Alongside our work on Derby's public rights of way, we encourage people to visit Derby's countryside through our countryside management work. This work involves creating new paths and improving existing paths, for cyclists, walkers, disabled people and horse riders.

A good example of the work we have carried out is the 'Riverlife Way' path alongside the River Derwent. You can walk off-road from Darley Abbey Mills through to Elvaston Castle Country Park.

As part of our countryside management work, we publish a variety of free leaflets which give people information about walks and nature trails in the Derby area. You can click on a link below, or you can contact us and we will send you a paper copy. 

Walks

• Markeaton Circular Walk
• Radbourne Circular Walk
• Swarkestone Circular Walk
• Allestree Circular Walk
• Darley Abbey Circular Walk
• Mickleover Circular Walk
• Spondon Circular Walk

If you have any comments on our Derby Walks, then you can download and print out our Derby Walks questionnaire 845kb. Once completed, send it back to our FREEPOST address as shown on the questionnaire.

Nature trails

• Allestree Park Local Nature Reserve
• Arboretum Tree Trail - accessible version  266kb
• Arboretum Tree Trail - print version  1.26mb
• Chaddesden Wood Local Nature Reserve
• Derby's Lower Derwent Trail - accessible version  301kb
• Derby's Lower Derwent Trail - print version  375kb
• Derby's Riverside Quarter Trail - accessible version  400kb
• Derby's Riverside Quarter Trail - print version  1.33mb
• Derby's Upper Derwent Trail - accessible version  339kb
• Derby's Upper Derwent Trail - print version  395kb
• Going wild about Derby
• West Park Meadows Local Nature Reserve

Tree Trails

We also have a few tree trails in Derby on a number of our parks. We are currently in the process of developing new leaflets for these as the trails have under gone recent updates and changes. As soon as they are complete the PDFs will appear here and on the Parks pages.

• Darley Park - accessible version  380kb
• Darley Park - print version  312kb
• Markeaton Park - accessible version  464kb
• Markeaton Park - print version  691kb

Walks and nature trails in adjoining Derbyshire authorities

For details of walks and nature trails in adjoining Derbyshire authorities, please visit the following links:

• Amber Valley Borough Council
• Bolsover District Council 
• Chesterfield Borough Council 
• Derbyshire County Council 
• Erewash Borough Council 
• High Peak Borough Council 
• North East Derbyshire District Council 

If the walks on this webpage have whetted your appetite, then visit The Amber Valley and Erewash Walking Festival  website and the Discover Derbyshire and the Peak District  website  for more ideas.

Accessible leisure routes

Visit the following websites for details of nearby accessible leisure routes:

• Derbyshire County Council: Access for all 
• Nottinghamshire County Council 
• Leicestershire County Council 
• Staffordshire County Council 
• The National Forest 

Courses

Derby Adult Learning Service runs courses in map reading and walk planning. These combine class room based activities with plenty of practical experience navigating in supervised small groups in the countryide around Derby. More advanced courses use the Dark Peak area in the north of the county.

Examples of courses which are run by the service:

• Planning country walks  56kb
• Navigating on moorland  80kb

For information on current courses visit the Derby Adult Learning Service website.

For further information contact

Derby City Council
Regeneration and Community Department
Plans and Policies Section
Roman House
Friar Gate
Derby DE1 1XB

Telephone 01332 255024 Minicom 01332 256666 Fax 01332 255989 email rightsofway@derby.gov.uk