20 Attractions to Explore Near Midland Railway - Butterley

Codnor Castle, located near the village of Codnor, between Ripley and Heanor, was home to the powerful de Grey family for centuries during the medieval period, but now is regarding as a 'Building at Risk' by Historic England. The castle is a stone keep and bailey fortress and was established by William Peverel. The present fragmentary remains represent a three-storey keep and a strong curtain wall and ditch, flanked by round towers.

The Cromford Canal used to run for 14.5 miles from Cromford to Langley Mill where it met the Erewash Canal with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with help from Benjamin Outram, it's mostly derelict but still makes for a beautiful Derbyshire canal walk. The canal is ideal for walkers of all ages and abilities, and with regular public transport stops along the northern stretch you don’t have to walk back to your starting point if you don’t want to.

Crich Tramway Village is the home of The National Tramway Museum which is an ideal destination for all ages. Visitors can ride the world-renowned vintage trams through their unique period street and out into the open countryside for spectacular views, explore fascinating exhibitions and watch as trams are restored from our Workshop Viewing Gallery. The museum's collection of trams runs through the village-setting with visitors transported one-mile out into the local countryside and back.

The Derwent Valley in central England contains a series of 18th- and 19th- century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and technological interest. The Valley is exceptionally rich in wildlife with ash and oak woodlands, charming villages, flower-rich pastures, and flowing streams. It offers fascinating insights into industrial and social life during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Shipley Country Park and Visitor Centre are set in 700 acres of rolling hills, wildflower meadows, and tranquil lakes teeming with wildlife. The Shipley Estate was an ancient manor mentioned in the Domesday Book. it offers a great day out, with superb play areas, an outdoor gym and a host of seasonal events, self-guided trails, and specialist workshops to enjoy. Day fishing is available from the bankside and there are 20 miles of quiet paths and bridleways to discover.

The D.H. Lawrence Birthplace Museum is the childhood home to the author D.H. Lawrence. The Museum is located in the ex-mining town of Eastwood and surrounded by the lovely landscapes that influenced Lawrence’s life and books. There is a small exhibition of Lawrence’s early original watercolour paintings and a DVD room that starts the tour providing an introduction to his life in Eastwood and thereafter.

Felley Priory is situated in North Nottinghamshire, hidden just half a mile from the M1. You will find many rare and unusual plants, is one of Nottinghamshire’s best kept secrets – the house, its 2.5 acre garden, and Farmhouse Tea Room are nestled in beautiful rolling countryside. A domestic house, which still exists today, was built upon the former monastic site soon afterwards.

High Peak Junction is the name now used to describe the site where the former Cromford and High Peak Railway, whose workshops were located here, meets the Cromford Canal. Discover some of the oldest surviving railway workshops in the world, from the former Cromford and High Peak Railway, and step back in time with the fascinating audio tour.

Brierley Forest Park, Sutton in Ashfield was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2006. It contains Calcareous grassland, sown grassland, wildflower meadows with hoary ragwort, yellow-wort, wild carrot and lesser trefoil. There are four wetland feature areas, Brierley Waters, a reed swamp, Rooley Brook and the visitor centre pond. There are species rich hedgerows, woodland and semi natural vegetation.

Cromford Mill is the world's first water-powered cotton spinning mill, developed by Richard Arkwright in 1771 in Cromford, Derbyshire, England. It is now the centrepiece of the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a multi-use visitor centre with shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.

Black Rocks is a weathered outcrop of Ashover grit between Cromford and Wirksworth in the Derbyshire Peak District, England, which can be reached by a short, but steep climb. The site has interesting wildlife walks through different types of deciduous and conifer woodland. Onbe of the nice trekking destination and also The scree slope is an ideal place to search for a variety of rocks and minerals.

Riber Castle is one of the Peak’s famous follies having been built by a local industrialist to reside in at one time. Standing at around 853 feet above sea level, high above the Derwent Valley, with its dramatic silhouette of 90 foot high towers and 1450 foot of battlements. It has beautiful gardens stretching down the hillside and offered a world-famous water cure-all until it closed in the 1950s. Today the building is the headquarters of Derbyshire County Council.

Set within six former limestone quarries in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, on the edge of the Peak District National Park, and close to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, the National Stone Centre (NSC) is a 40-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), for its geological formations offering outdoor and indoor activities for all. One of the iconic attraction in this area and attracts a lot of people.

The 7.5mile stretch of road between Macclesfield and Buxton, in the county of Cheshire, has been named the most dangerous road in Britain. Known locally as Cat and Fiddle, it should more fittingly be dubbed 'the widow-maker' because of its mounting death toll. It is famous for its scenic views across the Greater Manchester conurbation, the Peak District National Park and the Cheshire Plain, and for its many bends. It is extremely popular with motorcyclists and is often classed as the most danger

The Heights of Abraham, one of Britain’s top visitor attractions. The estate has been welcoming tourists for over two centuries. The main attraction here is the cable car and Among the attractions in the park, which has been open since Victorian times, are cavern and mine tours. There are also views of the dramatic scenery of the valley of the River Derwent. The cable car was opened in 1984 to provide easier access.

The Peak District Lead Mining Museum is located at Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, England. The museum has a fine collection of old mining equipment and artifacts from the former lead mines of the area including several very impressive pumps of various types - the Derbyshire mines were plagued by water problems, so pumping was very important and a major contributor to the cost of extracting the ore.

Gulliver's Kingdom is a beautiful theme park located in the edge of the Peak District National Park with thrilling rides and amazing attractions. The park was originally created by Ray Phillips as a model village for his young children to enjoy, and it is close to the site of the Victorian Switchback rollercoaster ride.

The Nottingham Canal is a canal in the English counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. As built, it comprised a 14.7-mile long main line between the River Trent just downstream of Trent Bridge in Nottingham and Langley Mill in Derbyshire. At the same time as the main line of the canal was built by its proprietors, the separate Trent Navigation Company built the Beeston Cut, from the main line at Lenton in Nottingham to rejoin the River Trent upstream of Nottingham, thus bypassing the difficu

Sherwood Observatory stands in a perfect position to explore the wonders of the night sky. Built in 1986 for the Mansfield & Sutton Astronomical Society it’s now set to reach new heights. With ambitious plans announced this week, the observatory is poised to develop a visitor attraction that’s out of this world. There is a club meeting room that hosts society meetings and lectures and also serves as a lecture theatre for the public on open evenings.

Hardwick Hall is one of the finest Elizabethan buildings in the country. Built between 1590 and 1597 for Bess of Hardwick, it was designed by the architect Robert Smythson, an exponent of the Renaissance style. It is fully open to the public and received 298,283 visitors in 2019. Ownership of the house was transferred to the National Trust in 1959.