A walk through Chatsworth passing Edensor, Queen Marys Bower, Chatsworth House, The Hunting Tower, Swiss Lake and Cottage, Gibbet Moor, Hob Hurst House and Beeley Moor. The walk includes Derwent Bridge which is believed haunted as well as the moat house haunted by Mary Queen of Scots. The Emperor Fall is a man made waterfall from the emperor lake which drops half a mile from top to bottom with a 81 meter straight fall at the end before eventually supplying the Cascade waterfall in chatsworth gardens. And finally through Gibbet Moor home of the UK's Last public Gibbetting and Hob Hurst House a Bronze age neolithic burial ground. Other things in the area to see include a stone circle found in the moors Known as the rabbit warren, Russian cottage, Dobs Edge and the church at Edensor which contains the graves of the cavendish family known for discovering Hydrogen, measuring the earths density, measuring gravity and work with electricity and Kathleen Kennedy the sister of J.F Kenndey who visited her grave 6 months before his assassination and the Paxton family grave, Joeseph Paxton the architect who designed and built Crystal palace. At carlton lees car park the start point of the walk is an old corn mill by the river left in ruin after a oak tree fell through in harsh winds. The hunting tower previously known as stand tower was built in 1582 and the battle cannons come one of the ships which fought at the battle fo trafalger. Also of interest the Emperor waterfall powers a small turbine providing electricity to the House.
Starting from Calton Lees car park head to your right past the entrance kiosk and leave the car park and go through the gateway to the right of the Garden Centre and follow the road to the right through the pretty hamlet of Calton Lees. Just after a triangle of grass in the middle of the road, take the centre of three gates leading up a long lane. After climbing gently upwards for about a mile the lane bends sharply right and then left through a farm gateway and Calton Houses. Continue along a stony track, leaving by a wooden gate and turning right alongside a wall, walking straight ahead when the field opens out. Follow the path across the field keeping to the left of a barn, passing a sign for ‘Chatsworth and Edensor.’ The Russian House can be seen in the distance on the right. A few yards beyond the sign cross a stile into a small wood to follow a walled track to a ladder stile with the Chatsworth Estate parklands stretching out in front of you. Walk downhill heading towards the spire of Edensor Church, keeping to the left of two fenced, tree enclosures. Bear to the left of the church and churchyard and go through an iron swing gate close to a house on the left and descend a flight of steps to the road. In the church yard at the rear are the graves of the Paxton family, Cavendish family and Kathleen Kennedy sister of J.F.Kennedy. Cross the road and follow the path to the right into Edensor village walking past the village green to the main road. Continue along the surfaced track on the opposite side of the road as it winds to the right to the bridge over the Derwent. Go over the bridge to visit Queen Mary’s Bower which is clearly visible on the left. From Queen Marys Bower follow the road up to Chatsworth house, walk past the front of the house and through the middle of the car park walking up the old drive into the converted stable court yard. Go around the stables to your left and head towards the farm yard and children’s play ground. At the farm yard go through the gate just after the cattle grid on your right and start to follow the road up past the farm yard and heading towards the Hunting Tower and Stand Woods. As the road veers around to your right you come to a junction turn left and start to follow the road up to your left. If you go to your right the path will take you to the foot of the Emperor waterfalls and eventually around to Swiss lake, however continue to your left and shortly you come across a small foot path on your right hand, take this path and ascend up the steep steps right to the top of Stand Woods and the foot of the Hunting Tower. Cross the road and walk up the steps to the cannons which come from the battle ships of Trafalgar. The tower previously known as Stand Tower after the woods which it stands was built in 1582 and its name was changed when it was used by the ladies to watch the men out on the hunt. As you walk around the tower to your left the first lane exit is marked Robin Hood inn and this path takes you over Dob edge and all the way to the Robin Hood inn on the A619 road. You could take this walk and then head over Gibbet Moor to Hobs Hursts House across the more and crossing Emperor stream, however this way you would have to double up to see the waterfalls and Swiss Lake. The third exit takes you through the woods to Swiss Lake and the fourth exit directly adjacent to the lower ground of the Hunting Tower steps takes you through the woods and eventually over the top of Emperor falls and then down back to the road. There are many paths through the woods and it’s easy to lose track but the main road is a circular from the farmyard around the back of the woods past the lake and back to farm past the waterfalls so simply head right or left on the road and eventually you'll end back at the start. Now for the walk you are doing take the second lane path marked "SC" Swiss Cottage and follow the path around the edge of the woods past the corner of Emperor Lake and round Stand Woods coming out at Swiss Lake with the cottage across from you. Follow the path to the cottage by turning of the main path to your left and follow this through Bunkers Hill wood by going straight on at all the junctions coming out onto Gibbet Moor. On Gibbet Moor turn immediately right and following the path along the wood to the end were you come across Hobs Hurst House. A small earth raised burial site from the Bronze Age. At this junction turn right and follow the woods again around and through Park Farm coming out on the circular road again and the entrance path onto Beeley Moor and the Rabbit Warren. From here you can head diagonally through the Rabbit Warren and Beeley Moor heading to Beeley Hilltop farm and then into Beeley village and then back over the bridge to Calton Lees car park. There are several stone circles on Beeley Moor but not all are easily visible in the thick growth. However follow the circular walk road to your left after coming out of the farm and start to descend the road back towards the farm yard. After a while you will come across a waterfall coming of a via-duct built by Paxton the same architect whom built London’s Crystal Palace. This is the Emperor Waterfall and falls 1/2 a mile from the Emperor Lake to feed the Cascade Waterfall in Chatsworth grounds and the Emperor Fountain. It is an easy scramble up the side of the via- duct to get better views of the waterfalls and Chatsworth gardens. Continue down the lane back past the farm yard and then the stables back over Derwent bridge past Queen Marys Bower and now follow the river Derwent back to your right past the weirs which make a good area for the kids to paddle and coming to the disused mill house once used for milling corn until one of the large oak trees fell through the roof and left the mill in disrepair. At the mill turn up to your right and cross the road back into Calton Lees car park and the start of the walk. While walking along the river or through Edensor village look on to the fields and you will notice sheep cattle Jacobs’s sheep and two different breeds of dear are also visible however not always in the same location so keep your eyes peeled.
