Walks near Rugeley by train

Parks, river and heritage trail.

Museum of Making (30 mins in)

Darley Park

6 lunch spots: Darley Park (1h15 in) — Darley Park Terrace Cafe, the Little Darley in the Park, the Abbey Inn, or the Darleys; plus the Joiners Arms (3h in), or the Orangery Café (4h in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Alexandra Hotel, the Brunswick, the Victoria Inn, or the Waterfall

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Similar walk: North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership.

Waterways — River Derwent, Derby & Sandiacre Canal and Erewash Canal.

2 lunch spots: Canal Cottage Cafe (2h45 in), or the Navigation (3h15 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: Peking House, or the Sawley Junction

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Repurposed railway track along the Great Northern Greenway.

Duffield Castle: The remains of one of England's largest castles (National Trust; 30 mins to visit).

2 lunch spots: the Bell and Harp (1h in), or the Three Horseshoes (2h15 in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Alexandra Hotel, the Brunswick, the Waterfall, or the Merry Widows

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Golf club, heath, woodland and Heart of England Way.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

2 lunch spots: the Tame Otter (2h15 in), or the Red Lion (2h15 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Horse and Jockey, or the Turnpike

Warnings: MOD firing range — check access.

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Canal and villages.

2 lunch spots: San Giovanni (2h45 in), or the Black Horse (3h in)

7 end-of-walk rewards: the Blue Lion, the Blue Boar Inn, the Old Swan, the Hat and Beaver, the White Horse, the Kings Head Pub, or the Clock

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Parks, river, country park and canal.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

1 lunch spot: the Stag and Pheasant (2h in)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Lord Hop, the Felix Holt, the George Eliot Hotel, the Black Swan In Hand, or the Silk Mill

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Canal, industrial towns and disused railway viaduct.

Waterway: nine tenths along the Erewash Canal.

3 lunch spots: Hallam Fields, Ilkeston (2h30 in) — Gallows Grub, or the Gallows Inn; plus La Rock (1h15 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Dew Drop Inn

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Flat and on decent paths.

Waterway: four fifths along the River Soar.

3 lunch spots: Birstall (3h30 in) — the Earl of Stamford, the Old Plough, or the White Horse

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Corn Exchange, or the Rainbow and Dove

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

Largely urban walking on pavements and a riverside path, through parks and along the line of the Derby Canal.

1 lunch spot: Waterside Café

Warnings: Only a few trains a day call at Peartree.

Walk details: North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership (tips and turn-by-turn directions).

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).

Spectacular views. Wild landscape of deep valleys and gritstone peaks and studded with peat bogs and pine forests. Buxton developed as a fashionable spa in 18th-19th centuries using profits from Dukes of Devonshire's copper mines. Macclesfield granted borough charter for market in 13th Century.

Warnings: Stiles; busy road with no pavement and fast traffic.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walk: Walk Midlands (inc. GPX).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Canal towpath, riverside path and village lanes.

Walk details: Heart Rail Trails (PDF).