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Swarkestone Lock – View of Swarkestone Bridge loop from Melbourne

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Swarkestone Lock – View of Swarkestone Bridge loop from Melbourne

Moderate

5.0

(3)

riders

Swarkestone Lock – View of Swarkestone Bridge loop from Melbourne

02:32

43.1km

140m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 22, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 16.9 km for 168 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.54 km

View of the River Trent from the bridge

Highlight • Viewpoint

Swans just landing as we were looking

Tip by

2.84 km

Trent & Mersey Canal Towpath

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Nice and flat towpath alongside the Trent & Mersey canal that forms part of NCN route 6. The surface is gravelly and, in dry weather, can be a bit loose. Path is narrow so beware of oncoming walkers and cyclists, in particular when passing under the canal bridges where visibility can be poor. Nice and scenic and chance to cycle along a traffic free route watching the canal boats.

Tip by

5.22 km

Swarkestone Lock

Highlight • River

Nice place to rest on a cycle ride next to a lock on the Trent & Mersey canal. Can travel north from here to Derby on the route of the closed Derby canal or east along the tow path following NCN route 6 to Loughborough and beyond.

Tip by

8.40 km

Hippo Wood

Forest

13.0 km

End of the Pennine Cycleway at Derby Station

Highlight • Rest Area

The Pride Park entrance to Derby Railway station marks the end of the Pennine Cycleway (NCN 68) that runs between Berwick-on-Tweed and Derby over lots of hills in the Pennines.
There is no formal sign showing that this is the end of the route (apparently it was removed when upgrading the station and then lost!) but there is a cycle sign where the longest trip shown is 7 minutes.

Tip by

14.4 km

Derby River Weir

Highlight • Structure

cloud trial to derby pride park football club

Tip by

22.5 km

Derby Canal Path (National Cycle Route 6)

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

We were handicapped by having to get to Derby from Belper's, where we live. If you start from Derby, might want to go from Elvaston castle to Weston on Trent, Aston on Trent and Swarkestone, where you can get on to Route 6 for the ride back to Derby.

Tip by

30.1 km

Sinfin Moor Nature Reserve

Highlight • Natural

The countryside inside a city. Makes a nice change.

Tip by

36.4 km

View of Swarkestone Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

An ancient bridge over the River Trent that also marks the most southern point of Bonnie Prince Charlie's advance on London. He reached the bridge, had second thoughts and returned to Scotland. The bridge has far too much heavy traffic and, as it is ancient, has a varying width. Take great care if cycling across the bridge - better is to take the quiet road to the west alongside the river to Ingleby.

Tip by

43.1 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

29.2 km

8.57 km

2.34 km

1.66 km

647 m

646 m

Surfaces

31.2 km

9.84 km

799 m

553 m

369 m

250 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Monday 31 August

22°C

11°C

24 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 21.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Swarkestone Lock – View of Swarkestone Bridge loop from Melbourne

View of the River Trent from the bridge

Trent & Mersey Canal Towpath

Swarkestone Lock

End of the Pennine Cycleway at Derby Station

Derby River Weir

Derby Canal Path (National Cycle Route 6)

Sinfin Moor Nature Reserve

View of Swarkestone Bridge

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