WILLINGTON TRENT AND MERSEY WALK
THE WALK
Willington Trent and Mersey Walk is a most enjoyable experience with several interesting diversions to follow. It first takes you along the Trent and Mersey Canal, busy with boats at the weekends and during the summer, before visiting the pretty village of Findern. The final stretch of the walk returns to the canal bank for a short stroll back to Willington Marina.
James Brindley from Derbyshire was the engineer responsible for the building of the Trent and Mersey Canal. He died before he could complete the final piece in his canal network that revolutionised trade in the country. Hugh Henshall, his brother-in-law, completed the work. A milestone marks every mile along the route to Preston Brook.
There are two areas of woodland along the canal bank, where paths have been laid to enable visitors to walk around and explore. The walk also passes Stanhope Community Woodland and two further areas of particular interest for flora, fauna and wildlife lovers.
LOOK OUT FOR
Route Point 2 – Stenson Lock, where the coffee shop overlooks the Trent and Mersey Canal, you can sit and take some refreshment, while watching canal boats navigate the lock. It is the second deepest lock on the canal at 12 feet 6 inches in depth and, together with the red-brick road bridge behind it, is Grade II listed. On the other side of the café is the Marina with the Bubble Inn at the rear.
Point 4 – The planting of the first tree, in Stanhope Community Woodland, took place on 18 November 2003. Findern Footpaths Group, other villagers, and the National Probation Service completed the planting of the wood during that month. It is one of several circular diversions that you can take on the walk to explore the flora and fauna and view the wildlife in the area.
Point 5 – All Saints’ Church at Findern was rebuilt and consecrated in 1863, on the site of a Saxon place of worship. A Norman tympanum, rescued when the old building remains inside the church. Reg Parnell, the famous motor racing driver, is buried in the churchyard; he kept a herd of 700 pigs and 150 Ayrshire cattle at the farm next to Wallfield House.
Point 6 – Findern Village Green forms the centrepiece of the village, on which an impressive-looking sign, erected to commemorate the Millennium. And more recently, a village map has been added. The appearance of the Green is enhanced by chestnut trees, encircled by white posts and chains and overlooked by the church and picturesque, mainly white walled properties.
Point 9 – Mercia Marina opened in September 2008 in the 24-acre Willington Lake, surrounded by another 50 acres of countryside. It is a maturing place to visit with a sensory garden, nature and wildlife trails. The availability of good shopping and refreshment facilities has made it a popular tourist destination.
Point 10 – Willington was the scene of much activity after the building of the canal. Up to the 1960s, there was a thriving wharf yard at the rear of the Green Dragon (now Dragon) public house, served by the canal and the railway. In 1973, Derbyshire County Council turned the area into a Marina.
WALK DETAILS
Length: 4.50 miles, approximately, depending on the number of diversions explored.
Start: Car Park overlooking the canal, on the Twyford Road, between Willington Railway Station and the bridge.
Location: Situated eight miles south-west of Derby at the junction of the A1532 and B5008, only two minutes off the A38/A50 junction (SK295286). Willington Railway Station is close to the intersection of the A1532 and B5008.
Terrain: A level walk, with more than half taken up along the banks of the Trent and Mersey Canal. After leaving the canal, you walk along quiet paths and a lane to Findern, returning to the canal along easy-to-follow footpaths.
Refreshments: The Dragon, previously known as the Green Dragon, has been substantially refurbished and provides seating both inside and out facing the canal; the Green Man and Rising Sun, together with several restaurants, and Bevington’s Tea Rooms also serve refreshments.
THE ROUTE
1. Turn right out of the car park along the bank of the Trent and Mersey Canal, for about two miles, passing under the road bridge leading to Findern. After going under a railway bridge, with an open field and a path on the opposite side, look out for Canal Bridge Number 20 (the number is on the eastern side of the bridge) if you do not want to follow the diversion. Cross the bridge and follow the route instructions from Point 3.
2. Here you may take a short diversion by continuing along the canal towpath for about a quarter of a mile to reach the crossing point at Stenson Lock, where there is a pleasant café that overlooks the lock. It is worth walking around the back of the café and looking around the Marina. The Stenson Bubble Inn behind the café attracts plenty of visitors as well as boaters. After completing your tour, return along the canal bank to Canal Bridge Number 20, which you cross.
3. Turn left immediately you are over the bridge, and walk along a clear path by the side of the canal. After a short distance, go to the right by a wooden seat and walk away from the canal, along a path, past a conservation area.
4. Continue straight ahead, passing a Stanhope Wood Information Board, to ascend two short flights of steps, at the top of which you turn left, along a wide access track – soon, turning right through a wide tunnel, under the A50 and then after a few yards, going to the left at a ‘T’ junction of tracks.
5. Shortly after this point, there are two fascinating areas to explore, on either side of the track, to observe the flora, fauna, and wildlife. When you have finished, continue along the track, the surface improving the nearer you get to Findern. After passing a cemetery on your left, continue ahead, aiming to the left of All Saints’ Church.
6. Walk up the short road in front of the churchyard to reach Findern Village Green, where you turn left to join Main Street.
7. Immediately after passing the former Wheel Public House, now a firm of undertakers, turn left down Heath Lane, and continue along the pavement to cross the bridge over the A50. Once over the bridge, take the footpath on the left, which takes you past a recreation field, before bending further to the right to re-join Heath Lane.
8. Walk down the lane past a row of houses to reach the Nadee, Indian Restaurant, via a slight right fork from the lane. Take care not to cross the road bridge, but keep close to the restaurant and go over the canal bridge. Turn right along the canal bank, which you came along earlier in the walk.
9. After a short distance, look out for a high-sided footbridge over the canal. If you want to visit Mercia Marina, cross the bridge and follow the surfaced path slightly to the left to reach your destination, where there is much to explore before returning to the canal and turning right.
10. Follow the canal towpath back to Willington and the starting point of the walk, taking time to view the numerous assorted canal boats docked at the Marina.
WILLINGTON AND TWYFORD
