Respect, protect, enjoy

You are welcome to walk, picnic and play in designated areas of the parkland and in Stand Wood for free. Please follow the guidelines below and be aware that access may sometimes be limited.

  • Keep dogs on lead. Dogs are welcome but must be on leads as they can endanger the sheep and other grazing animals as well as themselves. Remember, loose dogs can devastate wildlife in the park and woods.
  • No fires or barbecues. Fires can be devastating to wildlife. Fires and barbecues are forbidden under all circumstances throughout the Chatsworth Estate (which includes the area around Calton Lees)
  • Clean up after yourself. Please take litter home with you as it can harm sheep, cattle and wildlife and use the bins provided for dog waste. Respect the beauty of the environment and estate by leaving it as you found it.
  • Use gates and stiles. Please ensure that you close all gates after use and only cross walls and fences where there are stiles.
  • No wild swimming or boating. This is to avoid disruption to the ecosystem of the river, and to help ensure the safety of our visitors. The river contains deep pools with undercurrents below the weirs as well as the possibility of slippery and sharp objects on the river bed. There are no navigation rights on the River Derwent within the estate.
  • No wild camping.
  • No drone flying. The use of drones is not permitted anywhere on the Chatsworth Estate.

Keep in mind that the grass you walk on is a crop grazed by sheep, cattle and deer; the river provides for fish and the woods game and timber.

Access through the park

  • When events are held in the park, access may be restricted in some areas.
  • Bicycles are only allowed on the public road (B6012) through the park, on the bridlepath from Calton Lees to Edensor and on tarmac roads on the estate. Bicycles are not allowed in Stand Wood.
  • Footpaths across the moor, east of Stand Wood, are open all year without charge.
  • All footpaths in Stand Wood are permissive footpaths.
  • The Chatsworth House Trust reserves the right to close the footpaths occasionally.

In the interest of public safety, the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement and Chatsworth House Trust will close the concessionary footpaths in Chatsworth Park and the surrounding woodland during the period of the Chatsworth Country Fair.

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