Derbor two

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 75.00% of reviewers

I walked this route from Derby in January. It was a crisp cold day, but there were still short muddy stretches. The route out of Derby is surfaced alongside the R Derwent. In January the views are not obscured ! Coming from Derby and using the 1:25000 map I had no difficulty in finding and following the route. There are some road crossings where care is required, but no more so than crossing most other roads. The steps on the railway bridge were steep and would not be suitable for all.
Once we got to the 'Spondon Greenway' section along the line of the old canal I found that there was plenty of interest and pleasant walking. The approach to the Borrowash hub is on the wide pavement of a residential road.

An enjoyable walk.

The problem with this route is the need to cross the A52, twice, and the railway once. Two of the crossings are safe for pedestrians, one (A52 slip road) is not. There is also a section that will be wet and muddy in the winter. The section between these crossings are quite pleasant, it basically follows the route of the old Derby canal. Derbor One is a much better option.

An interesting choice of route. I walked it from Borrowash to Derby as the final part of a four route walk starting in Beeston.

The road walk down the hill out of Borrowash is quick and easy, from there we join the route of the old Derby canal. This part of the route is quick, well signposted and easy to follow. Only the first part out of Borrowash is unsurfaced.

The fun starts when you reach the Spondon Interchange, where a degree of faith is required to follow the GPX file, first on a cycletrack parallel to the main road, then over the railway (fairly steep steps on both sides, though with a rail to help when wheeling bikes), along a roundabout under more roads, then a ramp-assisted bridge back over the railway. One other safety concern is that the sliproad from the A5111 to the A52 has to be crossed unaided so take care here - the cycle track continues on the far side and takes you down to the north side of the A52. The steps rule this out as a route for wheelchairs and buggies.

More suburban parkland (all still surfaced) takes you to the impressive newish footbridge over the A52 from Meadow Lane to the Wyvern, which is designed for cyclists and accessed using long but indirect easily graded ramps. I did this part of the route late on a Sunday afternoon and the Wyvern Park was almost deserted, so no need to wait for the pelican crossings. The final part along the Derwent Path is very familiar to me and a little dull (the river is largely hidden by trees), though the scenery improves as the city centre nears.

The Derby meeting point in the Boulevard is partially blocked by building work at the moment, but a line through it has been kept open for walkers and cyclists.

Four more routes completed and all that remained was the easy walk back to the railway station.

Easy route to follow from Borrowash. A narrow bridge and short narrow section of muddy path could be improved as the section to Spondon otherwise is stone or tarmac surface. The art gallery is worth a look from the footpath with time to study, unlike the cars rushing past. Steps up, down, twists and turns is fairly easy to follow, one road to cross so care is needed. Back on the line of the canal again a wide grassy area and work to resurface the path is in progress Dec. 2021. The long bridge over the A52 was built on site then craned into place, there may still be a YouTube of the operation. The roads in Wyvern Park were busy with last minute shoppers but the crossings are light controlled so safe. A Slow Way not to everyone's taste but worth a look if you feel adventurous.

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