A white water trail for those who need a bit of an adrenaline kick. In it’s more serene moments the Derwent Valley provides the beautiful backdrop with High Tor, in Matlock Bath, as the key landmark. A waterways licence is not required for this route.
Distance: 3.8 miles (6.1km)
Time: 2hr
Sat Nav: DE4 2JZ
What3Words: ///silk.paces.mammal
Find the full route for Darley Bridge to Matlock on PaddlePoints >>
We met at Wenslees, a road, just off the Main Road, in Darley Bridge, Derbyshire (DE4 2JZ – ///silk.paces.mammal).
The start point has parking for about nine cars and it was here where we dropped off the boats.
Perhaps the trickiest part of this whole route is shuttling between the two points with vehicles.
You’ll need two and with at least three people in your team.
While one person waited with the equipment, two others drove separately to the end point of the route, where the slalom course finishes, in Dale Road, Matlock (DE4 3PT – ///vegans.jacket.inflation).
There’s enough parking at Matlock for about 20 vehicles.
After parking up, they both returned in the other car to Wenslees.
At the Wensless meet point, we launched at the bottom of a grassy slope which ends in a rocky beach.
We were joined by Gary from Rapid Horizons, a Delivery Partner, based in Belper.
The river wasn’t high at the time of paddling and this exposed some of the rocks.
We made sure we were careful as we followed a pair of dippers down the river.
Look out for kingfishers as they fly in and out of the trees.
Rapid Horizons do a range of adventure activities along this stretch of the river including rafting, tubing, kayaking and canoeing.
Gary’s guidance down the potentially tricky waters was invaluable.
Darley Dale to Matlock is a popular with beginners and those looking to develop their white water skills.
It is mainly Grade 2 rapids and some Grade 1 sections.
Grade 1 means the water is moving, without rocks or other hazards to avoid, and without technical difficulties.
Grade 2 can include waves and small stoppers which should be easy to navigate.
It can also include eddies where you can catch your breath before moving on to the next set of rapids.
Find out more about river gradings >>
We splashed through our first bit of white water near the rail bridge near Matlock.
It’s important you wear a helmet. There are hidden rocks and the water moves fast in some places which can take you by surprise.
There was more white water at Matlock Bridge (also known as Derwent Bridge), the elegant structure dates back to the 15th century.
Not long after passing Matlock, we were greeted by a magnificent view of High Tor which sits 120 metres above Matlock Bath.
The Grade 2 white water slalom course was the last part of the route.
Find out more about the course from Matlock Canoe Club >>
Gary gave us some top guidance and how to navigate ‘killer rock’ which wasn’t as scary as it sounded.
After taking on the course we got out at the bottom, carried our boats up the steps and to one of the cars we’d left there.