Derwentside, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Bluebell, Jim Higham

Blue tit, Amy Lewis

Derwentside

A mixture of rough meadow and woodland where wild daffodils flourish

Location

What3Words ///tidying.flamingo.speared
Next to the Cromford Canal, alongside the A6, 1.5 miles south of Cromford.

Cromford, Matlock

Derbyshire

OS Map Reference

SK 3264 5536

Know before you go

Size

7 hectares

Entry fee

Parking information

Park at High Peak Junction and follow the canal towpath west. DE4 5HN

Grazing animals

Walking trails

A public footpath crosses the reserve near Homesford Works, otherwise there is no access. The canal tow path is relatively even; no fencing occurs along the edge of the canal so care should be taken.

Access

Although not accessible the site is viewable from the Cromford Canal.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

Spring to peek at the wild daffodils and hear the woodland birds - autumn for true autumn colour

About the reserve

The highlight of this reserve is its wild daffodils, which border the footpath from the Homesford Works in spring.

They are probably part of a very ancient population, which was once much larger. The wood where they flourish is also host to a variety of plants - you can see many of these from the towpath.

Look for honeysuckle, wild garlic, guelder rose and yellow archangel. The plants attract a variety of insects and the many nettles that grow in the old sewage beds provide food for butterflies such as small tortoiseshell, comma, peacock and red admiral.

The banded Agrion damselfly hunts along the canal, but its breeding habitat is the river.