Transition Crich Walking Routes
Amongst the Trees
August 2025
This is a relatively short walk (less than 2 miles) taking in 3 woodlands near Crich and picking up some views and tree facts along the way.
Start point: Crich Market Place, DE4 5DD
Take the path between the store and Hub3 Ltd and go down past the front of the junior school and follow the path.
As the path passes a row of cottages on your right, you will see a fenced field to your left and the footpath straight ahead.
Go over the stile and follow this path until you pass through another stile (possibly broken). The path opens up to a small clearing going downhill.
Pause here to look at how the trees are trying to grow over the clearing to seek out the light. This is an avenue effect that you will also see over canals and roadways.
Carry on down the clearing and pass over the stile (dog gate on this stile), take a left and then right through the small gate.
You can then turn right onto the path through the trees or carry straight on into the field bearing right to follow the tree line and field fence (electric fence).
Pause to take a look at the Ash tree next to the path and notice how the tree is growing more to the south westerly direction to seek out the light.
Trees generally grow as an inverted tick with branches getting the most light growing horizontally and those on the northerly side growing more vertically to seek out the light.
Once you know this you can spot it in most trees.
Back to the path and pass between a gap in the hedge straight ahead (look out for the Hazel tree on your right).
Follow the path down the field to a stile, you will need to climb over this one. Turn right to the squeeze gate and onto Dimple Lane.
Turn left and follow Dimple Lane until you reach Wainwrights Cottage on the left and a public footpath sign.
Turn left up the hill and follow the path until you reach the end of the lane.
As you walk up the lane notice the ivy on the Damson trees and see how it grows on the northern side in its young days and slowly as it gets older it seeks out more light by winding around the trunk.
Do not go into the field for Thorpe grange but take a left via a squeeze gate and up the hill bearing right at the top into Cawdor Wood.
As you go up the hill notice the fruit trees on your left in the field (possibly an old planted orchard)
Follow the path into Cawdor Wood and follow the path as it goes through the wood.
Notice the amount of Holly in this wood taking up all the lower space and how the trees do not waste energy growing branches low down due to the last of the light.
The path exits the wood into a field. Follow the path with the wall on your right, then turn right over a stile between Long Hill Wood and Thorphill Wood.
As you leave the first wood behind turn around and notice the sign on the tree that is slowly becoming part of the tree as the tree just carries on growing around it.
Meander through the wood and if it’s wet be careful as this part can get boggy in the Autumn and Winter.
As you leave the wood, the path will turn right and go downhill between two fields and a lovely narrow avenue of trees and dry-stone walls.
Take in the different trees here and how the wall has moved to accommodate the trees.
As you get to the gate turn right into the field and head around the edge of the field, keeping the hedge on your left.
You can look left here and see what is left of Fritchley Windmill before taking the last gate on the left at the end of the field. Immediately on your right is a squeeze gate into Thorphill Wood.
Look on the back of these stone pillars for WB, which historically was the Wingfield boundary.
Follow the path through the wood and notice how the owners have cleared areas of Holly and how different this wood looks to the previous ones. Again, you will see some tall evergreens with no growth down low but very tall trunks up into the light.
Follow the path and exit into a field, take a breath, pause and admire the view of Fritchley to your left and over to your right a view of Crich, with St Mary’s Church and Crich Stand in the distance.
Follow this path down across 2 fields and over the last stile back onto the path you came up earlier.
Turn left and down to Dimple Lane, turn right and take a slow meander back up Dimple Lane passing the lovely Hat Factory houses, a number of cottages and if you’re lucky the horses will be in the fields.
The road rises gently then more steeply as you approach Surgery Lane at the top.
You are now back in Crich and can turn right to Loaf for a coffee and cake or go past the Market Place to The Old Black Swan for some refreshment.
Enjoy and remember take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints.
Steve Harris
Inspiration for this walk was taken from How To Read A Tree by Tristan Gooley.
No two trees are identical. Each one is filled with signs about its life and the landscape in which it stands - invisible to most people, but easy to spot when you know what to look for. In this book, discover the simple principles that explain the shapes and patterns you can find in trees and what they mean. Learn skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in town, countryside or wilderness - and never look at a tree the same way again.
If you would like to borrow this book from our Library of Things please email transitioncrich@gmail.com