Ride Finish: Elvaston Castle & Country Park
Ride Length: 13.8 miles - full length / 11.1 miles avoiding Longhorse Bridge Loop
Approximate time:
Link to GPS of ride: Full length - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5857273
Option 2 - http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5891293
Brief Description:
This ride covers the North-East side of the district, once again close to Derby but also close to borders with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The ride starts at Elvaston Castle and country park and uses mainly relatively quiet country roads to visit the villages close to our local waterways - The Rivers Trent and Derwent and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Key points on Route
Elvaston Castle & Country Park
Perhaps one of the attractions in Derbyshire with a lot of potential, Elvaston Castle is surrounded by a large country park which is an ideal base for a family walk. Work has recently been done through public consultation to bring the castle back to its former glory. More information can be found on the link below:
http://www.elvastoncastle.org.uk/castleintro.htm
Ride directions:
Follow the car park to the end near the toilets and pay station and turn right onto Main Road and follow this through the village for half a mile. At the junction of Main Street and Silver Lane is the war memorial.
Elvaston War Memorial
http://website.lineone.net/~jno.blaylock/WM/ELVWM.html
Ride directions:
Follow Main Street for another half a mile until the junction with the B5010 and take this to Shardlow (London Road). After 2 miles St James' Church is on the right hand side. The road is fairly busy though some of it has a marked cycle lane.
Shardlow, St James Church
Shardlow is the second biggest port for canal boats in the country and also marks the start of the Trent and Mersey Canal. With plenty of local hostelries and the local Longhorse Bridge Greenway it is well worth a visit.
The church is situation along the main road through the village. Details are provided below along with a link to the outdoor memorial.
http://www.trentderwentparishes.org/#!shardlow/cti3
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2295639
Ride Directions:
For the Longhorse Bridge route (Optional Loop), carry on further down London Road, cross over the Trent and Mersey Canal then take a left turn into Wilne Lane.
After a couple of hundred yards there is a car park on the right hand side and this follows through to the Longhorse Greenway. After a mile the greenway arrives at Longhorse Bridge.
This area marks the start of the River Derwent from the River Trent and also the start / end of the Trent & Mersey Canal. The bridge crosses the River Trent and forms links towards Sawley, Trent Lock and Long Eaton. Unfortunately, some of the land is private and not always passable.
As a result, the best thing to do is to head back down the Greenway back to Shardlow. A future loop will be added when more links are available. On return to Shardlow it is worth taking a right turn on Wilne Lane and viewing the area around the canal. Follow the diversion, take a right turn back onto London Road and head for the church.
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| Approach to Longhorse Bridge |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwent_Mouth
Ride Directions to Weston:
From the Church head back towards Elvaston on London Road but take a first left turn into Aston Lane. Follow Aston Lane as it becomes Shardlow Road for 2 miles and on approach to Aston take the lane on the left hand side to Grangewood and follow until the junction with Weston Road and into Weston-on Trent.
Follow the road through the village out over the railway onto Swarkestone Road, then turn left onto the lane towards St Marys' Church
Weston- on-Trent, St Mary the Virgin
Weston on Trent is a small village traversed by River, Canal and Railway, yet also appears to be rural despite being a short distance as the crow flies from Donington Park racetrack and East Midlands Airport.
Information on the friendly parish church can be found below. As the memorial is inside, the details provided may be useful.
http://www.trentderwentparishes.org/#!weston/c20o3
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Weston+on+Trent
Ride Directions:
Follow the lane back to Swarkestone Road and take a right turn and follow back through the village and keep on this road all the way for 1 1/4 miles into Aston on Trent. As the road turns to the right, the memorial hall is on the left at the junction of Chellaston Lane.
Aston-on-Trent Memorial Hall
The memorial hall has plaques on the outside but the roll of honour from WW1 is inside. There is a village website that has an address book and this includes the number of the memorial hall as well as a number of key points of information about Aston.
http://www.aston-on-trent.co.uk/contact/addressbook.php
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Aston+on+Trent+Memorial+Hall
Ride Directions:
Follow Weston Road further into the village the turn right onto Shardlow Road and All Saints Church is on the right hand side after Rectory Gardens.
Aston-on-Trent, All Saints Church
Further into the village centre is the parish church as described in the link below. The war memorials are inside the church so prior arrangement will need to be made with the friendly people at this church.
http://www.astonontrentchurch.org/
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Aston+on+Trent
Ride Directions:
Follow Shardlow Road back in the opposite direction. After the junction with Weston Road it becomes Derby Road and continue for 1 1/4 miles out of the village, over the A50 and back to the junction with the B5010 London Road. Take the next right after 100 yards approx onto Broad Lane and follow it back to Elvaston Castle and Country Park.
Places to eat, drink and shop
Elvaston Castle has a small café, The Harrington Arms (Elvaston), The Dog and Duck, The Shakespeare Inn, Navigation Inn (Shardlow) with The New Inn and Malt Shovel just off route. The Coopers Arms (Weston) and The White Hart (Aston). There are a number of shops throughout the route in each of the villages. The Old Crown at Cavendish Bridge outside Shardlow is worth a visit, as is the old toll gate sign on the entrance to Shardlow from Cavendish Bridge.
National Cycle Network on this ride
Though non of the ride is on the National Cycle Network, there is an off road section around Longhorse Bridge which may be further developed in the future. NCN6 passes nearby and provides links to Derby and Long Eaton. There is also a potential link from Weston on Trent to the Cloud Trail (NCN6) and Ride 4.
Other facilities (toilets)
Toilets available at Elvaston Castle and Country Park in the car park.
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