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Five of Derbyshire’s best pub walks.

If you could choose when to pub it along a walk, where would it be? Should the pub be at the beginning of the walk, the middle or the end? 


I reckon most of you would say end. If I’m wrong,  email me, and we’ll add some of your pub-walk-location preferences to this list for you!


Skip the wild history of the humble British pub and head straight to our walk recommendations here.


Why do Brits love a good pub?




We have the Romans and Anglo-Saxons to thank for our local pubs. Pubs go deep into our culture and communities. Our local is the hub of news, catching up with friends and belly-warming grub and drinks.  


They are world-renowned social hubs 🤘


2,000 years ago the humble pub originated as tavernas from the Romans - pretty much Italian wine bars! But in Britain the native brew was ale, so we naturally departed from selling wine to Roman troops and served ale to locals instead 😏


At one point there was a pub for every 200 people in Britain! 


Pubs were rest houses for travellers, pilgrimage stops, and recruiting centres for the army…the list through history is looooonnngg and if you want to deep dive into pub history, have a read of the article from Historic UK.


Why do Brits love a good walk?




Still on our pub theme, we found a great article collab with Beavertown Brewery, that says 74% of us make sure we spend time outside everyday, YAY… 


And they say the great outdoors inspires us. 


For obvious reasons, we couldn’t agree more. 


And to top inspiration, according to most of us…


 Walks are the best part of the outdoors. 


The article writes… 


Tom Rainsford, at Beavertown Brewery, said: “Working a “pint stop” into a walk with a mate is something we all love. In fact, our research has shown 53% of Brits like to treat themselves to a trip to the pub after a walk.


So there it is, Walk + Pub = your great outdoor adventure.

A blustery walk is sure to blow away all the cobwebs - guaranteed if you are camping too, but given our little nod to research on Google - we’ve added a pint pitstop for you.


Here are 5 of Derbyshire’s best pub walks from & near Hill Farm.*



Mercia Marina, still evening waters with boats and pink/blue sky just down the canal from Hill Farm Campsite



This gorgeous pub is a 2 mile walk down the canal from Hill Farm, in Stenson. We love it because it is part of a small, but growing family of gastro pubs in Derbyshire! The converted barn has a laid back vibe and is packed with history! 



Nadee 3 miles


Pub and Indian Restaurant Nadee is super popular. It has a fab canalside garden and sand pit. A perfect way to get the kids out on a walk and relax halfway to re-fuel and still have the outdoors to keep them busy. It’s a 3 mile walk straight down the canal to Findern.


Mercia Marina 4+ miles


It’s a 4+ mile walk down the canal from Hill Farm. Once you are at the Marina, there are mapped walks to help arrange a longer leisurely stroll. On the boardwalk, you will find cafes, shops and amazing wildlife. If it’s a pub you really crave, then on your way back, drop into Nadees or The Bubble Inn




Crewe and Harper pub - red brick pub with cream window frames and wood archway entrance


Our favourite, we included it in our three pubs within walking distance of Hill Farm last year. It’s got fab history, we kissed-and-told-all in our blog post here.

At the canal you hang a left and follow the canal to the next lane crossing, leave the canal, walk down the lane and you get to Swarkestone and the pub.


For our canal walks - download the OS Map for Trent and Mersey Canal here.


Melbourne Lake 4.5 miles 


This is a beautiful route, and well marked. You will need to drive to Melbourne, then we recommend you stop at Harpers in the village. The walk details can be downloaded here.



*According to us at Hill Farm Caravan and Camping!

Leave a comment to let me know if this was a helpful blog post or email me.



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