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wild flowers and walking in the Peak Fringe

A relaxing short break, in search of the wild flowers, industrial heritage and interesting limestone landscapes of the southern fringe of the Peak District National Park.
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Wildlife Travel leaflet Derbyshire 2025

Dates

23rd – 27th June 2025

Leader

Philip Precey

Price

£980

Single Room Supplement – £300

Included

Four nights accommodation, full board.

Not included

Travel to Cromford. Refreshments. Gratuities. Travel insurance. Covid tests and associated costs. Optional guided tour of Arkwright’s Mill (c£14).

Group size

Minimum 4, maximum 12.

Our base will be the village of Cromford, home to Arkwright’s Mill and now part of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will stay in a recently renovated hotel, originally built by the Arkwright family in the mid 19th century.

The landscape of the area is strongly influenced by industrial history: from lead mining, dating back to the 12th century and beyond, to the construction of the mills and canals of the industrial revolution, and modern limestone quarrying. We will explore some of the rich wildlife habitats that have been left after these industries have moved on.

Ancient spoil heaps left over from the lead mining are now home to interesting calamarian grasslands, with mounds cloaked in colourful wild flowers including Mountain Pansy and Spring Sandwort. Nearby, abandoned canals and railways, former bustling industrial thoroughfares, are home to Water Vole and Little Grebe, Pyrenean Scurvygrass and Fairy Foxglove, with modern quarries a nesting site for Raven and Peregrine.

We will also visit the species-rich unimproved grasslands of Rose End Meadows and take a walk through the picturesque valleys of Dovedale National Nature Reserve, where Dippers bob in the river, Redstarts call from the dale-side scrub, butterflies feed on the thyme and rare plants hang on amongst the scree and rocks.

Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.

Contact us to reserve your place