Dark Peak Walks. Paul Besley

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      The Three Ships on Birchen Edge

      Nelson’s Monument stands by three of his ships: Victory, Defiance and Royal Soverin, the last spelled incorrectly. The obelisk was erected 56 years before Wellington’s Monument.

      If time allows make a diversion to Gardom’s Edge to view a menhir (standing stone) and also a replica of a stone with cups and rings. It is well worth the effort.

      Follow the footpath along the edge for approximately 700 metres until it turns sharp right by two concrete posts marking the position of a pipeline. Follow the path right, down the steep slope, to reach a wide path with a wall beyond. Turn left and walk south down the path, keeping the wall on your right, to a gate that leads onto a road taking you past a pub. From the pub walk down the A619 pavement until you are opposite a signpost on the other side of the road pointing to a concessionary path to Chatsworth. Cross here and go over the stile, down the stone steps and across a wooden bridge, then up a short slope to a marker post.

      Turn left and walk along a waymarked footpath, following the signposts at all times southeast to stone steps set into a wall. Go over the wall and continue following the marker posts leading you up a small clough with a stream on your left until you reach a marker post at the foot of a slope. Turn right here and walk up the slope and out onto open moorland. Follow the footpath across the moor to go through a gate giving access onto a wide track. Turn right along the track following it across Gibbet Moor to woodland in the distance. Walk on past the woodland until it finishes at the corner of a wall. Go straight on, east, for 70 metres to Hob Hurst’s House.

      Hob Hurst’s House was one of the first monuments in Britain to be protected under the Ancient Monuments Act, a fact noted by the stone bollards with the inscription VR for Queen Victoria. It is a large burial cairn that contained burnt human remains.

      Retrace your steps to the wall corner and turn left to descend the slope keeping the walled forest plantation on your right. Where the plantation ends and the wall turns northwest carry straight on southwest across Rabbit Warren to meet a well-made track. Turn right, northwest, along the track and follow this until it ends at a wall stile leading into woodland. Go over the stile and along the woodland track until it forks after crossing a stream. Take the left hand fork and follow the track until the junction with a tarmac forest road. Walk straight across the road and proceed along a woodland track bearing left at the next track junction. Pass the Cascade Waterfall stopping to take in the views across Chatsworth Gardens and carry on to the Hunting Tower.

      The Hunting Tower Chatsworth

      Bess of Hardwick had the Hunting Tower built both as a retreat and to view hounds hunting deer in the park. Lancelot Capability Brown turned the deer park into one of his creations embodying coherence and elegance.

      From the Hunting Tower go down the steps situated beyond the cannons, cross the track at the foot of the steps and then descend steep stone steps and a footpath to connect with a forest track. Go left along the track and at the next track junction go right and right again at the next junction, then follow the track down to re-enter the car park.

WALK 2

      Longshaw Estate and the gritstone edges

Start/Finish	Longshaw Lodge SK 264 799
Distance	14km (9 miles)
Ascent	300m
Time	4hrs
Terrain	Moorland and woodland footpath
Map	OS 1:25000 Explorer OL24 White Peak
Refreshments	Longshaw Estate Café
Parking	Longshaw Estate SK 266 800

      This classic walk along gritstone edges starts at Longshaw Lodge, a former shooting lodge of the Dukes of Rutland, and follows old estate trails to White Edge, returning to the Longshaw Estate via Curbar and Froggatt Edges.

      The edges have long been favoured climbing crags, with Froggatt having hundreds of routes along its length including the enigmatically named Valkyrie and Jump Before You Look. The area is teeming with wildlife including larger red deer, water voles, ring ouzels, curlew, merlin and buzzard, and the walk takes you through oak woodlands and wildflower meadows.

      From the main drive of Longshaw Lodge take the track that goes to the left of the café through woodland and curves to the right behind the building. Proceed through the gate onto a grassed track and continue along until the track forks. Take the left hand route, the way forward eventually signalled by a large pole, to reach a gate leading onto the junction of three roads. This area is known as Wooden Pole.

      The base of the pole is dated 1778, the pole marking parish boundaries and also acting as a waymark for the old packhorse route that crossed this part of the area. The original line of the route is along the grassed track you have just walked up, the road being enclosed by the Duke of Rutland.

      White Edge Lodge

      Go through the gate and cross the junction to a second gate straight ahead giving access to White Edge Moor. Walk down the track towards a tall house, White Edge Lodge, situated on your right. Turn left at the house and ascend to a gate in the wall at the edge of White Edge Moor.Keep an eye out for the herd of red deer to your left on Big Moor. With binoculars, the large stags are easy to spot; it takes time and patience to see the others.

      Go through the gate and then head right, directly south, along a track to White Edge. Continue along White Edge until you reach a triangulation pillar, then 200 metres further along take the footpath down off the edge, to the moorland below, heading for two large walled enclosures with many internal divisions. On reaching the enclosures take the path between the two and follow the right hand wall around to reach a road and car park. Go through the gate and across the car park to a gate on your right that will lead you up onto Curbar Edge.

      Triangulation pillar on White Edge

      The footpath takes you along both Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge, eventually ending in a short descent to a gate giving access onto the A625. Go right for 50 metres up the road and then cross to a stile over a wall on the opposite side. Go over the stile, descending to a stream, before going up to The Haywood СКАЧАТЬ