Exploring the hill behind Beeley
Beeley is one of the villages at the edge of the Chatsworth Estate that traditionally provided the estate with it's workforce.
We parked the car at the Carlton Lees car park (just £2 for all day parking) and then walked south across the end of the park to the road bridge over the River Derwent and then across the field the other side to the village of Beeley.
We entered the village and went right, past the small village green, festoned with scarecrows, and out the other side and headed up hill.
The single track lane turned into an unsurfaced track, and the footpath follows this up the left hand side of Beeley Plantation, but we passed through into the plantation and climbed the hill in the shade instead.
A wise choice, as we followed a stream so the dog was able to have a drink.
Beeley Plantation became Hell Bank Plantation, an apt name as it was very steep.
We came back out into the hot sun at a junction of tracks and lanes, and chose the one with the unsurfaced track that climbed onto the top of the escarpment edge past an ancient stone circle, not that we could see any sign of it.
We followed the track past Park Farm, and into the trees whcih provided a little shade as we made our way to Swiss Cottage Lake, where the dog had a well deserved paddle.
Back onto the track we then walked past the Emperor Lake, had a quick look down at the Chatsworth House Cascade, and onto the Hunting Tower,before dropping down a very steep path to the back of the Chatsworth Stable Block.
We walked across the very busy car park, over the bridge back to the original side of the Derwent, and then walked beside the river back to the car park.
Date Walked: 15Jul13
Distance: 7.8 miles
Time: 3h08m
Ascent: 932'
Descent: 921'