel under the M1. Immediately afterwards turn left along the field edge, through 3 wicket gates forking right across the third field before you become adjacent to an overhead motorway information sign on your left. Use the metal kissing gate on your right and fork left diagonally across the large field in the direction of (aiming for between two mid-field trees - pass with the right hand tree immediately on your right) a broad track leading towards Scarsdale Hall (E). Proceed up the track towards the Hall following the line of the Ha-Ha. If you wish to visit Scarsdale Hall continue on the path towards the farm and follow the markers to the road. Turn left at the road and then left again following the signs to the Hall.  To return to the walk retrace your steps to the end of the HaHa. At the end of the HaHa look out for a marker post pointing away from the Hall and take the broad field path.Proceed up the track to the Hall.

[5] With your back to the Hall go down the broad field edge path to your left, pass some fishing ponds on your left, and follow the track to Park Gate Cottages. Immediately before this turn left, through the wicket gate, and take the field edge path until it reaches Longcourse Lane. Turn left along the lane. Proceed passing Longcourse House on your right.

[6] Shortly afterwards turn left to join a new multi-user trail. Go straight ahead, forking slightly to the left as you eventually approach a road (Sutton Lane). Cross this directly and turn left along the footpath. At the roundabout turn left and continue on towards the road bridge over the railway cutting. At the road bridge cross the busy road with care and take the footpath down the side of the former railway line and join the path along the cutting. The closed end of Duckmanton Railway Cuttings (F) is on your left as you turn right, under the road bridge and along the former railway line (again a soon to be multi-user trail).  Arkwright Town (G) is on your right up the embankment should you wish to visit it or catch one of the connecting buses. Otherwise continue straight ahead.

[7] Just before a Trans Pennine Trail sign take the gate, adjacent to a horse hop, on your left. Follow this broad lane along entering West Wood. Keep straight ahead until you reach the  'Woodland Guardians' artwork (H). Turn sharp left downhill to a footbridge and continue gently uphill until Lodge Farm is on your right.

[8] Turn right over a stile and follow the field edge path along, behind houses, all the way to the end (ignoring an earlier left option) turning left to reach Anderson Lane with The Miners' Arms (I) at Brimington to your left. Cross the road directly from the pub, turn left, and almost immediately turn right along Recreation Rd, with houses on your left, playing fields to your right. Follow this road which narrows to a track, before meeting a wider track. Turn right and almost immediately left going down another broad track then uphill to meet a lane. Continue in the same direction before taking an enclosed path between fields which leads to Wheathill Lane. Turn right along this lane taking care of the traffic.

[9]  As the lane forks right take the sign posted route on your left down across Tapton golf course. Pass the club house on your left, admire the view of the Crooked Spire, and continue downhill. On joining the road turn right with 'The  Mollusc'  artwork (K) to your left.

If you wish to see Tapton House (J) follow this alternative route. Instead of turning left down to the golf course continue along the lane until a recreation field is on your left. Turn left by a stile onto the field and proceed straight ahead before turning left behind the tennis courts, to join a path which brings you to the Gardens and House. Continue to leave the grounds by the entrance to the College and turn left down the tarmac slope. Turn left almost immediately and follow the path down a steep slope (slippery when wet) to reach the track by the railway line. Turn left, and over the railway bridge onto Brimington Road. There you can either turn left and rejoin the route near the railway station. Alternatively  turn left, taking care cross the road, and left down a path which leads to the River. Turn left following the river to rejoin the route near the railway station.

[10] Continue under the railway bridge and bear left uphill passing to the right of the railway station. Pass the Chesterfield Hotel on your right and, crossing with care, take the foot bridge over the A61 to Corporation Street. Just beyond the Pomegranate Theatre, and Chesterfield Museum, take the pedestrian crossing to enter the grave yard of St Mary and All Saints Church (L). Follow this path along to meet your destination, Rykneld Square and the Visitor information Centre.

Perhaps you'll take the opportunity to go up the Crooked Spire to see the countryside available on other linear routes from the Square and its vicinity.

(A) Bolsover Castle. Built by Sir Charles Cavendish in 1612 and completed by his son. Now owned by English Heritage. When the castle is open there are toilets near the entrance. There is also a model showing the defensive position of the castle and the layout of the Model Village below. www.english-heritage.org.uk/bolsover

(B) Bolsover Model Village. Built by the Bolsover Colliery Company in the 1890's to house its workers. The founder, Emerson Bainbridge, had strong social views and residents had to be of sober habits and moderate political views. There is an interpretation panel with details of the Village, and the Bolsover dragonfly.

(C) Breaking the Mould.  Self explanatory artwork by Andrew McKeown.

(D) Peter Fidler cairn. Peter Fidler was born in the Mill Farm near the site. He is better known in Canada as the Chief Scout for the Hudson Bay Trading Company. He became a famous map maker and surveyor. The plaque tells his remarkable life story. An audio trail is available to download from www.audiotrails.co.uk/peterfidler. 'True Brit'. The adventures of Peter Fidler of Bolsover 1769 -1822 by K Gordon Jackson. 

There is not an entrance to the hall and grounds from this point because of the ha-ha around the grounds (where you're standing used to be the deer park). If you wish to visit the hall it is necessary to walk three  sides of the block starting by going up to Hall Farm  (on your left if your back is to the hall), to Sutton Lane, turn left, and left again, Entrance is free and available at all reasonable times. Retrace you  steps to return. www.english-heritage.org.uk/suttonscarsdalehall

(F) Duckmanton Railway Cutting.  The route passes the closed end of the cutting which has SSSI status. Rocks and fossils give the reserve, which is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, geological interest, while grassland flowers attract a variety of butterflies. The entrance is from Deepsic Lane but this is a permit only Restricted Access Nature Reserve due to the unstable geology.

(G) Arkwright Town. The whole village was moved to this site due to methane gas seepage from the former coal measures. There is a plaque of the site of the former village by the Chesterfield Rd (A632) roundabout nearby.

(H) 'Woodland Guardians' artwork. Self explanatory.

(I) The Miners' arms, Brimington.  Note the plaque to locally born Joe 'ten goal' Payne whose record still stands. His career was cut short by the Second World War.

(J) Tapton House. The final home of the railway engineer George Stephenson and subsequently the Markham family.  The latter left the house and grounds (including the golf course) to the people of Chesterfield with the proviso the House be used for educational purposes. It now forms part of Chesterfield College.

(K) 'The Mollusc' artwork. Self explanatory.

(L) Rykneld Square and St Mary and All Saints Church - The Visitor Information Centre is built upon the site of a Roman fort, dating from
about 70 A.D. It protected the important Rykneld Road. There is a bronze plaque in the centre of the square between the Centre and the Crooked Spire of St Mary and all Saints Church.

The Visitor Information Centre records details of 4 famous people with local connections - Bess of Hardwick, Lady Baden-Powell, George Stephenson, and England goal keeper Gordon Banks from the 1966 World Cup winning team.

The square also contains an engraved Olympics Milestone, made from local stone, marking the route of the Torch Relay Route in 2012. It was designed and carved by local stone mason Andy Oldfield.

St Mary and All Saints with its famous crooked spire was built in the 13th. century with completion around 1360. The spire is 228 feet from the ground and it leans 9 foot 5 inches from its true course. The spire is thought to have become twisted due to the use of green timber during its construction and the 32 tons of lead it supports.The weather vane atop the spire was made at Markham's Broad Oak Foundry nearby. www.visitchesterfield.info

The church yard contains the graves of some of the French prisoners paroled to Chesterfield during the Napoleonic Wars (From Beyond the Crooked Spire - Marjorie Dunn, ISBN 978-1-874718-72-7 - A story of the over 400 French officers and pow's who were billeted in the town between 1803 and 1815) and also the first gas lamp post in the town dated 1824. This was moved here from Market Place. Interestingly enough Chesterfield became the first town in England to use electricity successfully for street lighting in 1881. This came about because of a dispute between the gas suppliers and the council as to prices when the gas supply was cut off.

Chesterfield Town Trail - available from the Visitor information Centre - www.chesterfieldarttrail.co.uk - for information on The Woodland Guardians, The Mollusc, the Stephenson statue (at the railway station), and The Labyrinth in Tapton Park all of which are on or near the walk.

Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 269 Chesterfield and Alfreton

Public rights of way: The route largely follows public rights of way shown as dotted green lines on the map.In the event of any problems being experienced with public rights of way en route please report them to esprow@derbyshire.gov.uk (or 08456 058058 asking for the Rights of way unit) with the location, and full details.

Local Ramblers group: See www.chesterfieldramblers.com. Contact can be made via cnedra@btinternet.com.

This route has been produced on behalf of Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Group of the Ramblers'. The Group already produces leaflet of The Chesterfield Round Walk (a 34 miles circuit of the town), and The South Chesterfield Way (an 11 mile route connecting Chesterfield to Clay Cross).  Dronfield Footpaths and Bridleways Society produce leaflets connecting Dronfield to Chesterfield - The North Chesterfield Way (9 miles) and the Drone Valley Way (7.5 miles). Two alternative East Chesterfield Ways, with directions from Chesterfield to Bolsover, are available on Ramblers' Routes.