Saturday 3rd January 2009

Despite having lived in Derbyshire all of his life John has never really explored the estate around Chatsworth House and after seeing the photos I had taken on earlier walks he was keen to rectify this. An early start meant that we had finished the walk by lunchtime and as a bonus managed a quiet walk beating the crowds that were flocking to the car park as we left it. 

Start: Calton Lees car park (SK 2589 6852)

Route: Calton Lees car park - Calton Houses - Edensor - Chatsworth House - The Hunting Tower
            - Emperor Lake - Swiss Lake - Beeley Hilltop - Calton Lees car park

Distance: 6.75 miles     Ascent: 314 metres     Time Taken: 3 hours 5 minutes

Terrain: Good easy tracks.

Weather: Grey and cold.

Pub visited: None        Ale Drunk: None     

Most of this walk was on good tracks like this one to Calton Houses.

Looking back to Rabbit Warren and Falling Edge from Calton Houses.

Russian Cottage, a gift to the 6th Duke of Devonshire from Tsar Nicholas I

A closer look at Russian Cottage.

Having emerged from New Piece Wood you get a great view across the estate to the edges.
 Perhaps I should say, normally you get a great view, today was such a dull day even with the
 naked eye it was difficult to make out the edges clearly.

Not often you see deer in amongst sheep, a sight that greeted us as we
 passed by Maud's Plantation on route to Edensor. 

They are clearly used to humans as they didn't run away, although I didn't get too
 close to them, selecting to use the zoom on my camera to get this shot.

The village of Edensor, which is part of Chatsworth Estate.

Approaching Chatsworth House which is currently closed to visitors.

The Hunting Tower.

The view back towards Edensor and New Piece Wood from The Hunting Tower.

Today was a strange day in that we when we were higher up the ground was frozen
 solid but we only had to drop a few metres to be walking in mud etc.

The frozen Emperor Lake.

 Only the point where Emperor Stream feeds into the lake is not frozen. The stream was actually created, by
 building a conduit from Umberley Brook on Gibbet Moor, with the sole purpose of forming Emperor Lake.

Swiss Cottage is just about visible across the frozen Swiss Lake.

Emerging from Stand Wood, the view of the Derwent Valley opens up,
 with Stanton Moor in the distance.

We followed the concessionary route visible below Rabbit Warren
 to Beeley Hilltop.

Grey reflections in the River Derwent as we get close to the car.

No reason for a picture of this bridge other than the fact I must drive over it well over 50 times
 a year on my way to and from walks but have never seen it from below before. It's actually far
 more impressive from above but it was far too busy to stand in the middle of the road taking pictures.