(S/E) From The Robin Hood INN car park entrance, turn right down the main road (A619) past a stone farmhouse and a campsite entrance. Just before road signs warning of bends ahead, turn left, crossing the road and following a signposted concessionary path into woodland.
(1) 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).
The path eventually passes a stile into pastureland and then back through a brackeny gate opening into brackeny woodland, before finally returning to fields above the slope. At the end of the field cross a wall stile and climb up a brackeny slope beyond.
(2) Partway along, after the path levels off, and follow the path until you reach a wall stile. Cross the stile then turn left. Head to the right of the woodland ahead, then enter it via a wall stile.
Turn left inside the wood for a short distance until you meet a track. Turn right. Follow this track past a farm entrance on the left. After 1⁄4 mile you reach a T-junction; turn right and pass below the Hunting Tower.
(3) 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. Shortly afterwards, at a junction of paths, turn sharp right.
This track runs behind the Cascade, along the outside of the garden wall, and deposits you near the entrance to the Farmyard.
(4) Turn left and walk across the car park by the tourist entrance to Chatsworth House. Pick up the access road beyond that leads to the bridge over the Derwent.
(5) Just before you reach the river, turn right past Queen Mary’s Bower. Follow this track parallel to the Derwent for a mile, passing a cricket pitch along the way.
(6) Shortly after passing through a novel “vertical kissing gate”, turn left by a house. Cross a field to a footbridge over the stream (Bar Brook). Keep on below the buildings of the Cavendish Hotel to emerge on the main road (A619); turn left. Pass the entrance to Baslow Cricket Club then cross over and turn right at the roundabout into Baslow village.
(7) You will probably want to visit the church and bridge on your left-hand side; 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.
Keep along the lane past Ladywell House, beyond which the road reduces to a track. At a junction of tracks beyond the Lady Well, with a memorial seat, turn left. Follow this track ever upwards until you reach open moorland at a gate accompanied by large stone blocks.Follow the path beyond to the right of some old quarries as it ascends the slope.
(8) 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. Continue along the edge beyond the monument.
This path eventually becomes a track and is joined by a wall as it descends to meet a road. Turn right and walk down to the main road (Clodhall Lane). Cross over and go through a gate on your right at the start of the road opposite.
(9) After a short paved section, the path divides; take the more obvious path left, heading for Birchen Edge and its monument. 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. (Alternatively, you can also continue along the main path which will lead you back to Robin Hood)
(10) Keep an eye out for the pillar of Nelson’s Monument on the crag above. You now have two options: Option A Just beyond the Monument pick your way up through the rocks to the top of the Edge. 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.
The rocks eventually peter out and the slope to your right becomes less severe until, by an inspection cover, the path turns sharp right.
(11) Follow it steeply downhill for a short distance to rejoin the main path. Turn left and retrace your steps back to the road. Turn right to return to The Robin Hood INN or alternatively, you can simply continue along the main path back to The Robin Hood INN. (S/E)
