The highlight of this walk was of course the quarter-mile across the Bennerley Viaduct, the 150-year-old former railway bridge straddling Notts and Derbys, 60ft above the Erewash Valley and offering us great views of the surrounding countryside.

Starting near the Great Northern Basin at Langley Mill, where the Erewash, Nottingham, and Cromford canals meet, we headed south along the well-maintained Erewash canal towpath for three miles, taking a sunlit refreshment break at Shipley Lock, and a short detour into the Bennerley woodland up to a railway bridge for a preview of the “Iron Giant” viaduct nearby.

Back by the canal, our companions included many dabbling ducks and a few swans, and we saw a heron, standing still and silent among the reeds on the opposite side, until it flew off over the water, wings flapping wildly and long legs trailing straight behind.

Once on the viaduct we could enjoy the sensation of the “skywalk” before descending to the visitor centre – closed on Wednesdays but we were able to make use of the outdoor tables and benches for an early lunch stop. Our return route took us north, along tracks, woodland and field paths, by a disused section of the Nottingham canal and eventually back to the Erewash canal and Langley Mill.