A Walk in Chatsworth Park

 

A weir on the River Derwent

Leaving Park House, the last building on my list for the British Listed Buildings Photo Challenge for the model village of Edensor, I set off along the B6012 road towards Beeley, which I had previously followed as far as the road to Calton Lees, during a walk from Edensor to Rowsley in March 2020. 

 

The Ordnance Survey map of Chatsworth Park

 

On that occasion, I had taken this road and not one of the paths through Chatsworth Park, because of the heavy rain and recent flooding alongside the River Derwent. The road has no path and is surrounded by open parkland, with not that much to see, but I wanted to save the scenic route by the river for my leisurely return journey from Beeley. 

 

Fallow deer in Chatsworth Park

 

Keeping my eyes on the traffic while walking quickly on this surprisingly busy road, I stopped just a few times to photograph the fallow deer, Chatsworth House with the escarpment of the Chatsworth Grit rising above it and the tower and steeple of St. Peter’s church. 

 

A view of St. Peter's church

 

Starting at Park House, maps of the topography and geology show that I had started on the mudstone/siltstone of the Marsden Formation at an elevation of 122 m above sea level and then rose to a maximum elevation of 157 m, when crossing the Ashover Grit. 

 

The geology around Chatsworth Park

 

A highlight of my previous walk along this road was the discovery of a fast flowing spring, at the junction of the Ashover Grit and Marsden Formation, which has cut a small but very distinctive valley that is indicated on the geological map by the deposit of Quaternary head. 

 

A small valley formed at a spring

 

I took a quick diversion to see how it was flowing in the middle of August 2023, compared to the aftermath of the storms of 2020, before continuing down the hill to the Grade II Listed mid C19 water trough, which marks the emergence of another spring. 

 

A water trough

 

Continuing down past the bend in the road towards Beeley, the late C18 Bridge House includes a one storied gatekeeper’s lodge. It is built with the local Ashover Grit with stone slate roofs and, like the water trough, is Grade II Listed for its group value. 

 

Bridge House

 

One Arch Bridge (1760), by James Paine, was not on my list but it forms the southern end of Chatsworth Park and I took a photo of it and went to find Beeley Lodge (c.1840), before continuing down the B6102 to Beeley, which I shall describe in future posts.

 

One Arch Bridge

 

Built in a Tudor style, it is thought by Historic England to have been originally designed by Jeffry Wyatville, who was responsible for the north wing and other additions to Chatsworth House and its estate, but was actually completed under the supervision of Joseph Paxton. 

 

Beeley Lodge

 

On the return journey from Beeley, after crossing One Arch Bridge, I took the path along the west bank of the River Derwent, where Edensor Mill (1762), also by James Paine, lies as a ruin on the alluvium at the edge of the flood plain. 

 

Edensor Mill

 

Continuing past the mill alongside the leat, which joins up with the spring described above, the Derbyshire Historic Environment Record explains that the leat continues underground to the point where it joins the weir on the River Derwent. 

 

The leat at Edensor Mill

 

I had never walked along the river to Three Arch Bridge before, a part of Chatsworth Park that was also enjoyed by very many other visitors on a sunny Saturday afternoon in August, so I was very surprised to see the weir. 

 

The weir built to serve Edensor Mill

 

After taking a very late lunch, after what had already been quite a long walk, I continued along the path for a short distance past another weir, before stopping to look at an exposure of weathered mudstone/siltstone of the Marsden Formation, which lies above the alluvial terrace and contains numerous small burrows. 

 

Weathered mudstone and siltstone of the Marsden Formation

 

Although I had visited Chatsworth Park several times over the years, I stopped a few times to photograph Chatsworth House from various angles and in different lighting conditions - waiting until the sun came out from behind the clouds. 

 

A view of Chatsworth House

 

Continuing along the path to Paine’s Grade I Listed Three Arch Bridge (1759-74), I crossed the river and, having had a good long walk, finally arrived at Chatsworth House car park, where I caught the No. 218 bus back to Sheffield.

 

Three Arch Bridge