4 of the best Amber Valley walks with Cosy Coffee Shops

AD – I’ve teamed up with Visit Amber Valley to showcase some of the most picturesque and historically interesting walks, each paired with a cosy coffee shop to warm up in afterwards. Situated in the heart of Derbyshire, Amber Valley takes its name from the meandering River Amber. Explore the borough’s varied landscapes and nature’s nooks and then warm up in the cosy corners of Amber Valley’s best coffee shops, from cosmopolitan espresso bars that will delight even the most travelled coffee connoisseurs, to quintessentially English, traditional tearooms and cosy cafés – where everyone’s welcome (including the dog!).

Amber Valley walking routes

The walking routes page of Visit Amber Valley lists over twenty walks exploring the scenic countryside and fascinating heritage of the borough, each with its own self-guided leaflet containing clear guidance regarding how long to allow, where to park and interesting things to look out for.

Here are just four of the many Amber Valley Routeways – circular walks and rides along public footpaths and bridleways throughout the borough – each paired with a delightful place to warm up in afterwards.

Belper to Blackbrook with coffee in the River Gardens

This 7 mile (11 km) route perfectly showcases the industrial heritage and natural beauty of Amber Valley, starting and ending at the foot of Belper’s historic mill complex, part of the Derwent Valley Mills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Park at Belper River Gardens car park, a small pay & display car park at the entrance to the River Gardens (DE56 1BE). It’s worth noting the (surprisingly clean on my visit) free to access public toilets here too.

The award-winning River Gardens were created by George Herbert Strutt in the early 1900s to provide an attractive setting for millworkers’ leisure time. The tranquil setting has been gradually redeveloped, both to showcase the beauty of the old mill and to be more accessible. The paved paths make it particularly easy for pushchairs, wheelchairs and scooters to navigate – making it a truly accessible, family friendly destination.

Park Life Café at the Swiss Tea Rooms

This incredibly popular café is worth a visit for its setting alone and the world-class views of the surrounding River Gardens. It’s accessible and inclusive with level access for wheelchairs, plenty of highchairs for families and very dog-friendly (dogs are welcome inside and out with plenty of water bowls available).

The Belper to Blackbrook walk takes in the hilly countryside and includes Wyver Lane nature reserve, one of Derbyshire Wildlife’s most important wetland reserves, home to otter and great for bird watching.

For a less strenuous option, after you’ve explored the River Gardens, take a short flat stroll into the vibrant and gloriously eclectic market town of Belper to explore its independent boutiques, award-winning high street and quirky street art. Great places for coffee here include Nourish, Reunion Deli and Book Café.

If pubs are more your thing, it’d be a short drive to the Holly Bush Inn near Makeney. This 17th century, cosy village pub is famous locally for its homemade food and real ales. It’s rumoured that highwayman, Dick Turpin frequented the inn on his travels!

A walk around Duffield with coffee at Sanchini’s

This 8 mile (12.8 km) walk starts and ends in the pretty village of Duffield, which is worth a potter round for its attractive architecture, upmarket boutiques and independent eateries.

The walk includes Duffield Castle (probably the third largest Norman castle in the country!), glorious views over the Derwent Valley and then crosses the Ecclesbourne Valley railway (Derbyshire’s longest heritage railway, connecting Duffield and Wirksworth), skirts through the Kedleston Estate to Quarndon before returning to the village via Duffield Millennium Meadows.

Sanchini’s Coffee Bar

Sitting pretty on Duffield village’s main high street, Sanchini’s is a stylish destination for seriously good coffee. I enjoyed a perfectly executed flat white, but it was great to see a full range of speciality coffees including cortados and the like, made using B-Corp certified, Caravan roasted coffee. Not an espresso-nerd? There’s everything from iced hot chocolates and turmeric lattes to chai.

The cake counter also deserves a mention, featuring all manner of treats from cruffins to flaky croissants, we eventually opted for a deliciously dense morello cherry blondie and a cinnamon bun which was served delightfully warm.

Despite the hipster credentials, it was lovely to see a really mixed crowd – from glamourous grannies to mums with babes in arms or solo cyclists – everyone was warmly welcomed – including dogs who can order their very own puppuccino!

Other great places to eat and drink in Duffield include the White Hart and The Pattenmakers. Slightly further afield, try The Kedleston and The Joiners Arms.

Langley Mill Canal with coffee at Basilia

Having worked in the neighbouring town of Heanor for two decades, I think it’s fair to say that Langley Mill isn’t an obvious tourist destination. However, Basilia alone is a hidden gem worth travelling for! Its home cooked treats make it a worthy destination to work up an appetite for.

The Langley Mill routeway is a 4.8 mile (7.7 km) circular route showcasing the town’s rich industrial past, namely canals and coal. Langley Mill Canal was once a thriving junction joining Cromford Canal with the Erewash Canal.

The historical legacy of the canal network, today provides a network of routes for walkers and cyclists. From short strolls to longer, more challenging routes, enjoy a relaxing waterside walk, ripe for people watching and wildlife spotting.

Basilia

This popular and much-loved café has been family-run for over 10 years. The traditional tearoom with a twist serves a small but perfectly formed menu of breakfast classics, light lunches and coffee and cake throughout the day. Food is freshly prepared and served with a smile.

As well as the bustling café, there’s a gorgeous selection of artisan food including a chilled deli counter and impressive selection of freshly baked cakes and giant handmade meringues.

Alfreton to South Wingfield, with coffee at Made @ No. 18

The Alfreton to South Wingfield Routeway 3 is a 4 mile (6.5km) circular route. It starts and ends at St Martin’s Church, reputedly the oldest building in Alfreton, with the lower arch dating back to the 12th century.

Made @ No.18

If you park in (or take public transport to) Alfreton town centre, the short stroll to the start of the walk will take you past Made @ No. 18, a delightfully quirky café. Food is freshly prepared from locally sourced ingredients. The passion for celebrating the best of the local community’s flavours is even reflected in the clever acronym for its location – Made in Alfreton, Derbyshire, England!

This friendly, bustling café is a popular place from breakfast onwards. It’s easy to see why. It’s even dog friendly with a dedicated canine menu for your four legged friend.

A highlight of this walk is Oakerthorpe Nature Reserve (DE55 7LP) where it’s possible to do a short circular route around the reserve, one of the few places in Derbyshire to spot reptiles such as newts and grass snakes. 

Note that at step 6, The Anchor Public House no longer exists having been replaced with new houses. Instead, you might be interested in exploring the well-priced, Italian small plates menu at Pesto at The Peacock.

This walk provides a unique opportunity to view South Wingfield Manor. Sadly, there is currently no public access to visit this once palatial medieval manor house. Built in the 1440s, the manor was later the home of Bess of Hardwick’s husband, who imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots here in 1569, 1584 and 1585. It was here that she plotted her failed attempt to overthrow Queen Elizabeth the first.

The route eventually crosses the River Amber before arriving in South Wingfield where I’d heartily recommend checking out The Bluebell in addition to the 13th century, All Saints Parish church.

I hope that this blog post has inspired you to explore some more of Amber Valley – I’d love to hear from you if you do!

Explore the full range of walking routes in Amber Valley.