# A5012 road > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/A5012_road > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/A5012_road.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A5012_road > Source revision: 1343863829 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Road in Derbyshire, England A5012 The A5012, Via Gellia, passing through Griffe Grange Valley Major junctions From Newhaven To Cromford Location Country United Kingdom Constituent country England Road network Roads in the United Kingdom Motorways A and B road zones The **A5012 road** is a main road in the south of the [English](/source/England) county of [Derbyshire](/source/Derbyshire). ## Route Around 9 miles (14 km) in length, it connects two primary north–south routes; the [A6](/source/A6_road_(Great_Britain)) at [Cromford](/source/Cromford) and the [A515](/source/A515_road) between [Buxton](/source/Buxton) and [Ashbourne](/source/Ashbourne%2C_Derbyshire). It passes through [Pikehall](/source/Pikehall) and [Grangemill](/source/Grangemill) and alongside [Ible](/source/Ible). ## Via Gellia Former mill viewed from the footpath below Slinter Wood. The Via Gellia road is behind the pond and was used to transport lead from the mines above [Bonsall](/source/Bonsall%2C_Derbyshire) to the smelter and canal wharf at [Cromford](/source/Cromford_Wharf).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The eastern part (Grangemill to [Cromford](/source/Cromford), set in a deep valley) is known as the Via Gellia – a steep-sided wooded [dry valley](/source/Dry_valley) and road.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] It is probably[*[original research?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research)*] named after (or by) [Philip Eyre Gell](/source/Philip_Eyre_Gell) in a mock-[Latin](/source/Latin) style; he was responsible for building the road through the valley, the name being a link to the [Gell family](/source/Gell_baronets)'s claim of Roman descent. They held lead-mining interests in and around [Wirksworth](/source/Wirksworth).[1] At its lower (eastern) end is the village of [Cromford](/source/Cromford) and [its Georgian mill](/source/Cromford_Mill), built by inventor and entrepreneur [Richard Arkwright](/source/Richard_Arkwright). At the western end is the hamlet of [Grangemill](/source/Grangemill). The road appears[*[weasel words](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words)*] to have been constructed about 1790 to connect the Gells' extensive lead-mining interests around [Wirksworth](/source/Wirksworth) with a new smelter at Cromford. However, some sources[*[which?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words)*] say that the route was in use as early as 1720 for transporting stone from the family's quarries in the [Hopton](/source/Hopton%2C_Derbyshire) area. In 1887, it was described as a "modern road, (in) Derbyshire, on route from Matlock Bath to Ashborne, in a deep winding valley, extending 4 miles from Cromford to Grange Mill; takes name from its constructors, the Gell family of Hopton Hall, near Wirksworth." in the *Gazetteer of the British Isles.*[2] ### Modern history In modern times the Via Gellia developed a reputation as being a dangerous road[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] with a disproportionately high casualty rate, particularly among motorcyclists. This was due in part to its relative narrowness, the number of large goods vehicles using it to access the quarries, and its canopy of overhanging trees resulting in a persistently damp surface.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Remedial measures, including resurfacing, were carried out by Derbyshire County Council in 2006. ### World War I In World War I, the name Via Gellia was assigned to a communication [trench](/source/Trench) between [Kemmel](/source/Kemmel) village and the British and Canadian front lines facing the German front lines before [Wijtschate](/source/Wijtschate) in Belgium.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Safety The road has a poor safety record and is ranked the third-worst in Britain by [EuroRAP](/source/EuroRAP).[3] Average speed check cameras (SPECS) will be fitted early in 2025 along with a reduction in speed limits [4] ## Fabric viyella The fabric [Viyella](/source/Viyella), a wool and cotton mix, is named after the Via Gellia, the location of W. Hollins & Company's [textile mill](/source/Textile_mill) where it was originally produced.[5] ## References **[KML file](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/A5012_road&action=raw)** ([edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/A5012_road&action=edit) · [help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Attached_KML)) [Template:Attached KML/A5012 road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Attached_KML/A5012_road) KML is from Wikidata 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Hopton"](https://derbyshireheritage.co.uk/towns-and-villages/hopton/). Derbyshire Heritage. Retrieved 20 September 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Via Gellia"](https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/1807630). *A Vision of Britain Through Time*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [EuroRAP press release](http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20090620_RSFPersistentList.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110929071557/http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20090620_RSFPersistentList.pdf) 29 September 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport-roads/road-safety/via-gellia-work/work-on-the-via-gellia-a5012.aspx](https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport-roads/road-safety/via-gellia-work/work-on-the-via-gellia-a5012.aspx) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["History"](https://www.viyella-online.co.uk/about/). Viyella. Retrieved 16 March 2026. v t e Roads in Zone 5 of the Great Britain road numbering scheme A5 A50 A51 A52 A53 A54 A55 A56 A57 A58 A59 A500 A501 A505 A507 A508 A509 A511 A512 A514 A515 A516 A518 A519 A523 A525 A527 A528 A529 A530 A531 A533 A535 A536 A537 A538 A540 A541 A555 A556 A562 A563 A565 A570 A572 A574 A580 A583 A584 A585 A586 A587 A588 A590 A591 A592 A593 A594 Leicester Cumbria A595 A596 A5004 A5012 A5025 A5036 A5058 A5103 A5117 A5120 A5127 A5183 A5199 A5268 A5300 A5758 B5289 B5300 B5302 List of A roads in Zone 5 List of B roads in Zone 5 This England road or road transport-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:England-road-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AEngland-road-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:England-road-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [A5012 road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A5012_road) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A5012_road?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.