Five MORE of Derbyshire’s Best Pub Walks Near Hill Farm Glamping
- Hill Farm
- 10 minutes ago
- 6 min read
You lot loved the first blog we did on pub walks.
We had so many messages and comments after our Five of Derbyshire's Best Pub Walks post that we knew a sequel was coming. Whether you've already ticked off the first five or you're saving them all for one very ambitious stay, here are five MORE gorgeous pub walks within easy reach of Hill Farm Glamping Derbyshire.
Because a walk without a pub at the end is just… exercise.
And we're not really here for that.
You’re on holiday after all!
A quick note before you lace up your boots for 5 more of Derbyshire’s best pub walks
The pubs in this list are a little further afield than our last round, most need a short drive to the start point rather than a wander straight from the gate. If you want a pub walk straight from our fields, then have a look at this blog post.
Right, off we go.
Pub Walk 1: The Dragon, Willington - 4.25 miles
Drive from Hill Farm: approx 15 mins
This one is stunning, and it's perfect for guests who've been here a few times and want something a bit different to the Crewe and Harpur run.
The Dragon in Willington sits right on the Trent and Mersey Canal backed by the water, with a beer garden that gives you canal views and canal vibes in equal measure. It's 150 years old and recently renovated, which means all the charm of an old pub with none of the freezing-cold-pub-toilets energy. There are up to seven real ales on the bar, a proper 70-seater restaurant, and a snug with a traditional fireplace for days when the weather turns.
Dogs are absolutely welcome. Muddy boots are also absolutely welcome, they have a bar area set aside, ready for you.
The walk: Drive to Willington and start at The Dragon itself. Head along the towpath north towards Mercia Marina (only about a mile), then loop back through Willington Wetlands, a hidden gem that's brilliant for wildlife spotting, especially with kids. The wetlands are just half a mile from the pub and the whole circular is lovely, easy and flat.
Another option is to turn right along the south bank of the Trent and Mersey Canal and follow the Willington Walk mapped out by Discover Derby, where you’ll swing through Stenson Marina and Findern, with historic points noted along the way. Get the route here.
Pub Walk 2: The Chequers Inn, Ticknall - Calke Abbey Circular, 5 miles
Drive from Hill Farm: approx 20 mins
If you want the most Derbyshire pub you've ever set foot in, this is it.
The Chequers Inn in Ticknall is Grade II listed, dates to the 17th century, and has a coal fire that steams up your glasses the second you walk through the door. Stone walls, an inglenook fireplace, toilets outside and bar snacks made to order. It's CAMRA approved, real ales only, and entirely unspoilt. It’s known as the kind of pub you'd invent if you were writing a novel set in the English countryside.
The walk: Park in Ticknall village and head through the National Trust entrance to Calke Abbey, one of Derbyshire's most magical estates. The circular route takes you past Betty's Pond, through Robin Wood, around the edge of the deer park, and back into the village, about 5 miles in total. The abbey itself is well worth a wander too, if you want to extend the day.
Finish with a pint and a ham cob at The Chequers. You've earned it!
Pub Walk 3: The Boot at Repton - Village History Walk, 3–4 miles
Drive from Hill Farm: approx 18 mins
Right. If you want a walk that rewards you with genuinely brilliant food at the end, this is the one.
The Boot in Repton is a 17th century coaching inn that brewed its own beer behind the site, Clod Hopper, Golden Boot, and Tuffer's Old Porter. As part of the bespoke inns collection (a local collection of pubs) it’s guaranteed to serve a high standard of real ale with delicious food to boot (no pun intended, sort of).
The walk: Repton itself is incredibly beautiful, it's an ancient village with a famous independent school, a Saxon crypt under St Wystan's Church, and streets that feel like they haven't changed in 400 years. Park near the village centre and follow the footpaths out towards the Trent Valley. The countryside is gentle and green, the views across the flood plain are lovely on a clear day, and it's an easy route suitable for all the family. There are multiple routes to choose from, take a look at the distances and ratings on komoot.
Mercia Marina is only 2 miles away too, so you could combine the two into a longer day out if the legs are up for it!
Pub Walk 4: Harpur's of Melbourne - Melbourne Hall Walk, 5 miles
Drive from Hill Farm: approx 20 mins
We mention Harpur's in our original pub walk post as the reward at the end of the Melbourne Lake route and rightly so. But it deserves its own spot in this sequel because the Melbourne Hall circular is one of the most beautiful walks in South Derbyshire and Harpur's has had something of a glow-up.
It's been part of Melbourne's heart since 1773, named after the Harpur Crewe family of Calke Abbey. Today it's a properly gorgeous refurbished pub with a tap room bar, a Cocktail Club restaurant, and a wood-fired pizza joint upstairs called The Snug. The beer garden looks out onto Melbourne's beautiful Georgian architecture. You can sit down in here and somehow lose three hours.
The walk: Melbourne is a gorgeous Georgian market town and the 5-mile circular takes you past Melbourne Hall and its stunning historic gardens (one of the best surviving early 18th-century English gardens in the country, if you want to be proper about it), and out on field paths, country lanes and quiet roads to the picture-perfect village of Calke. You then walk through Calke Park, past the magnificent Calke Abbey (a refreshment stop) and onwards via part of the National Forest Way to the picturesque shores of Staunton Harold Reservoir. The route returns to Melbourne on field paths and quiet roads.
View the full route from Visit South Derbyshire website.
Or print and download the Visit South Derbyshire Walk guide here.
Pub Walk 5: The Staff of Life, Ticknall - National Forest Walk, 5 miles
Drive from Hill Farm: approx 20 mins
More around Calke Abbey! We make no apology for it.
The Staff of Life is the walker's pub in Ticknall, both dog and walker friendly, with a car park you can use if you let them know you're heading out on the route (and give them your custom at the end, obviously). It backs onto the open fields of Calke Abbey and Park, serves real cask ales, and does proper homemade food. Very much the kind of pub where muddy boots are welcomed, dogs are loved, and nobody rushes you out.
The walk: This is a linear walk, a National Forest Walk. It is in fact stage 6 of the forest way. Maybe we’ll get you walking a stage or two with each visit to Hill Farm! It’s a stunning walk alongside nature-filled Foremark Reservoir.
And because it’s a linear route, you’ll need to catch the number 2 Derby - Swadlincote bus from Hartshorn (11mins) back to Ticknall. (The stop is outside house 147 on the main Ticknall road).
Come back to the Staff of Life for a well-earned meal. Job done.
Back at Hill Farm after your walk
After a proper day out on the Derbyshire footpaths, there's nothing better than coming home to Hill Farm.
Hot tub ready and waiting, the pods and belles all have gazebos over the tubs now so it doesn't matter one bit if the clouds roll in, you'll be bubbling away regardless.
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Happy walks!
Tara x
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing, please check with pubs prior to arriving with your dog and double check the buses are running…
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