Contours Holidays set out to tidy up our local area with a litter-picking walk from the office all the way to Matlock Bath.

Litter-Picking Locally

by Grace Malone

Following on from several successful litter picking walks back in May, Contours Holidays grabbed our bin bags and long-reach litter pickers and set out again in August.

We decided to focus on areas closer to home, and with that in mind, one team headed into nearby Bakewell to clean up the town centre, while our second team aimed to walk from our office in Bonsall all the way to Matlock Bath.

This route would take us down the busy Via Gellia Road that several of us use to commute to the office. We were intent on tidying up this messy path, and as we soon confirmed, it was very much needed.

The Contours Holidays litter-picking crew head out from our office in full high-vis, ready to collect litter from along the winding Via Gellia Road we all use to get to work.

Litter Picking on the Via Gellia

Our group of five split early on, with three heading onto the woodland footpath following the steam down to Cromford Mill Pond, while the other two took on the impressive challenge of Via Gellia Road’s litter-strewn pavement.

The roadside crew collect an old boot abandoned not far from Contours Holidays HQ.

Half the litter-picking team head onto the wooded footpath that runs parallel to the busy Via Gellia from our offices at Via Gellia Mill.

Within less than a mile, we had already filled one of the bin bags we had brought along. Both teams bagged some impressive finds: a jacket found on the woodland path and a wellington boot on the pavement route.

We also picked up a concerning number of plastic dental floss picks. So many dental floss picks.

Into Cromford and Along the A6

With both walkways cleared, we took a short break beside the pond in Cromford to rehydrate, say a quick hello to a rather friendly cat, and leave one full rubbish bag in Scarthin Books’ bins. We carried on to the A6 and followed the River Derwent towards Matlock Bath and our finishing point at the train station.

The litter-picking team collect cigarette butts and abandoned napkins from outside a pub in Cromford near our office.

The A6 is a busy road with traffic and some footfall from the public. Most of the rubbish we found along this stretch consisted of ice lolly wrappers, wooden cutlery and napkins, no doubt from those who’d walked back from the various ice cream and fish and chip shops in Matlock Bath.

One thing I noticed while out walking was the lack of bins. No wonder there’s so much litter if there’s nowhere for people to throw it away. You’d have thought a busy tourist location like Matlock would offer more opportunities to bin your litter.

Two members of the litter-picking team walk pass Masson Mill, a large, historic red-brick construction on the side of the A6.

The Final Stretch in Matlock Bath

The main thoroughfare of Matlock Bath bustled with members of the public taking advantage of the summer holidays and the warm weather to enjoy a chippy tea or an ice cream. As the afternoon sun grew ever hotter, we were tempted to join them.

But the last stretch wasn’t as bad rubbish-wise as we had hoped (or feared, depending on your outlook). We found the odd abandoned bottle of pop on a bench, and napkins no doubt blown from someone’s hand that they hadn’t been able to chase down.

The litter-picking team walk along the roadside through Matlock Bath, passing one of many bustling fish and chip shops.

The litter-picking team walk between the trees along the waterside in Matlock Bath.

With the remaining three bags nearly full, we arrived at the end point, almost unscathed. Alas, one bag was just too full and split within eyesight of the bins where we meant to leave our haul. After a quick scooping and rearranging, we left our bags where the council would collect them and headed to get ourselves a well-deserved treat from the ice cream van.

Future Litter-Picking Efforts

While waiting for our lift back to the office and enjoying our ice creamy treats, our thoughts went from how well we had done today to our future efforts to help keep our walks tidy for those who enjoy rambling through the stunning countryside.

Our next effort will be on the World Clean Up Day on the 20th of September, when we intend to bring our friends and family into our plans to clean around Carsington Water.

The Contours Holidays litter picking team stand with their litter-pickers in front of the pond in Cromford.