Ride Finish: Etwall Leisure Centre
Ride Length: 24.8 miles (full length)
20.1 miles (option 2 avoiding Trusley and Longlane)
14.6 miles (option 3 - Etwall, Dalbury, Trusley, Longlane, Sutton on the Hill, Etwall)
Approximate time: Depends on ability but allow 2-4 hours.
Link to GPS of ride:
Full Length: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5750661
Option 2: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5736796
Option 3: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5750714
Brief Description:
A ride through the back lanes of the North West area of South Derbyshire through some of the smallest settlements combined with pleasant off road cycling on a former railway line. Due to the rural nature this ride is the longest of the six but there are plenty of options to shorten the route.
Key points on Route
Etwall Leisure Centre
Etwall Leisure Centre is based next to the giant John Port School, who are also partners in the Leisure Centre. The modern swimming pool is well worth using as a cool down following a long ride. The Leisure Centre has played host to several Badminton squads as part of preparation for the Olympic and Commonwealth games.
Whilst the car park offers a good base to start, it is for patrons of the leisure centre.
http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/leisure_culture_and_tourism/sport_and_health/club_and_athlete_support_information/leisure_centres/etwall_leisure_centre/
Ride Directions:
Turn left outside the Leisure Centre and follow Hilton Road until the junction with Main Street. Take a left turn. St Helens Church is on the left after a short distance.
St Helens Church - Etwall
The first memorial is a little more than 1/4 mile from the start and is situated outside St Helens Church just off the Main Street. The links below show not only information relating to the church and war memorial but also tell the story of one of the many people who have done significant work in researching the stories relating to those who have fallen. The middle link is well worth a read.
http://derbyshirechurches.org/church/etwall-st-Helen
http://www.etwallhistory.org/html/war_memorial.html
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Etwall
Ride Directions:
Turn left outside St Helens Church back onto Main Street. After a couple of hundred yards look out for the blue an red National Cycle Network signs for NCN54 and turn left onto Sutton Lane then proceed through the gate then round and down onto NCN54.
Follow NCN54 under the A516 tunnel then follow the route right at the junction and follow the old railway track for 3/4 of a mile. After passing over Heage Lane there is an exit on the left hand side. Take this exit onto Heage Lane and follow it to the right.
Follow Heage Lane for just over 1 mile until the first crossroads then take a left turn. Follow this road for just under a mile and at the first junction, turn left to head to Dalbury.
All Saints Church is at the end of the lane after just under half a mile.
All Saints Church Dalbury
The village of Dalbury Lees is actually comprised of 2 separate villages called Dalbury and Lees. Due to the small size of both villages and the rural location of the church, it is not open full time. The church is well worth a visit and contact details are provided as the memorial is inside the church.
http://www.achurchnearyou.com/dalbury-all-saints/
http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/world-war-and-commemorative-memorials/p62592-dalbury-war-memorial-2c-the-fallen.html
Ride Directions:
Turn around and follow the lane back to the crossroads with the main road. Take a left and follow the road. Follow this road for 1 mile following it to the right then left towards Trusley. Just after you pass Taylors Lane on the right hand side, you will see All Saints Church on the left hand side.
* For Option 2 take a left turn onto James's Lane just over 1/2 mile after rejoining the main road. Follow James's Lane for around 1 mile until Church Lane, Sutton on the Hill (NCN68) then find St Michaels Church on the right hand side. This misses out Trusley and Long Lane.
All Saints Church - Trusley
Trusley is a small hamlet with not a great deal of facilities though there is a sense of community spirit judging by the link below. Once again the church is not full time and the memorial is inside so it will be necessary to arrange access.
http://www.bitbarn.co.uk/trusley/
http://www.derbyshirechurches.org.uk/church/trusley-all-saints
Ride Directions:
Keep following the road and after around half a mile follow the road to the right and the road becomes Hilltop Lane. Stay on this road past Tythe Barn Lane. The road becomes Watery Lane then comes to a junction. Take a right onto Osleston Lane and follow this for another mile to Long Lane.
At the junction with Long Lane, Christ Church is just to the right.
Christ Church, Longlane
At this point the ride is slightly north of Derby City Centre, such is the shape of South Derbyshire. The village of Longlane, though smaller than many, is somewhat larger than the previous 2 villages passed through. To learn more about Longlane, including the pub now owned by residents, please see the link below.
http://www.derbyshireuk.net/longlane.html
The church is in a prominent position on the main road through the village and has close links with the neighbouring school. The memorial is inside the church and although the church is normally open during daytime hours, it may be worth checking.
http://www.derbyshirechurches.org.uk/church/long-lane-christ-church
http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/world-war-and-commemorative-memorials/p62142-christ-church-2c-long-lane-village-2c-derbyshire.html
Ride Directions:
Turn left after leaving the church and head back along Long Lane in a westerly direction for 1/2 mile before bearing left onto Cropper Lane.
After around 1/4 mile take the first bearing right onto Thurvaston Lane and follow this for 1 1/4 miles before taking a left onto Longford Lane. At this point the ride picks up NCN68 so follow the blue and red NCN signs for 2 miles until St Michaels Church on Church Lane, Sutton on the Hill.
St Michaels' Sutton on the Hill
Following another pleasant ride through quiet country lanes, the ride arrives at Sutton on the Hill. St Michaels' Church sits at the top of a hill over this small village.
The Memorial is outside the church.
http://www.derbyshireuk.net/sutton_church.html
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Sutton+on+the+Hill
Ride Directions:
Turn back down Church Lane in the direction you came from but come away from NCN68 and go straight onto Marlpit Lane. After 1/4 mile take the 1st turning right onto Common Lane. After 1/2 mile go straight ahead at the crossroads. This now becomes Sutton Road, then Littlefield Road before eventually Main Street, Church Broughton. St Michaels Church is on the right hand side 1 1/2 miles after the crossroads.
** For those wanting to use option 3 of this ride, follow NCN68 for a further mile and this brings you back to the A516 tunnel junction with the Mickleover Greenway. Proceed through the tunnel and follow the old railway line for 1/2 mile before taking a left through the exit onto Old Station Close in Etwall. Follow the road left until the end then use the pedestrian crossing to the Leisure Centre.
Church Broughton - St Michael & All Angels
Church Broughton is a larger settlement than Sutton on the Hill and as well as the church, the local pub, The Holly Bush, is a key focal point of the village. More information can be fond on the following link, though several link pages require a log-in.
http://www.churchbroughton.com/
The church has a 900 year history and a lot of stories even recently, with links to WH Auden as well as a lighthearted event in June where Teddy bears can be parachuted from the church roof!
http://derbyshirechurches.org/church/church-broughton-st-michael-all-angels
The memorials shown on the link below are inside the church, so prior arrangement may be required.
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Church+Broughton
Ride Directions:
On Leaving the Church head straight on down Boggy Lane. The second turning on the right is Tippers Lane. Head down Tippers Lane for 1/4 mile then take the first left onto Cote Bottom Lane. After 1 1/4 miles on the outskirts of Foston take a left onto Uttoxeter Road.
At this point the ride joins a busier section of road over the A50 dual carriageway. Care needs to be taken as part of this section uses the slip road from the Eastbound A50 for the A511 to Burton. This is followed by a right turn at the roundabout , then back over the A50. At the next roundabout take another right onto the slip road back to the westbound A50 but turn left onto the more quiet Watery Lane.
Follow this for just over a mile into Scropton, then turn right onto Scropton Road (NCN549). St Pauls Church is on the right hand side.
St Paul's Church Scropton,
Scropton is known locally as an area prone to flooding and also for the Turkey factory. Hopefully recent flood defences have alleviated the problem. More information is required about St Pauls Church, though there is a link below. The memorial information is inscribed into the Lychgate so is accessible, though the inscriptions are fading.
https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/109515
http://www.derbyshireuk.net/scropton_church.html
Ride Directions:
On Leaving the Church turn right and follow Scropton Road for a mile into Hatton. Keep following the NCN549 signs. The route will turn left onto Station Road then take the second turn right into Church Avenue before an off road section around the back of the recently extended Nestle factory.
At the end of the off-road section go through the gate then take a left turn onto a road with a cattle grid through the fields with sheep wandering. The spire of St Mary's Church in Marston will come into view and after another half a mile it will be directly on the right hand side.
St Mary's, Marston on Dove
This pleasant church is set in a fairly isolated rural location and features 2 outdoor memorials, with one being based on the Lychgate like that at St Pauls in Scropton. The list of names is more sizeable here than in other places which is a surprise given the size of Marston itself. However, as there were no memorials of note in the larger settlements of Hatton or Hilton, this may explain this.
 |
| St Mary's Church on approach from Hatton |
http://www.derbyshireuk.net/marstondove_church.html
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Marston+on+Dove+Lych+Gate
http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Marston+on+Dove
Ride Directions:
On leaving the Church continue to the end of the road and turn left. Follow the quiet road to the end (just over half a mile) turn right. This is quite a busy junction, so care needs to be taken. After the Uttoxeter Road junction, there is a shared path to use away from the traffic. After another mile turn left at the first roundabout in the built up area onto Humber Street and follow it to the end.
Hilton - Memorial Meadow
No War memorial in Hilton could be traced through initial research but as recently as 4th August 2014 a memorial meadow in Hilton was unveiled in memory of those killed in WW1. The meadow is just off Humber Street not far from NCN549.
Having passed through some of the smallest hamlets in South Derbyshire, it would have been strange to have no memorial to visit in one of the larger settlements in the district.
Ride Directions:
Return back down Humber Street back to NCN 49 and follow the shared path. This follows the road around the outskirts of the Mease Estate. After the 3rd roundabout (near the industrial estate) there is a crossing signposted and the route then takes an off-road link for half a mile behind the Word of Caravans. The link joins Eggington Road briefly before joining the Mickleover Greenway at Eggington Junction bridge.
This section was formerly signposted as NCN54 but is now an extension of NCN549 as NCN54 uses the road between Eggington and Etwall. For the rest of this journey, the route follows the former railway line for a mile, passes under the A50 then comes into Etwall. There is a clearly signed exit from the Greenway into Old Station Close. Follow the road left until the end then use the pedestrian crossing to the Leisure Centre
Places to eat / drink
Etwall Leisure Centre, Spread Eagle, Seven Wells (short diversion down Heage Lane), Three Horseshoes (Longlane), The Holly Bush (Church Broughton). The Kings Head and Hilton Brook in Hilton are not far off the route. There is also a café at Don Amotts Leisure Kingdom often frequented by cyclists.
Shops
Several in Etwall, 1 in Longlane (TBC), Church Broughton, Hatton, Several convenience stores in Hilton just off route.
National Cycle Network on this ride
The ride uses good off-road links on NCN54 and 549 using the former railway line from Eggington to Derby Friargate and uses sections of NCN68 on quiet roads, giving a flavour of the different sections of the National Cycle Network.
Toilets (not including Pubs)
Etwall Leisure Centre.
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