Furness Vale: Walking, Landscape and Local History

Furness Vale offers travellers several specific points of interest for a trip that takes in trails, scenery and local history. Three routes differ in their described characteristics: the Furness Vale Walk, the Upper Peak Forest Canal Trail and the Goyt Way. The Furness Vale Walk has a stated distance and approximate duration; the Canal Trail is relatively flat, while the Goyt Way involves a steeper climb and potentially muddy sections. These differences help you compare the trails by time, terrain and views.

Walking trails with different characteristics

The Furness Vale Walk is 1.6 miles (2.7 kilometres) long and takes about 43 minutes. It starts in the centre of Furness Vale and leads into Diglee Clough. From Broadhey Hill, the route offers views over the remains of Kiln Knoll Barrow. The stated distance and approximate duration provide a concrete guide to how much time to allow for this walk; the view from Broadhey Hill adds an archaeological point of interest to the route. If you would like to take historical connections into account alongside planning the route, these features bring them together here.

The Upper Peak Forest Canal Trail has a different profile: it is relatively flat and easy to walk. It is suitable for cyclists and walkers, as well as wheelchair and pushchair users. In clear weather, the views extend to Kinder Scout. The upper stretch of the Peak Forest Canal passes close to Furness Vale. The terrain and distant views answer different planning questions: the relatively flat profile describes the character of the route, while the view as far as Kinder Scout is explicitly dependent on clear weather.

On the Goyt Way, the path becomes steeper as it climbs out of Furness Vale and can be very muddy in places. Near Kiln Knoll in Furness Vale, it offers views of New Mills and as far as Manchester. The routes differ considerably in their terrain compared with the relatively flat Canal Trail. Their viewpoints also differ: in clear weather, the Canal Trail offers views as far as Kinder Scout, while the Goyt Way near Kiln Knoll opens up views of New Mills and Manchester. This lets you compare the routes by terrain and views.

Riverside scenery along the River Goyt

The landscape along the River Goyt near Furness Vale adds a different perspective to the viewpoints. The river is associated with a small-scale pastoral landscape, shaped by a meandering course through a flat alluvial floodplain. This is about more than distant views: pasture, bends in the river and the flat valley floor are all part of the landscape. If you like to understand a landscape through its form rather than just through individual viewpoints, this offers another perspective on Furness Vale.

Furness Vale and the history of the Peak Forest Canal

Industrial history adds another dimension to the walking routes. Furness Vale Printworks was founded by Samuel Gratrix in 1794. The Peak Forest Canal served as a transport route to Manchester for Furness Vale Printworks. At the height of the canal’s use, up to 40 boats a day travelled along the Peak Forest Canal through Furness Vale. This brings together the founding of a local business, its transport route to Manchester and the canal’s historic boat traffic. For a stay that takes in industrial history as well as the routes, the Peak Forest Canal has two roles: it is part of the name of the Upper Peak Forest Canal Trail and served as a transport route for the Printworks.

Discover more destinations: Taddington, Smalley, Grassmoor, Ilkeston, Ripley, Shardlow, Chinley, Swadlincote

For the regional travel overview: Derbyshire.