St Paul's Rambling Group Heaton Moor

Nine hardy souls met up at St Paul's Road and drove over into the Peak District via Sparrowpit, Stoney Middleton, Baslow and on into the Chatsworth Estate at Calton Lees Car Park. I say 'hardy souls' as the weather was not promising and your author was wearing over trousers and at least one walker admitted to thermals! We began by walking steadily up a hill until the road ended. A further upward slope brought us to the top of the ridge that runs roughly south from Baslow and provides the backdrop to Chatsworth House itself. The views at this point made the trudge up the hill worth the huffing and puffing of some of us. Behind each rolling hill there was another, more distant hill--and then another. We walked through the the woods on forest tracks, while enjoying the new greenery and the bluebells. Above the Hall on this ridge are two lakes that feed the estate. These are the Swiss and Emperor Lakes. The Emperor lake is very pretty with benches to sit on and ducks an