While many landowners throughout the country were keeping their estates strictly for themselves, they do things differently at Chatsworth. Here, long before the CROW Act which opened up many hitherto forbidden moors, the Duke of Devonshire at Chatsworth gave walkers the freedom to explore. Emerging from New Piece Wood, you look down on a landscape set off to perfection by this magnificent stately home. Then as you descend to the Derwent Valley you come to one of the strangest villages in the Peak.
With its quaint mixture of elaborately carved stone houses there is a fairytale charm about Edensor, though the village has only been here since 1834. When the original houses were demolished, the Duke was shown a book of designs. But the problems of catalogue shopping are nothing new it seems, for he couldn't make up his mind, and decided to have one of each.
LOCATION: Thirteen miles east of Buxton
START: Calton Lees car park off B6012 Grid ref: SK258685 Postcode: DE4 2NX
DISTANCE: Four miles
GRADE: Easy with a gentle climb
TIME: Two hours
MAP: Outdoor Leisure - White Peak Landranger 119
NOTE: Allow a full day if visiting ChatsworthHouse and gardens
REFRESHMENTS: Chatsworth Garden Centre
EN ROUTE: Deer, Bess of Hardwick
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News