Work is underway to explore a new route which could boost tourism and support local businesses between Matlock and Cromford.
Derbyshire County Council is assessing potential routes between Knowleston Place in Matlock and High Peak Junction in Cromford.
The work is being developed through the county council’s Culture, Heritage and Tourism programme.
The proposed walking, wheeling and cycling route would complete a key missing section of the White Peak Loop and form part of the proposed Derwent Valley Trail.
By connecting communities, railway stations and visitor attractions, it could encourage more people to explore the area and support local businesses and the wider visitor economy.
The work will consider accessibility, heritage, ecology, flood risk, land ownership, costs and connections with existing routes.
Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Charlotte Hill, said:
“This work is an important step towards unlocking the potential of the White Peak Loop and supporting tourism and local businesses in the Derwent Valley.
“A new route could create better connections between communities, railway stations and visitor attractions, encouraging more people to explore everything the area has to offer.
“It could also improve the way people travel around Derbyshire and create more opportunities for walking, wheeling and cycling.
“This is a special landscape, so we must find a solution that improves access while respecting the area’s environment and heritage. No route has been selected or funded for construction, and this work will help us identify the most suitable option for possible future development.”
The county council will work with local partners, including Derbyshire Dales District Council and the East Bank Track Partnership, as potential options are developed.
The work builds on a feasibility study completed by AECOM in 2024. Around £60,000 from the county council’s Active Travel programme is funding this stage.
• The feasibility work covers the area between Knowleston Place in Matlock and High Peak Junction in Cromford.
• The route is being developed through Derbyshire County Council’s Culture, Heritage and Tourism programme.
• The proposed route would form part of the White Peak Loop and the proposed Derwent Valley Trail.
• It would improve connections between Matlock, Matlock Bath and Cromford.
• The route corridor includes the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, conservation areas and designated ecological sites.
• No final route has been selected and the project is not currently funded for construction.
• Derbyshire Dales District Council and the East Bank Track Partnership are among the partners that will help inform the work.