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Start: The Farmhouse at Mackworth car park

This country walk explores Mackworth village and climbs towards Meynell Langley, skirting the Kedleston Estate with wide views across Derby. During the Second World War, parts of the estate were used to train new recruits, and Kedleston Hall served as a communications station where ATS staff intercepted enemy messages for Bletchley Park.

1. Turn left out of the car park and immediately take the footpath on the left through a kissing gate. Continue straight ahead with the fence on your left to the gate in the bottom corner. Cross the road and follow it through Mackworth village past Mackworth Castle to the main road.
   Mackworth Castle is the 15th century gatehouse of a former fortified manor. The rest of the manor fell into ruin, leaving only the surviving gatehouse.
2. Turn right along the main road for 600 metres to the garage. Continue another 50 metres and take the footpath on the right. Keep the hedge on your right past Bowbridge Fields Farm, then continue across the next field with the hedge now on your left to a gap.
3. Go through the gap, bear right and pass through the gateway beside a large ash tree. Follow the path downhill to the wooden footbridge over Flagshaw Brook.
4. Continue straight across two fields and through a wicket gate. Climb uphill beside the hedge to the top corner of the field.
5. Go through the gate and continue gradually uphill with the hedge on your left through several fields to the road. The entrance to Meynell Langley tearooms is on your left.
   Look out for pillboxes in the fields. The Kedleston Estate was a wartime training area, and Kedleston Hall played an important role in intelligence work for Bletchley Park.
6. Turn right along the road verge, facing oncoming traffic. After 250 metres take the bridleway on the right through the gate, keeping the woodland on your left as you follow the track past Upper Vicarwood Farm.
7. Continue through the farmyard and out along the tarmac drive.
   As you head east, there are broad views over Derby: the University tower blocks at Kedleston Road, the cathedral, the city centre, and farther off the Trent Valley and Charnwood hills.
8. After about 750 metres take the tarmac path on the right to Lower Vicarwood Farm. Just before the buildings bear left around the farm and go through a wicket gate. Keep the hedge on your left to a stile in the bottom corner.
9. Continue straight over the next five fields with the hedge on your left to reach the footbridge over Mackworth Brook.
10. After crossing the bridge keep the hedge on your left and climb over the stile ahead. Continue uphill with the hedge now on your right for about 60 metres, then turn right through a wicket gate to follow the path beside the houses to the road.
11. Cross the road and take the stile opposite. Follow the footpath uphill to return to the starting point.

Disclaimer

Please note that the council update these leaflets on a periodic rolling basis and that some landmark information may have changed. The footpaths should remain in place and be signposted and be clearly marked on the Ordnance Survey maps. Please report problems you may find so that these can be investigated to tourism@ambervalley.gov.uk.