Local Walk: Around Wingfield Manor

Walk supplied by Angela Clarke of Belper www.peakwalker.net

Start: Roadside parking in Pentrich opposite the church (SK 3900 5258)
 
Route: Pentrich - Wingfield Manor - Coalburn Hill - Wingfield Park - Pentrich

Map: Explorer OS 269: Chesterfield & Alfreton
 
Distance: 5 miles   

Terrain: Good tracks, fields and quiet lanes.

Refreshments: Dog Inn, Pentrich.

Toilets: None

A local walk that offers extensive views and visits two areas that have a historical claim to fame.

Having parked opposite the church, with the church on your left, head uphill, in the opposite direction to the Dog Inn, towards Ripley.

Pentrich is where the last revolution in England began and the brown plaques on the walls in the village relate to this event.

Pass the village hall and Farm Close on the left. As the road bends round to the right cross it and take the signed footpath to the right of Farm Close.

Ignore the stile, on the right, at the back of the house on the right; instead continue straight ahead through the gate to follow a broad track along the ridge. In the distance the noise of the A38 can be heard but press on and it will soon be lost. Away to your left the view extends as far as Crich Stand.

After passing through a second gate the track swings round to the left, towards the farm. Before you reach the farm take the broad track on the left that is signed public footpath. Can you spot the ruins of Wingfield Manor across the valley to your right?

Wingfield Manor

Follow the track downhill until, as it swings left, you see a gate on the right, which you take. Continue straight ahead, downhill, to reach another gate onto the road. This road is quite busy so keep children close by.

Turn left to find a footpath sign on the right. The actual path down to the stile is just beyond the sign. If you have young children with you it is advisable to let an adult tackle the stile first as it is a long step down on the other side and they may need helping down.

Your route is straight ahead, downhill, with the hedge on your left. After crossing another stile continue straight ahead to find a third stile, on your left, onto the lane.

Turn right and follow the lane round to the left, under the railway bridge to the public bridleway sign on the right just after Bull Farm.

Go through the gate and follow the track towards Shrewsbury Cottage. Just before you reach a second gate take the track on the left.

Coalburn Hill

Follow this track passing through, or round, one gate to reach a second gate after which a signpost gives you multiple routes to follow. The path you eventually want is the one on the left, which is heading uphill and back on yourself.

Before you head along the track take the time to divert off the route to get the best view of Wingfield Manor, a temporary prison for Mary Queen of Scots before she was executed in Fotheringhay Castle. To do this ignore both paths and take the gap in the trees straight ahead of you. Then follow the vague path uphill and to the left to not only look at the manor, which isn’t normally open to the public1, but to also admire the view across the valley.

Having returned to the path follow it uphill, passing an entrance to Wingfield Manor, to a gate and a squeeze stile. Continue straight ahead to reach a second gate, which was missing at the time of writing. Continue straight ahead with the wall on your left to another gate (also missing), keep straight ahead, downhill with the wall now on your right.

At the bottom of the field take the gate on the right and continue straight ahead, downhill, to a further gate on the right by a building. The gate takes you onto a lane where you turn left and then, at the junction, right along Lynam Road.

Walk along Lynam Road, which is normally an extremely quiet lane, until, as the lane heads uphill, you see, on the left, a footpath sign for Buckland Hollow.

Take the footpath and follow it straight across the field to a gate and then veer left to find a stone stile onto a broad track. Turn right along the track and follow it uphill and through Lodge Hill Farm.

The track exits the farm via a gate and continues downhill to another gate to the left of a wooded area.

Having gone through this gate, leave the track as the footpath now veers off to the left heading towards the trees and the River Amber.

As the trees end bear left, with the river, to find, straight ahead of you, a bridge across the river onto the road, which can be busy. Turn right along the road and then take the footpath on the right, which is signed for Pentrich.

After going through the gate continue straight ahead, keeping the hedge on your right. When a large gap appears in the hedge veer left to a stile in the top right hand corner of the field.

Continue straight ahead, with the hedge on your right, across another stile, to eventually cross a third stile, in the right corner of the second field, into a third field on the right.

Continue straight ahead, with the hedge now on your left, to find a squeeze stile further along the hedge. Take the squeeze stile and now head diagonally left, towards the houses, following a vague path.

Take the stile into the next field, and then continue straight ahead, uphill, towards the church to a squeeze stile into the church grounds.

Bear left to a stone path, which you follow downhill to the road, where you can either turn right for a drink in the Dog Inn or left to return to your car.

1.Wingfield Manor is only open for pre-arranged visits on the 1st Saturday of the
month. To arrange a visit telephone English Heritage Customer Services on:
0870 333 1183.

We have taken reasonable steps to ensure that this walk is safe and achievable by walkers of a realistic level of fitness. The publisher accepts no responsibility for any injuries caused to readers whilst following the walk. Always wear appropriate clothing and footwear.