Thirteen walkers and one dog met in the Sports Centre car park for Shirley and Gaynor’s slightly modified version of the North Chesterfield Way.
There was a threat of showers as we set off through the estate and over the by-pass but for the most part the rain only came in short bursts. We passed Hill’s farm and continued on to Cowley Lane, taking a left turn towards Barlow Lees just after passing Cowley Mission. The main change in the walk, compared with the waymarked version was that we didn’t take the turning towards Lees Wood and the Monk Wood loop. Instead we continued on through Barlow Lees towards Barlow Fishing Ponds.
We passed through the ponds at the top end and walked through Barlow via the fields at the back of Rutland Terrace. On the way we diverted to the church where we stopped for a coffee break. We re-traced our steps back to the footpath, had a brief look at the pinfold and carried on to Cutthorpe via Common Lane. On the bend of the main road through Cutthorpe we took the track that leads into Holmebrook Valley Park. The park was surprisingly quiet and on our way through we sat on the benches outside the cafe to finish off our sandwiches.
Our route to Chesterfield Town Hall then followed the Holme Brook stream, eventually emerging onto Ashgate Road, taking the track that runs alongside the site of the gas cylinders. At this point our group dispersed depending on our refreshment and transport preferences.
Many thanks to Gaynor, Shirley and Mick for guiding us round this very enjoyable walk.