Front view of Markham Vale Environment Centre

Plan your visit

If you would like to visit the Walking Together Trail you can find a visitor leaflet here or map only version which indicates the route and shows in which area particular miners are commemorated.

Please see information below to help plan your visit including key accessibility information.

A good starting point for the route is the Markham Vale Environment Centre (MVEC).

Parking

Parking for visitors to the Memorial Trail can be found at the Markham Vale Environment Centre:

Markham Vale Environment Centre,

Markham Lane,

Chesterfield,

S44 5HY

Information about how to get to MVEC by bike, bus, train and car at can be found here.

There is ample free parking in the large car park to the rear of the Centre. There are also two large, accessible parking spaces at the front of the centre which are accessed via the rear car park.

On entering the car park, please follow the signs to the accessible parking spaces at the front of the building, from where there is level access into the Environment Centre itself.

Markham Vale Environment Centre disabled parking sign

Free parking is available at MVEC seven days a week and the centre itself is open Monday - Friday.
The trail is also accessible from Duckmanton village however, there is limited on street parking available at this end of the route.
Please note that certain sections of the trail include crossing busy roads, so please be extra vigilant especially if crossing with children or vulnerable adults.

Accessible Toilet
Visitors to the Memorial Trail are welcome to use the toilet facilities inside the Environment Centre during Centre opening hours, which are:
Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday and Sunday – Closed

The building is accessed via two sets of 1 metre wide, manually operated doors.
On entering the building, please speak to staff at the reception area, who will be happy to provide access to the toilet facilities.

Further, detailed information about the accessible toilet facilities can be found on our online Accessibility
Guide.


Information About the Trail

Inside the Environment Centre, you will find further information about the trail, including a number of displays, along with a trail leaflet. There is also a small ‘tactile model’ representing the statues which can be found along the trail.

Our friendly staff are also on hand to provide further information.

Walking Together model

The Trail

The Trail is a ‘there and back’ route which is approximately 2 kilometres long.

There is an information board at the front of the Environment Centre which gives information about the trail route. It also displays the names of all the miners whose lives are commemorated by the trail.

Trail signage

The Trail itself begins at the Environment Centre, where several large, steel statues can be seen.

To access the rest of the trail, follow the main road (Markham Lane) for approximately 300 metres, following the yellow, ground painted arrows which can be found at intervals on the pavement.

The level access route onto the trail route can be found by following the path which leads directly out from the front of the Environment Centre and onto the pavement, rather than around the side of the building, from where the route can only be accessed over a grassed area with a kerb.

At ‘Campervanbits’ the trail continues away from the main road and up a gradual incline. This has a varying gradient of between 2 and 4 degrees.

Campervanbits turning
Trail view up to underpass

Follow the path up the slope and beneath the underpass which can be found at the top. On emerging from the underpass, the route again follows a gradual incline along the line of statues, before reaching an ‘A’ frame and a main road which has lowered kerbs and tactile paving at either side.

A'frame

On crossing the road, another ‘A’ frame can be found. Once through the ‘A’ frame the route continues, passing an information board, until finally reaching Duckmanton Village, which marks the trail’s end. Here, visitors can retrace their steps and return via the same route back to the Environment Centre.

Seating

There is limited seating along the route in the form of simple wooden benches which are located on grass.

Refreshments

Whilst refreshments are not available along the trail route, a variety of cafes and restaurants can be found at the Markham Vale Services (M1 J29A, Enterprise Way, Duckmanton, Chesterfield S44 5FD) which is approximately 1 mile from the Environment Centre. Given the distance, some visitors may prefer to drive the short distance from the Environment Centre to the Services or to an area nearby such as Bolsover.

For further information, please call Trudi Saxton at the Markham Vale Environment Centre on 01246 826000 or visit our onlineAccessibility Guide.

We hope that you enjoy your visit. We are always interested in hearing feedback which you can submit via our website or via our Facebook page.