This heart-warming retreat is perfect for couples and families alike seeking a rural location with direct access to canal towpath and wharf. Halfway between the bustling cities of Nottingham and Derby, also an easy drive away from the wonderful Peak District National Park. The cottage, built for salt mill workers is 18th century, and its name originates from Wilne Lane which is mentioned in the Doomsday Book.
Shardlow is an unexpected delight for any unsuspecting visitor, whether emerging from the Derby conurbation in the north and finding quiet, spacious, sweeping greenery, or from the south where a signpost tells you you’re now in Derbyshire, although without the hills and dales you might have been expecting. As you spy the boats, locks, and warehouses, you might even wonder if you’ve been transported to a corner of the Netherlands, an impression that would have been even more likely if Shardlow had hung on to its windmill and more importantly in its hayday it was referred to as ‘Rural Rotterdam’ and ‘Little Liverpool’. Today Shardlow is Britain’s most complete surviving example of a canal village, much of it snuggled safely in a conservation area.
Discover the National Trust property of Kedleston Hall, Derby Museum and Art Gallery and a variety of independent shops, supermarkets, pubs, and cafés in case you fancy a spot of lunch or picking up a souvenir for your loved one’s back home. There is a rich network of footpaths that radiate from the village with undulating countryside of fields, meadows, bluebell woods and a famous cave, ideal for horse riders, hikers, runners, and cyclists. For more history and culture, visit Nottingham Castle Museum, the National Trust Grade I listed building Calke Abbey, Art Gallery and Wollaton park, as well as the ancient City of Caves. Alveston Castle is only 5 minutes away. Further afield is the beautiful Peak District National Park, home to a wonderful nature reserve such as Dovedale, ideal for all manner of walking, hiking and mountain biking opportunities. With canal side pubs, restaurants, and waterside walks straight from the door there is plenty to do at Wilne Cottage.