If you turn right for a short distance you reach a controlled crossing; on the day I walked this the crossing was not working but it was still safer to cross there in any case. You reach Wirksworth Road, then you turn right on a field path leading to Dale Abbey. You turn right along a quiet track. After a short distance where the lane turns right you go straight on along a track which becomes a path. You cross Acorn Way and eventually you reach Morley Road where you turn left to enter Chaddesden. You turn left along a quiet street then right up a path that leads to Chaddesden Park. You reach Nottingham Road, turning right for a short distance to cross it. At some point along the track you can turn left (Photo 14) to reach Derby Station....

Malcolm

The walk starts off in Ilkeston town centre and goes along the Erewash Canal for a short while before crossing a bridge to join the disused Nottingham Canal. Crossing Dead Lane the way goes along a bridleway (Photos 1 and 2) to Wollaton Vale eventually entering Wollaton Park. Overall I enjoyed this walk, the highlights being the sections along the Erewash and Nottingham Canals (both the active and disused sections), the walk along the bridleway from Dead Lane to Wollaton Vale, which has a pleasant rural feel to it, and also the section through Wollaton Park....

Malcolm

This is a pleasant and peaceful walk between the two towns with some good views over the Trent Valley between Stapleford and Bramcote....

Malcolm

The mapped way then leaves the multipurpose track (Sustrans Route 67) using a footpath that climbs a small hill- you pass to the right of the sign shown in Photo 1. The path is faint but you should follow the red dashes on the map; the GPX derived route deviates from this. Just after these houses the mapped route branches off left on a narrow path through the trees. The Heailk one route is supposed to branch off to the right of the path but this is not visible either on the ground or on Openstreetmap. Your only alternative is to keep straight on along the path and follow Heailk two into the centre of Ilkeston....

Malcolm

The scenery changes and the walk initially goes through a large industrial site, fenced off from the Trail. Further on, there is major development taking place beside the Trail, again fenced off....

Malcolm

A well surfaced route made for easy and safe walking even after recent heavy rains....

Martin

A well surfaced route made for easy and safe walking even after recent heavy rains....

Martin

Here we go half right up Little Lane, which has no pavement but is quiet, then take the path (unsurfaced but not too muddy) up the left hand of the fields to Babbington Lane, where we go half right then take the signposted path sharp left through a little wooded area. The path junction where we turn left is a little confusing, but the muddy farm track is the right of way down the first slope. We cross the road and turn right, then take another slightly muddy path left to join the bridlepath, which crosses the Nottingham canal, which is disused but has water on both side here....

Hugh Hudson

The sections on the nutbrook trail and through Shipley country park are nice and easy, though there are other sections, especially in the Manor floods nature reserve which are very overgrown and it's easy to lose your way. This is nice as a walk to do, but perhaps not ideal as a slow way...

MagneticSpy

A footpath takes us right to The Spinney, which we cross and take the path left to join the Nutbrook Trail, a surfaced path and cycle track on an old railway....

Hugh Hudson

A short section of pavement walking takes us to Nottingham Road, where there is a pelican crossing a short distance left. Here we rejoin DERILK 1, using the pavements of Chaddesden Lane and Morley Road to reach the bridletrack which takes us east, crossing Acorn Way (take care) and joining Locko Road for a short distance of road walking - the verges are too narrow to walk on but it didn't feel unsafe to me. We cross a footbridge and take the surfaced path half right to reach the bridleway which goes left along the edge of a school field to reach Derby Road. There is a pelican crossing on Oakwell Drive, where we go straight on, then turn right onto Wharncliffe Road which leads us to the market place, where the Ilkeston meeting point is to the left in the middle of the open square....

Hugh Hudson

A good direct route, slightly spoiled by the narrow steps down to the canal at the Ilkeston end which mean it is not perfect for accessibilty....

Hugh Hudson

The exit from the town is on quiet roads with pavements, followed by the section along the urban greenways to Kirk Hallam....

StephenWalker

The main road crossing in this direction had poor sight lines but there is a light controlled crossing close by if required. There is a choice at Dale, a cross field path would take you closer to the abbey remains although the arch can be seen from the main route passing the play area, with seats, and the inn, which was open pre-noon on a Thursday. Crossing the next main road, again from the inside of the bend but using eyes and ears should provide a safe crossing. A spell on a bridleway and crossing another minor but busy road, with good sight lines, then it's Chaddesden. A few more shops, perhaps one sells earplugs, because after a few quiet estate roads we hit the main road into Derby....

Ken

From the Ilkeston meeting point, cross South Street at the pelican crossing and turn right, then left down Albert Street, heading across Queens Drive and Derby Road onto Belper Street. We turn left up Cole Lane, and leave it to cross the A52 bridge on the right. The path follows the main road a short distance then crosses fields left to emerge on Priorway Avenue, where we turn right and follow the road to Ock Brook. Just before the bridge, a path heads right and follows the brook through parkland and across Balmoral Road to reach Nottingham Road, where we turn right to reach the Borrowash meeting point....

Hugh Hudson

A five star Slow Way although I felt that the route at Kirk Hallam climbing up Deepdale Drive was unnecessary, there are shops just off route up there but I would recommend taking the gentle descent along St Norbert Drive instead....

Ken

This route has the potential to be a Slow Way open to all users but it does need a bit of attention to achieve that. The route leaves the level surface of the cycle route to cross more scrubby ground which I felt spoilt the ease of walking this part of the route. The route to the east side of Shipley Lake is well used and good, having been the access road to the large tarmac area once used as the car park for American Adventure....

Ken

Crossing of busy roads is either light controlled or a central refuge....

Ken

Leaving the meeting point in Kimberley, we cross the road with care and head steeply up James Street, turning right along High Street until the unmissable Great Northern Railway path is reached on the left, partway down the hill. We follow Duke Street as far as the Cotmanhay Linear Park, where we turn left along a surfaced path, that leads across Ebenezer Street to Cotmanhay Road. We cross Awsworth Road/Granby Street and go right, turning left down Lower Granby Street which leads to a pelican crossing over Rutland Street....

Hugh Hudson

Mostly very pleasant, though there are a couple of places where the GPX file might be inadequate for a newcomer to the area (using the right of way line through the park in Ilkeston rather than the more direct surfaced path, the straight line past Wollaton Hall which is not entirely possible and the route down from Gregory Street to the canal, which is on the west side of the bridge). Follow Park Crescent past the cemetery to the right turn into Millfield Road, where we take the alleyway going straight on, and stay on the alleyway where it crosses Heathfield Avenue, which we rejoin using Winchester Crescent. Having crossed the canal we turn right, taking the left fork and a signposted left turn which leads us to the railway bridge, where you can either use the steps or the longer cycle ramps on both sides. As noted in my introduction, the GPX file is a little misleading - it is correct as far as the museum, where we continue on a narrower path up steps, which turn left just below the hall to emerge on a surfaced road - we follow this around the bend in front of the Hall and take the first surfaced track right, ignoring the path that heads into the walled garden. Cross Derby Road on a pelican crossing and (unless a visit to the Rose and Crown is needed) follow Hillside, continuing on a surfaced riverside path, which crosses to the east bank of the Leen on Leen Gate and emerging on Abbey Street opposite the Johnson Arms, crossing Abbey Street on another pelican crossing and turning left....

Hugh Hudson

I have done the closed section as recently as 2021, and it is a good route, so I won't flag this one because in theory the path closure is temporary....

Hugh Hudson

I was originally planning to walk HEAILK 1 today, from Ilkeston to Heanor, but the Nutbrook trail closure that prompted Stephen to create this route is still in place, so I diverted onto this route and used it all the way to Heanor....

Hugh Hudson

I walked it from Beeston to Ilkeston, and as far as the canal it is identical to Sanbee 3, which I walked and reviewed a few weeks ago....

Hugh Hudson

Leaving Nottingham city centre is good with no unpleasant road walking. The approach to Ilkeston is along quiet roads and footpaths, the meeting place a good one....

Ken

Basically a canal side walk along an improved towpath shared with cyclists. A good off and quiet road link at Ilkeston and difficult to make a shorter link at Sandiacre. Not a lot of boats to be seen because the heavy locks on the Erewash canal are hard work....

Ken

After 1.8 miles, at the entrance to Lakeside Business Centre, the Nutbrook trail heads south (right) [but this section is closed] and I continued along the lane following the boundary fence of the Shipley Lake building development. When the new access road is reached, turn right to follow it south-west around the boundary fence to eventually reach the Nutbrook Cafe (3 miles from the start). 3.5 miles from the start the Nutbrook trail takes a sharp right turn at a footpath sign....

StephenWalker

There are steps by the Brian Clough way crossing, and steeply onto the railway bridge west of Stapleford....

StephenWalker

Even though it had rained in the week before the only muddy section was on the track leading to the underpass beneath the M1....

StephenWalker

There had been wet weather in the week before my journey, but the good surfacing posed no problems underfoot. I found it to be a lovely walk with the short urban sections on quiet roads with pavements, or paths through the residential areas....

StephenWalker

Overall the first half along the canal is level, well surfaced, can be cycled and is pleasantly green, the second half is more varied and interesting with really nice views of the countryside but involves more up and down, a few rougher paths and isn't suitable for bikes....

Jonathan Wickens

A small diversion allows you to walk over Bennerley Viaduct which provides views up and down the Erewash valley....

Leigh

The exit from Ilkeston was on quiet roads with pavements....

StephenWalker

The section of fields between Swingate, Cossall and the railway were pretty slippery....

StephenWalker

At the second road crossing turn right down Duke Street to reach the canal bridge. The railway trail is on the right, reached up a flight of steps, The trail surface is hard until the line has been breached by the A610 Eastwood Bypass. On the other side turn left onto a better path alongside the road, before another flight of steps climbs onto the embankment where the railway trail resumes....

StephenWalker

The section south of Shipley Lake is closed (January 2022) owing to building work on the former American Adventure site....

StephenWalker

A pub at Dale Abbey (halfway through the walk) provides a food and toilet stop if needed. Coming out of Locko Park we walked a small section of the Midshires Way (photo 8), to come into Dale Abbey (photo 9). From Dale Abbey we continued in the countryside, passing through fields with well defined paths and over foot bridges (photos 11 & 12) until we came to the outskirts of Kirk Hallam. The walk past the Nut Brook Pond (photo 13) led us to the Nut Brook trail....

Lynn Jackson

An alternative is to take the Nutbrook Trail (route still to be uploaded) and into Ilkeston once you hit Straws Bridge. A more direct route (avoiding the end loop) if needed is straight up Nottingham Road from Gallows Inn, but that is very dull. Overall a good route to Il'son....

Husk

This is a very pleasant route taking in parks, woods and farmland as well as residential streets. The farmland route is well maintained and clearly laid out, I was able to see all paths across fields as I walked, all parts were easy to access. Breakfast stop before the walk was at Katie's Kitchen (W3W ///crumple.spicy.persuade) - lovely staff and a lovely breakfast!...

Lynn Jackson

Over the bypass and a short section of the disused Nottingham canal where a swing bridge still takes the path over the water. The path beside the Erewash canal is shared with cyclists but I saw none on this Monday. With a hedge of sorts to one side and water on the other this path like many others has no escape route but here I don't have that feeling of being trapped. Another lock with lots of water spilling over the gates then a section of path shared with traffic to canalside properties....

Ken

A good urban area linking route along a mix of paths, some stiles north of Cossall others can be bypassed. A brief look at the disused Nottingham canal as the route passes the site of a long gone bridge. Real open fields mostly given over to horses and some great views, north to Crich Stand and south to Charnwood Forest....

Ken

Enjoyable route following the Erewash canal for the main part. Easy walking, good surfaces and minimal gradients. Following the route is straightforward....

Martin

Walking is along canal paths, bridleways or quiet roads and even the walk along Wollaton Vale is along quiet service roads away from busy traffic....

Lynn Jackson

Pleasant enough route once out of Ilkeston, towards Erewash Canal, through Cossall and good views on a clear day. Bit steep towards Babbington and a lot of stiles - Not suitable for wheelchair and pushchair users...

Nick Milson

There are substantial obstacles for wheeled users, primarily the bridge of the train line coming into Stapleford and the incline of 17.6% near the top of the Cemetery path heading out of Stapleford. (This review does NOT show all obstacles or path quality - look at the survey for this)....

Lynn Jackson