Tibshelf

Stretching from Tibshelf north to Grassmoor, the Five Pits Trail follows an undulating off-road route between former coal mines, at Tibshelf, Pilsley, Alameda, Williamthorpe and Grassmoor, transformed into peaceful lakes and parks. Suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the trail is lovely, and offers some splendid views. The Tibshelf Ponds picnic site, a popular place with locals and fishermen, is a picturesque mix of wooded glades, meadows and ponds where Tibshelf Colliery stood. It also provides several opportunities for short walks.

The village stretches for about a mile along a main street that was once part of the Mansfield-Matlock turnpike road. There are fine views all round. Westwards you look across to the hills around Ashover with Crich Stand on the horizon. Eastwards the view is to what is left of Sherwood Forest, and a couple of miles northwards Hardwick Hall sits grandly on its own hilltop. Within the village, the Parish Church of St John the Baptist has been extensively restored over the centuries but it still retains an impressive 14th-century tower.