Walks you can reach from Ilkeston by train

Off-road walking and cycling alongside canal and river — a waterside network of paths. Passes the historic Trent Bridge.

Walk details: Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership (local insights).

Canal, river, wooded track and roadside footpath.

Time: 4h30–9h30

2 lunch spots: Wilford Farm (1h30–3h in), or Dovecote Barn Café (3h–6h in)

Warnings: Short stretch on busy A453.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

One of the world’s oldest industrial regions. Overgrown canal towpath, woodland and field crossings and ironworks remains. Follows the route of the disused Cromford Canal. Butterley Tunnel (nearly 3 km) collapsed in 1900, severing the canal into two sections.

Waterway: two thirds along the Cromford Canal.

Time: 4h30–9h

Warnings: Substantial tree blockages on overgrown sections; busy A610 road crossing.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Impressive views back across Amber valley. Predominantly countryside walk. Walk takes in Pentrich, where the doomed Pentrich Revolution began in June 1817 — an early working-class uprising following the Napoleonic Wars. Route follows parts of the former Cromford Canal.

Time: 3h–6h

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. Busy A610 with lorry traffic; stiles.

Walk details: Walk Midlands (tips, photos and local insights).

Mixture of off-road cycle path and on-road sections. Part of the longer London-to-Lake-District route.

Walk details: Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership (local insights).

35% hard surfaced 35%. Made up level surfaces 30% fields/countryside. Flat with one significant rising section.

Walk details: Visit Amber Valley (PDF).

Canal towpath (the Cuckoo Way) running 46 miles from the Trent to central Chesterfield. Out-and-back along an attractive market-town waterway and with kingfishers and water voles to look out for.

Walk details: East Midlands Railway (tips, photos and local insights).

Recommended: A flat, mostly level walk: busy city and built-up streets at each end with a quiet, scenic, well-maintained towpath along the Beeston Canal in the middle. A cobbled bridge joins the towpath and there are a few short and steep inclines. Frequent buses and trams also run between Beeston and Nottingham; the route passes Beeston Station too.

Waterway: two thirds beside rivers and canals.

Time: 2h–4h30

Lunch: A quieter alternative at the Beeston side passes the Star Inn, the Victoria Hotel and a café at the Canalside Heritage Centre.

Warnings: A quarter urban. Cobbled bridge to join the towpath and a few short, steep inclines. Some busy street walking at the ends.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Reverse direction: Derwent Valley Line Community Rail Partnership.

Open moorland.

Time: 4h–7h30

Walk details: Railwalks.

A walk in three parts, urban, countryside and urban, with plenty of hills and a mix of pavement and well-defined but at times very muddy field paths, pleasant woodland (Nor Wood / Moss Valley) and pasture. Stiles, steps and steady climbs. No services half way, so make use of those at the urban edges.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Lunch: A couple of pubs and a supermarket near the water tower beyond half-way.

Warnings: One challenging crossing of the A6102 dual carriageway, with no pelican crossing but a surfaced central refuge near a roundabout; patience is needed. Stiles, steps and potential livestock including horses and cattle. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

The climbs are rewarded with superb views. A Peak District gritstone walk with three climbs and a huge variety of path surfaces, from enclosed footpaths through housing estates to open moorland bridleway across Totley Moor. Some stiles, deep puddles after heavy rain and mostly good underfoot with some mud. The climbs are rewarded with superb views. Uses the Sheffield Country Way across Totley Moor. Buses to Sheffield. Good views of Sheffield from Totley Moor.

Time: 5h–9h30

Lunch: Refreshment stops along the way.

Warnings: The A6187 is a busy, fast road to cross; do so where there is a grass verge. Parts could be very challenging in poor visibility. Some stiles and potential cattle. The confusing path up to Mother Cap among many paths needs care.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A great view of the twisted spire of Chesterfield cathedral. An enjoyable, fairly direct route through country parks, farmland and woodland, with some hills and good viewpoints. Paths are generally good quality but the wooded section south of Barlow is rough underfoot with tree roots and steep parts that require care when wet. No stiles and but muddy after rain. Passes through Holmebrook Valley Park, Ashgate Park and Loundsley Green Park; Chesterfield has a traditional market square and town hall.

Time: 3h–6h

Lunch: There is also an inn at Cutthorpe just off route and a pub at Barlow.

Warnings: The wooded section south of Barlow has tree roots and steep, slippery parts that need care when wet. A footbridge crosses the busy A61. The route between Cutthorpe and Barlow may be hard for those with mobility difficulties, though a road alternative exists.

Walk details: Slow Ways.