This is a list of crossings of the Derbyshire Derwent, the principal river of Derbyshire in the Midlands of England.
Listed in the table are those crossings that have been identified from the first formal crossing at the packhorse bridge at Slippery Stones, in the upper Derwent valley, continuing through the Derwent Valley Mills heritage site to Derby, to the last crossing near Church Wilne upstream of Derwent Mouth where the Derwent meets the River Trent.
Described by Defoe in 1726 as a "fury of a river" the Derwent could only be forded at a number of particular locations, which could still be impassable during winter floods. Wooden bridges provided for a more reliable crossing, but were easily damaged by those same floods. The wooden bridge at Leadmill was destroyed before it was completed in the early 1700s. Toad-Moor Bridge near Ambergate was rebuilt as Halfpenny Bridge by Francis Hurt in 1792, after being swept away in a flood of 1791. In the Candlemas flood of February 1795, the bridges at Belper and Whatstandwell were washed away, but were subsequently rebuilt soon after.
Glover in his History of the County of Derby of 1829 noted that there were a number of bridges, fords and a ferry across the Derwent. There were fords at Wilne Mills, Alvaston, Little Eaton and Ambaston, and a ferry at Matlock Bath. Wooden bridges were mentioned at Wilne Mills, Borrowash Mills and Exeter Bridge, downstream of which was a long wooden bridge for canal towing horses. Tolls were levied at Wilne Mills, Darley Abbey, and Milford, where there was also a chain-bridge for mill workers. He also recorded a number of county bridges and stone-arched bridges, the majority of which are now listed structures, and in some cases scheduled monuments. A number of these bridges were built by the local industrial families of the Derwent valley, including those of Hurt, Strutt and Evans.
Crossings +Key to heritage status Status CriteriaI Grade I listed. Bridge of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally importantII* Grade II* listed. Particularly important bridge of more than special interestII Grade II listed. Bridge of national importance and special interest Scheduled Monument. Nationally important archaeological bridge.
River order NameImage LocationCoordinates Carries Date Heritagestatus Notes1 Slippery Stones packhorse bridge Hope Woodlands Footpath 1672(1959) A 17th-century packhorse bridge that was relocated from Derwent village2 Howden Dam Howden Reservoir – 1912 For information3 Derwent Dam Derwent Reservoir – 1916 For information4 Fairholmes Bridge Derwent Reservoir Derwent Lane - Stone arch bridge5 Ashopton Viaduct Ladybower Reservoir A57 1943- Concrete viaduct6 Ladybower Dam Ladybower Reservoir Footpath 1943- Footway along dam wall7 Yorkshire Bridge Yorkshire Bridge Lydgate Lane 1800s Stone arch bridge8 Bamford Mill footbridge Bamford Footpath - Wooden footbridge at Bamford Mill9 Water Lane bridge Bamford Water Lane - Minor road bridge10 Railway bridge Bamford Hope Valley Line - Rail bridge11 Mytham Bridge Bamford A6187 - Stone arch bridge with adjacent footbridge12 Hathersage stepping stones Hathersage Footpath - Between Offerton and Hathersage13 Leadmill Bridge Hathersage B6001 18th century Stone arch bridge – widened in 192814 Grindleford Bridge Grindleford B6251 & SM Stone arch bridge15 Froggatt Bridge Froggatt Minor Road 19th century Stone arch bridge16 Froggatt New Bridge Froggatt A625 - Stone arch bridge17 Calver Bridge Calver Minor road 19th century Triple arched stone bridge18 Calver Bridge (A623) Calver A623 1974- Modern bridge19 Baslow Bridge Baslow Minor road 1608 & SM Stone arch bridge with toll booth20 Devonshire Bridge Baslow A619 1925- Bakewell Road bridge21 Chatsworth Park Bridge Chatsworth Minor road 1774 Designed by James Paine, providing access to Chatsworth House22 One Arch Bridge Chatsworth B6012 1760 & SM Also designed by James Paine, linking Edensor to Beeley23 Rowsley Viaduct Rowsley Unused 1862- Former railway viaduct24 Rowsley Bridge Rowsley A615th century & SM Stone arch bridge widened 192625 Darley Bridge Darley Bridge B5057 15th century & SM Stone arch bridge26 Peak Rail bridge Matlock Peak Rail - Bridge 3527 Derwent Way bridge Matlock A62007- Modern A6 bridge28 Matlock Bridge Matlock Former A6 route restored and widened 1904 15th century & SM Stone arch bridge29 Hall Leys Park footbridge Matlock Footpath - The gateway to the bridge shows flood heights in 1960 and 196530 Railway bridge Matlock Derwent Valley Line - Rail bridge31 Footbridge Matlock Footpath - Dale Road to Pic Tor32 Footbridge Matlock Bath Footpath - Dale Road to High Tor33 Footbridge Matlock Bath Footpath - Dale Road to cable car34 Matlock Bath Bridge Matlock Bath Access road - Access road to Station Yard35 Jubilee Bridge, Matlock Bath Matlock Bath Footpath 1887- Footbridge36 Derwent Gardens footbridge Matlock Bath Footpath 1969- Modern footbridge linking Derwent Gardens to Lovers Walk; site of earlier Matlock ferry37 Cromford Bridge Cromford Mill Road 15th century & SM Stone arch bridge38 Cromford railway bridge Cromford Derwent Valley Line - Rail bridge39 Access bridge (High peak junction) High Peak Junction Access road - Access to sewage works40 Footbridge High Peak Junction Footpath - High Peak Junction41 Leawood railway bridge High Peak Junction Derwent Valley Line - Rail bridge42 Wigwell Aqueduct High Peak Junction Cromford Canal 1790s Partially collapsed during construction; rebuilt at William Jessop's own expense43 Railway bridge High Peak Junction Derwent Valley Line - Rail bridge44 Homesford footbridge Whatstandwell Footpath - Combined foot and pipe bridge45 Railway bridge Whatstandwell Derwent Valley Line - Rail bridge46 Whatstandwell Bridge Whatstandwell A61796 Stone arch bridge47 Oak Hurst mills bridge Ambergate Access road - Access bridge48 Halfpenny Bridge Ambergate Holly Lane 1792 Also known as Toad-Moor bridge, built as a toll bridge by Francis Hurt49 Derwent Viaduct Ambergate Midland Main Line 1840 Skewed rail bridge50 Railway bridge Belper Midland Main Line - Rail bridge51 Railway bridge Belper Midland Main Line - Rail bridge52 Belper Bridge Belper Bridge Foot 1798 Tripled arched bridge53 Belper Meadows footbridge Belper Footpath - Access bridge54 Belper sewage works bridge Belper Access road - Access bridge55 Swainsley Railway bridge Belper Midland Main Line - Steel rail bridge56 Milford Bridge Milford A61790 Stone arch bridge57 Milford footbridge Milford Footpath - Garden centre access58 Moscow Farm bridge Milford Access road - Access bridge59 Duffield Church Bridge Duffield Makeney Road Probable 16th century & SM Stone arch bridge60 Burley Railway Bridge Little Eaton Midland Main Line - Rail bridge61 Allestree Ford Bridge Allestree Ford Lane - Former ford at this point62 Allestree A38 Bridge Allestree Abbey Hill - Dual carriageway bridge63 Darley Abbey toll bridge Darley Abbey Haslams Lane - The existing toll bridge was deemed unsafe for both foot and road traffic in 2022, and was subsequently replaced by a temporary pedestrian footbridge known as Walter's Walkway later that same year.64 Handyside Bridge Derby Footpath 1878 Former GNR railway bridge65 St Marys Bridge Derby Minor road 1793 & SM Designed by Thomas Harrison, it replaced an earlier medieval bridge; adjacent is St Mary's Bridge Chapel.66 Causey Bridge Derby Saint Alkmunds Way 1972- Dual carriageway bridge67 Cathedral Green Footbridge Derby Footpath 2009- Swing bridge68 Exeter Bridge Derby Derwent Street 1929- 1920s road bridge, replaced earlier wooden bridge69 Holmes Bridge Derby A601 1972- Dual carriageway bridge70 Bass Recreation Ground footbridge Derby Footpath - Modern footbridge71 Derwent Bridge Derby Midland Main Line 1840 Skewed rail bridge, also known as Five Arches72 Derwent Parade bridge Pride Park Derwent Parade - Modern road bridge73 Railway bridge Pride Park Pride Park Midland Main Line - Midland Main Line74 Raynesway Bridge Derby A5111 1938- A511175 Waste Incinerator bridge Derby Access road - Access to incinerator76 Fernhook Avenue bridge Derby Access road 2009- Access to Derby commercial park77 Access bridge Borrowash Access road - Borrowash78 Borrowash Bridge Borrowash B5010 - Links Borrowash to Elvaston79 Ambaston Ford Ambaston Disused - Disused ford between Ambaston and Nooning Lane80 Wilne footbridge Church Wilne Footpath 1960s- Replaced earlier toll bridge upstream at Wilne mills81 Derwent Mouth Great Wilne – - Confluence with the Trent
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