LOCAL WALKS

The instructions for these walks have been created by local business Walks From The Door, please visit their website to view the leaflet and map for our pub walks.

​

BIRCHEN EDGE, 1.5 MILES - EASY

One short scrambly climb and a steep descent, with vertical drops along Birchen Edge. Allow 1½ hours.

 

1. From the car park entrance, turn left and walk along the B6050 fora short distance, passing the public car park and a property on the left.

2. Immediately beyond the house, at the entrance to a driveway, follow a short path leading to a gate into Access Land.

3. Follow the obvious path beyond, along the foot of the slope.

4. Keep straight on past a hawthorn tree with a boulder beneath it and a steep path opposite(this is our return route).

5. The path gradually leaves the field edge on the left and climbs through trees towards the rocks of Birchen Edge.

6 Look out for the pillar of Nelson’s Monument on the crag above, and when you find yourself below it, pick your way up through the rocks to the right of the Monument.

7. At the top of the edge, having admired the view and examined the Monument and the adjacent Three Ships, turn right and walk along the top of the edge, with the rocky drop beneath you and to your right.

8. The rocks eventually peter out and the slope to your right becomes less severe until, by an inspection cover, the path turns sharp right.

9. Follow it steeply downhill for a short distance to rejoin the path at the boulder and hawthorn tree you passed earlier.

10 Turn left and retrace your steps back to the road.

11 Turn right to return to The Robin Hood.

​

​

GARDOM'S & BIRCHEN EDGE, 3 MILES - FAIRLY EASY

Although the paths are clear and easy to follow, this route crosses open moorland that can be bleak in bad weather. The path passes some steep drops and there is one (optional) steep scramble and descent on Birchen Edge. Allow 2 hours.

 

1. From the car park entrance, turn right down the main road past a stone farmhouse and a campsite entrance.

2. 100 yards on, cross a stile in the wall on your right.

3. Follow the path uphill, with views to Moorside Farm opening up to your right.

4. Shortly after passing a prominent gritstone outcrop (the Cat Stone) on your right, you reach a stone-flanked gateway.

5. Ignore the obvious path heading downhill straight ahead, instead turning right and following the wall as it curves uphill and to the left onto Gardom’s Edge.

6. Pass through a gateway in a crossing wall and pass a line of three cairns (the “Three Men”), ignoring a wall stile on the right (this stile gives access to birch woodland, on the far edge of which is a fine replica of a piece of prehistoric rock art, protecting the original beneath – it’s difficult to locate but if you have a GPS you will find it at SK27297304).

7. Keep on along the wall, with the crags of Gardom’s Edge below and on your left, as the terrain becomes more wooded (beyond a short cross wall, a wooden gate on the right gives access to a standing stone, which some archaeologists believe was used as a form of sundial).

8. The wall on your right becomes a fence and the woodland beyond it gradually peters out.

9. As you near the valley containing the Sheffield Road, turn right through a gate above a gritstone outcrop.

10. Follow the path beyond, approximately parallel to the road, for half a mile.

11. Just before the path meets the road at a junction, turn right on an obvious path across the moor.

12. Walk across the moor towards Birchen Edge; as you approach the edge, the terrain becomes more wooded and you pass a number of free-standing boulders.

13 Look out for the pillar of Nelson’s Monument on the crag above, and just beyond it, pick your way up through the rocks to the top of the edge.

Now follow steps 7 to 11 from the Birchen Edge walk (above) to guide you back to The Robin Hood.

​

​

CHATSWORTH & BASLOW, 7.5 MILES - MODERATELY STRENUOUS

Although the paths are clear and easy to follow, this route crosses open moorland that can be bleak in bad weather. The path passes some steep drops and there is a long climb out of Baslow and one (optional) steep scramble and descent on Birchen Edge. Concessionary paths through the Chatsworth Estate may occasionally be closed for events. Allow at least 4 hours. For a shorter walk (4½ miles) walk to Chatsworth House and return by the same route.

 

1. From the car park entrance, turn right down the main road past a stone farmhouse and a campsite entrance.

2. Just before road signs warning of bends ahead, turn left, crossing the road and following a signposted concessionary path into woodland.

3. The path drops down some steps to cross a stream, then climbs up the far side, crossing a track and running beside a forest edge. Beyond this it runs along the top of Dobb Edge (beware steep drops).

4. The path eventually passes a stile into pastureland and then back through a stone squeeze stile into brackeny woodland, before finally returning to fields above the  slope.

5. At the end of the field cross a wall stile and climb up a brackeny slope beyond. Partway along, after the path levels off, lookout beside the path on the right for a ring-marked rock set in the turf(see map).

6. Head to the right of the woodland ahead, then enter it via a wall stile.

7. Turn left inside the wood for a short distance until you meet a track. Turn right.

8. Follow this track past a farm entrance on the left.

9. After ¼ mile you reach a T-junction; turn right and pass below the Hunting Tower.

10. A steep shortcut leads directly to Chatsworth House, but if you keep on along the track you will descend more slowly and pass the Aqueduct, an impressive folly.

11. Shortly afterwards, at a junction of paths, turn sharp right.

12 This track runs behind the Cascade, along the outside of the garden wall, and deposits you near the entrance to the Farmyard.

13. Turn left and walk across the car park by the tourist entrance to Chatsworth House.

14. Pick up the access road beyond that leads to the bridge over the Derwent.

15. Just before you reach the river, turn right past Queen Mary’s Bower.

16. Follow this track parallel to the Derwent for a mile, passing a cricket pitch and then a caravan park along the way.

17. Shortly after passing through a novel “vertical kissing gate”, turn left by a house.

18. Cross a field to a footbridge over the stream (Bar Brook).

19. Keep on below the buildings of the Cavendish Hotel to emerge on the main road; turn left.

20. Pass the entrance to Baslow Cricket Club then cross over and turn right at the roundabout into Baslow village.

21. You will probably want to visit the church and bridge; either way, to continue leave the main road at a mini-roundabout by the churchyard and walk up School Lane. At a triangle with benches, turn left into Bar Road.

22. Keep along the lane past Ladywell House, beyond which the road reduces to a track.

23. At a junction of tracks beyond the Lady Well,with a memorial seat, turn left.

24. Follow this track ever upwards until you reach open moorland at a gate accompanied by large stone blocks.

25. Follow the path beyond to the right of some old quarries as it ascends the slope. At the junction where the left-hand path leads to the prominent Eagle Stone boulder a short distances away, take the right-hand path, following the path to Wellington’s Monument.

26. Continue along the edge beyond the monument.

27. This path eventually becomes a track and is joined by a wall as it descends to meet a road.

28. Turn right and walk down to the main road.

29. Crossover and go through a gate on your right at the start of the road opposite.

30. After a short paved section, the path divides; take the more obvious path straight on, heading for Birchen Edge and its monument.

31. Walk across the moor to meet the Edge – as you approach the rocky slope the terrain becomes more wooded and you pass a number of free-standing boulders.

32. Keep an eye out for the pillar of Nelson’s Monument on the crag above, and just beyond it, pick your way up through the rocks to the top of the edge.

Now follow steps 7 to 11 from the Birchen Edge walk (above) to guide you back to The Robin Hood.