A walk in Bakewell
Above: Bakewell Walk
Above: Bakewell Walk
BETWEEN Bakewell and Chatsworth lies an area of gentle wooded hills and valleys that is home to two of Britain's finest stately homes: Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall. Both are encountered along this fascinating walk that crosses the high, wood-flanked ridge to the east of Bakewell and then traverses Calton Pastures to Edensor, Chatsworth`s estate village. After a walk through the beautifully landscaped Chatsworth Park, the return to Bakewell is via the charming hamlet of Calton Lees.
The small but busy town of Bakewell, famous for its 'pudding', is situated on the river Wye, and has one of the oldest markets in the area dating from 1254. Markets are still held here every Monday, and there is a thriving livestock market in a modern Agricultural Business Centre across the Wye. Evidence of Bakewell's ancient origins are found in the collection of Saxon carved stones and two impressive crosses at the hillside parish church of All Saints. The Peak District National Park also has its headquarters in the town.
1: From the 14th century bridge over the River Wye, head up Station Road to the former Bakewell Station on the old Midland Railway, now the Monsal Trail.Turn right along a track across a golf course and up through the woods,which in springtime are carpeted in bluebells. On reaching the narrow road at Ball Cross Farm, turn right at a gate and follow a track onto Calton Pastures, at 900 feet/274 metres above sea level, the highest part of the route. The track initially passes close by the fenced off embankments of Ball Cross Iron Age hill fort, in a strategic spot overlooking the Wye.
2: Beyond Moatless Plantation, continue along the track that leads across broad grassy slopes down to an unusual hilltop pond. In summer this broad, sweeping section of pasture has the feel of downland, especially so if you hear the bleating of the Chatsworth flocks. From the pond, head east along a path that enters New Piece Wood. At the far side, look out for an excellent view of Chatsworth House. To the left of the house is the estate village of Edensor (pronounced Ensor), its tall church spire an easy marker as you approach it along a footpath through pastures to the north. The village, where no two houses are the same, was largely designed by Joseph Paxton, and was moved here between 1838 and 1842 from a site nearer the great house, supposedly so that the 6th Duke of Devonshire could have an uninterrupted view.
3: Pass through the village, cross the road and take a broad path across the grassy hill ahead, passing above 'Naboth's Vineyard', the only remaining house from the original village of Edensor. As you crest the hill an impressive view opens up of Chatsworth House, sometimes dubbed the 'Palace of the Peak'. The Duke of Devonshire's family seat was rebuilt during the period I678 - I707 over the original mid-16th century home of Bess of Hardwick and her husband William Cavendish, of which only the Hunting Tower remains in the Stand Woods behind the house. The 4th Duke, under the direction of the famous landscape gardener, Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, created Chatsworth Park, largely in the 1760s, and the enlightened Dukes have allowed people to wander in the park for many years. Continue to the bridge over the River Derwent leading to Chatsworth House. If time permits, then the house is worth a visit, especially between November 3 and 23, when it will be dressed for the festive season, in 'Christmas Kaleidoscope'. Do note that Chatsworth is closed from Christmas Eve to mid-March, and when it is open be prepared to queue, for this is one of Britain's most visited stately homes.
4: Cross the road at the bridge and follow the west bank of the Derwent to eventually arrive at the ruins of an old water mill. Turn right up to the road, cross it and turn left past Chatsworth Garden Centre with its café, and the stone hamlet of Calton Lees, an outlying estate settlement. From the main car park follow a road west towards Calton Lees Farm, then continue straight ahead along a track up the narrow, picturesque valley to Calton Houses.
5: Just past the houses, a gate on the left gives access to a bridleway through Calton Plantations, then proceeds up the steep, open grassy slopes of Calton Pastures to the edge of Manners Wood near some Bronze Age tumuli, or burial mounds. Follow a bridleway through the wood, eventually descending to join a lane, the line of an old road linking Bakewell and Rowsley. From here you can pause to admire the pastoral view towards Bakewell, before continuing down to Bowling Green Farm with its unusual house surrounded by a high stone wall shaded by yew trees. From the corner of the walled garden, it's just a short walk along a footpath through fields to join a tarmaced drive leading right to Haddon Park Farm.
6: Head left down the narrow road, which passes over the northern portal of Haddon Tunnel on the dismantled Midland Railway. The tunnel was a pre-requisite of the Duke of Rutland`s permission for the railway company to bring the main line up the valley so close to Haddon Hall. From the tunnel top you get the only reasonable view of Haddon Hall, the most complete, untouched medieval castle-cum-manor house in England. Haddon is closed during the winter, but in 2008 will open every Saturday, Sunday and Monday from March 15 to the beginning of May, every day from May to September and then on Saturday, Sunday and Monday until the end of October.
7: When you reach the bottom of the hill, go through a gate on the right and follow a footpath that leads through pleasant riverside meadows on the eastern banks of the Wye, back to Bakewell and the end of the walk. ¦