Nottingham to Matlock for Pizza and Beer: an E-Bike Tour

Zig Zag had just taken hold of new Raleigh Motus Grand Tour electric bikes through the Nottingham City Council Workplace Travel Grant. We were granted the funds on the day the council declared bankruptcy, but it was ring-fenced money harking back to the good old days before Brexit. So thanks to Nottingham City Council and the EU for our fantastic fleet of e-bikes!

To test the e-bikes, we wanted a long and hilly ride, and of course somewhere good to eat at the end. We had heard of D'alessandro's, a great pizza place overlooking Matlock that makes its own mozzarella and serves the pizza in The Farmacy, a lovely little pub next door where the beer is excellent. So we decided to head there.

We checked options on various paper maps and then made a track on the Komoot app to make navigating easier. The route is a fantastic mix of river toe paths, canals, old railway tracks, bridal ways and back roads.

Start from Nottingham Train Station along the canal to Beeston Marina and then follow the river all the way to Trent Lock, where there is a nice tea room for a lovely cuppa and a great view of the power station.

From Trent Lock, follow the Erewash canal north on Sustrans Route 67 until Stanton Lock, where you turn left and carry on to Shipley Park (this can be muddy) and then through a new wood plantation, after which you pop out in the village of Smalley. This is where the hills and the first bit of road start, and the electric bikes come into their own.

At Smalley, there are two options. You can follow the route on the bridal way through a dodgy-looking farm along a permissive track, or you can go into Horsley Woodhouse and visit The Old Oak, a little oasis of mosaic tables, home-brewed beer and plenty of properly filled cobs, a real gem of a pub.

After the pub, you need to take a slightly busy road towards Denby. It is a straight road with hills, but you are not on it for long as the route turns left down a permissive path under the A38, through a farm and over the hill, after which you come out in a little village called Heage. Continue on the road until you drop down into Ambergate, where you will pick up our favourite part of the route, the Cromford Canal, steeped in history, woods and fascinating engineering.

If you are planning a longer ride into the Peak District, you can take the High Peak Trail which joins the canal a the High Peak Junction heritage centre and cafe – look out for the red train carriage. Or you can continue along the canal until Cromford, where you can visit Arkwright’s factory or  Scarthins Book Shop, a must for any avid book lover. 

To continue into Matlock, take the back road over a steep hill where you have fantastic views back down the valley and then descend into Matlock before climbing again to get your reward, a fanatic pizza and beer to match. Opposite the pizza and beer place, there is also the Newsroom, another great pub which has excellent beer and great staff. 

By the time we had been fed and watered it was dark, but we always intended to get the train back to Nottingham. The train runs on the hour, has plenty of room for bikes, and you can buy a ticket onboard or on the platform. It is part of the Derwent Heritage Line, and you can use your ticket to hop on and off at all the stations along the route.

If you are interested in trying out this electric bike tour and checking out the coolest area of Matlock, you can download the GPX file here.

If you would like to test ride or borrow an electric bike, please check our e-bike hire packages in partnership with Bikes Love You.