A “haven of heritage and wildlife,” High Peak Junction is situated a short walk from Lea Bridge. It’s at the junction of the Cromford Canal and what is now the High Peak Trail but was once the Cromford and High Peak Railway.

The visitor centre at High Peak Junction offers light refreshments, with leaflets, maps and information to help you explore.

You can stroll five gentle miles along the canal from Cromford Wharf to Ambergate and see little grebes and water voles – and, in summer, dragonflies, damselflies and hoverflies.

A canal aqueduct over the River Derwent and the impressive Leawood pump house are just a few minutes’ walk away. Leawood pump is a steam powered engine that operates on some summer weekends and bank holidays. You could also take a trip on the historic narrowboat ‘Birdswood’ from Cromford Wharf.

If you’re up for a more challenging trek, the High Peak Trail stretches 17½ miles to Dowlow, near Buxton.

At the visitor centre, you can also visit the old railway workshops, restored to how they would have looked in the 1880s. It’s not exactly the National Railway Museum – just a few exhibits and some railtrack-related bric-à-brac – but it’s free, so who’s complaining?

The visitor centre is open every day in summer and at weekends in winter. Every few months there’s a railway workshops open day with special activities. For more details, see the council’s visitor centre web page.