{{Short description|Road in Derbyshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Use British English|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox road |country=ENG |type=A |route=5012 |image= Via Gellia (A5012) - Passing through Griffe Grange Valley in the direction of Grangemill - geograph.org.uk - 1000635.jpg |image_notes= The A5012, Via Gellia, passing through Griffe Grange Valley |header_type=minor |length_mi= |direction_a= |terminus_a = [[Newhaven, Derbyshire|Newhaven]] |direction_b= |terminus_b = [[Cromford]] |junction = |destinations= }}
The '''A5012 road''' is a main road in the south of the [[England|English]] county of [[Derbyshire]].
==Route== Around {{convert|9|mi}} in length, it connects two primary north–south routes; the [[A6 road (Great Britain)|A6]] at [[Cromford]] and the [[A515 road|A515]] between [[Buxton]] and [[Ashbourne, Derbyshire|Ashbourne]]. It passes through [[Pikehall]] and [[Grangemill]] and alongside [[Ible]].
==Via Gellia== [[File:Via Gellia Mill.jpg|left|thumb|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, Derbyshire|Bonsall]] to the smelter and canal wharf at [[Cromford Wharf|Cromford]].{{cn|date=January 2026}}]] The eastern part (Grangemill to [[Cromford]], set in a deep valley) is known as the Via Gellia – a steep-sided wooded [[dry valley]] and road.{{cn|date=January 2026}}
It is probably{{Or|date=January 2026}} named after (or by) [[Philip Eyre Gell]] in a mock-[[Latin]] style; he was responsible for building the road through the valley, the name being a link to the [[Gell baronets|Gell family]]'s claim of Roman descent. They held lead-mining interests in and around [[Wirksworth]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://derbyshireheritage.co.uk/towns-and-villages/hopton/ |title=Hopton |publisher=Derbyshire Heritage |access-date=20 September 2021}}</ref> At its lower (eastern) end is the village of [[Cromford]] and [[Cromford Mill|its Georgian mill]], built by inventor and entrepreneur [[Richard Arkwright]]. At the western end is the hamlet of [[Grangemill]].
The road appears{{weasel inline|date=January 2026}} to have been constructed about 1790 to connect the Gells' extensive lead-mining interests around [[Wirksworth]] with a new smelter at Cromford. However, some sources{{which|date=January 2026}} say that the route was in use as early as 1720 for transporting stone from the family's quarries in the [[Hopton, Derbyshire|Hopton]] 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.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Via Gellia |url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/descriptions/1807630 |website=A Vision of Britain Through Time}}</ref>
===Modern history=== In modern times the Via Gellia developed a reputation as being a dangerous road{{cn|date=January 2026}} 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.{{cn|date=January 2026}} 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]] between [[Kemmel]] village and the British and Canadian front lines facing the German front lines before [[Wijtschate]] in Belgium.{{cn|date=January 2026}}
==Safety== The road has a poor safety record and is ranked the third-worst in Britain by [[EuroRAP]].<ref>[http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20090620_RSFPersistentList.pdf EuroRAP press release] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929071557/http://www.eurorap.org/library/pdfs/20090620_RSFPersistentList.pdf |date=29 September 2011 }}</ref> Average speed check cameras (SPECS) will be fitted early in 2025 along with a reduction in speed limits <ref>https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport-roads/road-safety/via-gellia-work/work-on-the-via-gellia-a5012.aspx</ref>
==Fabric viyella== The fabric [[Viyella]], a wool and cotton mix, is named after the Via Gellia, the location of W. Hollins & Company's [[textile mill]] where it was originally produced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.viyella-online.co.uk/about/ |title=History|publisher=Viyella |access-date=16 March 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} {{Reflist}}
{{GB A road zone 5}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:5-5012}} [[Category:Roads in England]] [[Category:Roads in Derbyshire]]
{{England-road-stub}} [[Category:Hopton, Derbyshire]]