September 2019outandaboutlive.co.uk 41ThePeak District TRAVEL
BakewellChatsworthBaslowCurbarLongshawEyam
CalverCastleton›
›Ladybower ReservoirIn the tourist information centre I’m
delighted to findRocks & Edgesby a fr iend,
DennisKelsall; it’s a pocket- sized walks
guidebookthat wil l help us e xplore on f oot.
Locals advise us to try Bakewell pudding
rather than Bakewell tart, so we duly
find a seatin the courtyard of the Old
Original Bakewell Pudding Shop andsample
the localproduce over coffee. With cream,
of course!
To add a bit of class to this trip, we’re
starting off at one of England’s most
prestigiousstatel y homes. I’ve managed
to get a last-minute booking f or a pitch
at Chatsworth Caravan andMotorhome
Club site, which is loca ted in the old walled
garden of Chatsworth House.
In the afternoon we take t he bike s
through a gate at the back of the site for
a ri de around Chatsworth Park. There ar e
sheep (and their droppings!) everywhere,
serving as four-legg ed lawn mowers. Many
are lying under the cool canopies of the fat
old oaks scattered around the parkland.
Chatsworth House lo oks im pressive in
the late-afternoon sunshine. Its set ting
appears marvello usly natural but was
carefully designed and plantedby Capabilit y
Brown, who added a weir to the River
Derwent to create a serpentine lake.
He even moved the existing village and
heightene d the hill between it and the house
to hi de the peasants from view.
The next day we start with coffee and
muffins in C hatsworth’s St ables c ourtyard.
A board on the wa ll deta ils the Ca vendish
family line. This runs unbroken fr om the
mid-1500s –when they bought the land and
started the hou se – to the current Duke and
Duchess of Devonshire.
I’ve pre-booked a tic ket for Chatsworth
Gardens. Alt hough I wil l be missing 30
elegantrooms in the house’s in terior,I’m
glad to be outside on such aglorious day
and, with 105 acres to explore, there’s pl enty
to keep me occupied. Andrew has elected
to walk in Stan d Wood, a wilder bit of the
esta te, with our collie, Braan.
On entry I book a place on a fr ee
15-minute tour up the Belvedere, a
viewpoint pavi lion that risesabove the
north wingof the house. On the way up the
stairs my eye is caught by what a ppearsto
be a stained glass window, but turns outto
be thin sl ivers of Blue John, an amethyst-
coloured mineraloccurring locally. From
the top we enjoy asuperb bird’s-eye view of
the gardens andpark.
Our gu ide tells us that the window
frames on the west face of the house ar e
painted in gold leaf to glint inthe set ting
sun, so I begin my walk aroundthe gardens
by headingthat w ay to the Emperor
Fountain inthe Canal Pond. Constructed
for a plannedvisit of the Emperorof Russia,
it wasthen –at 296ft (90m) –the world’s+THE JOURNEY
This six-daytrip in Julywas the last leg of a longer
tour of Englandand covers from ourarrival in thePeak
District to reaching homein Perthshire.We explored the
eastern edge of the national park, stayingon a Club site
and at Brit StopsTHE COSTS
FuelAverage 32mpg........ ..............................................................£66.12
Site fees................................................................................................£34.60
ParkingCastleton and Longshaw..............................................£8.70
AttractionsOne adult: Chatsworth Gardens and
Peveril Castle.Two a dults:Blue John Cavern.................£42.90
Total costs...................................................................................£152.32ABOVEMotherCapTor
INSETClimbing out ofBlue
JohnCavernFind out about aworld of
contrasting natural beauty,
with moors and dales, rivers,
springs and caverns
visitpeakdistrict.com
Find out about the famous
plague village,
pronounced ‘eem’
eyamvillage.org.uk
Due to essential conservation
work, thekeep atPeveril is
currently closed, but the
visitor centre and thewalk up
to the keep is open
english-heritage.org.uk/
visit/places/peveril-castleBlue John is a fluorspar and
there are eight of the 14
different known varieties in
this cavern
bluejohn-cavern.co.ukINFORMATION
358
miles