Skeletons from the Past

'He was as lean as a skeleton, pale as a dead corpse, his hair and beard a deep black, his flesh lank, and, as we thought, something of the colour of lead itself.'

So wrote Daniel Defoe on seeing a lead miner, who had been living in a cave at Harborough Rocks. In times past Carsington and Brassington lived and breathed lead. Prior to the construction of Carsington Reservoir, archaeologists discovered a Romano-British settlement here, which could have been the long-lost Ludutarum, the centre of the lead-mining industry in Roman times.

As you walk out of Carsington into the world of the miner, you're using the very tracks he would have used. But the lesions and pockmarks of the endless excavations are being slowly healed by time, and many wildflowers are beginning to proliferate in the meadows and on hillsides.

Weird-shaped limestone crags top the hill, then Brassington appears in the next valley with its Norman church tower rising above the grey rooftops of its 17th- and 18th-century houses. Brassington's post office used to be the tollhouse for the Loughborough turnpike.

St James Church is largely Norman, though it was heavily restored in the late 19th century, including the north aisle, which was added in 1880. The impressive south arcade has fine Perpendicular windows. High on the inner walls of the Norman tower is a figure of a man with his hand on his heart. The carving is believed to be Saxon: the man, Brassington's oldest resident.

Climbing out of Brassington the route takes you over Hipley Hill, where there are more remnants of the mines, and more fascinating limestone outcrops. On the top you could have caught the train back, but the Cromford High Peak railway closed in 1967, so you are left with a walk along its trackbed. It's a pleasant walk though, through a wooded cutting, with meadow cranesbill and herb Robert thriving among trackside verges and crags: there are even raspberries at one point.

Harborough Rocks beckon from the left. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that sabre-toothed tigers, black bears and hyenas once sought the shelter of nearby caves. They also discovered relics and artefacts from Roman and Iron Age dwellers. For those with extra time, there's an entertaining path winding between the popular climbing crags to the summit, which gives wide views across the White Peak and the lowlands of the East Midlands. Carsington Reservoir is seen to perfection, surrounded by chequered fields, woods and low rounded hills.

Leaving the railway behind, there's one last hill, Carsington Pasture, to descend before returning to the lake. Last time I was there they were racing Land Rovers and Jeeps across the tops so you might get some added entertainment.

Where to eat and drink

You can break the route for refreshment at the ivy-clad Ye Old Gate Inn, which serves Marstons ales. Children must be ten years old or over.

While you're there

Take a look round nearby Hognaston, which is an ancient Norse settlement dominated by its fine church dedicated to St Bartholomew. The church dates back to 1200 and has an ornate Norman doorway with a tympanium showing a bishop and his crook, with lambs and wild beasts. In medieval times the church tower with its 5ft (1.5m) thick walls was used as a keep to protect villagers' livestock.

What to look for

Despite their apparently sterile soil, the old mine spoil tips have been colonised by a range of adaptable lead tolerant plants, flourishing among the grassy heaps. You may well see the mountain pansy, the spring sandwort, eyebright or autumn gentians, adding a new colourful complexion to the hillside.