The history of our challenge walks in words and pictures
Up to date financial details and other information about our fundraising activities
Annual financial details of the totals raised from our Walkers and Corporate Sponsors
Information about The Three Peaks Challenge Walk and the surrounding countryside
Information about The Chatsworth Challenge Walk, and the Chatsworth area.
Preparation, Hints & Tips
Handy tips and sound advice for tackling those demanding challenge walks
Some interesting features associated with our walks
Information about us and why we raise the sponsored funds
All the other bits we couldn’t fit in anywhere else
chatsworth challenge
chatsworthchallenge.com
three peaks
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threepeakschallenge.com
chatsworthchallenge.com and threepeakschallenge.com are organisers of sponsored challenge walks to raise money for the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund in support of nominated charities to fund cancer research, prevention, and treatment.
Total funds raised so far
£197,708.98
including... ThreePeaksChallenge
The four charities we currently represent. All of the money raised on our walks go to the four listed cancer charities to fund the research, prev-ention, and treatment of cancer.
More information >>
2016 Walk : Chatsworth Challenge
Each year we donate specific allocations to the charities we support from the total funds raised from the annual sponsored walk.
This is currently 30% to each of the three main cancer charities, and 10% to the Oesophageal Patients Association.
Follow these links to the main areas associated with our event fundraising
1. The 9 mile line-up
The nine mile walkers assemble for the traditional starting line up photo before getting ready to set off on their walk. It’s good to see the mixture of first time walkers (seven by my
1. The 9 mile walkers pose for the traditional photo before setting off. (click to enlarge)
2. Some of the walkers stop for a rest and to admire the view at the Monsal Viaduct. (click to enlarge)
3. A brief stop in Lathkill Dale. (click to enlarge)
5. The Lathkill Dale Weir. Part of a series of weirs which were built during the nineteenth century to serve the booming woollen industry(click to enlarge)
4. Gerard and Mark meet the Charity Representatives at the offices of Yorkshire Building Services.(click to enlarge)
6. The Chatsworth Cascade, voted the best water feature in England in 2004. (click to enlarge)
7. Some donkeys in a field, sat about, doing bugger all, eating grass, and looking pissed off and bored as usual. (Part of the Chatsworth donkey collection). If you’d like to give up some of your drinking time, cut back on your CD collection, and make other budget cuts to your lifestyle, why not spend your money by sponsoring a donkey so that they can live the life of Riley instead of you! For more information go to Redwings Donkey Sanctuary
reckoning) and seasoned campaigners. Among those seasoned campaigners are Mark Peat, and Peppa the Cockatoo who between them have clocked up plenty of miles for the cause.
2. Taking a rest at Monsal Viaduct
Well, it wouldn’t be a Chatsworth Challenge walk without a shot of the Monsal Head Viaduct would it? Martin’s taking a breather while Gary, Brian, (who looks to be dispensing a bit of local history) and Howard catch up. I don’t think the lad beyond Martin is one of ours but there’s no mistaking Nigel having a rummage in his bag for a sandwich. June is a great time of year with all the trees looking their best.
3. The impressive Lathkill Dale
If Lathkill Dale isn’t the most attractive of Derbyshire’s dales (and I can already hear the protests of those who believe Dovedale claims that title) it is still right up there with the best.
Lathkill Dale resembles a dry river bed as our walk leaves Monyash but soon takes up the more traditional appearance. There are a lot of historical sites in this dale, (no I didn’t say sights, I’m not referring to Gary) but you can read about those later in the narrative.
4. Meeting the Charity Representatives
This year saw a break in tradition in the way the cheques are distributed to the charities. Instead of sending them out by post, the Area Representatives from each of the three major charities came to collect them in person. From left to right you have:
Katie Grinter (Marie Curie Cancer Care), Gerard Mitchell (Event Organiser),
Lynne Desborough (Cancer Research UK), Stacey Rhodes (Macmillan Cancer Support) Mark Spittle (walk stalwart).
5. Lathkill Dale Aqueduct and Weir
The section of the dale between Haddon Grove Farm and Over Haddon was once home to several very profitable lead mines, of which the most important was the Mandale Mine.
This mine was worked from the 13th century until operations finally ceased in 1851, defeated by low water problems. Sections of the workings may still be seen, especially the aqueduct which carried water to a large water wheel which was once used to pump water from the mine. (see additional photo 8)
6. Chatsworth Cascade
The Cascade and Cascade House is a set of stone steps over which water flows from a set of fountains at the top. It was built in 1696 and rebuilt on a grander scale in 1701. In 2004 the Cascade was voted the best water feature in England. It has 24 cut steps, each slightly different and with a variety of textures so that each gives a different sound when water runs over and down them. (see additional photograph 9 below).
7. A load of Donkeys
And finally… some donkeys, four of them if you include the one that’s trying to hide. ‘What are four donkeys, with one of them trying to hide, doing on our Website’ I hear you cry.
The answer is that Phil Lynskey (Webeditor) and Wendy Lynskey (Checkpoint Monitor on numerous occasions) really like donkeys (who doesn’t? - Ed), and while in previous years we’ve had sheep, cows, deer and even llamas by the score we’ve never had donkeys. (about time! - Ed).
I know Colin took the picture on the way round the 22 miles but I don’t know the location. However Phil and Wendy, donkeys... juste pour vous deux. (GM).
At three months Oscar is our youngest walker to date and looks as though he just can’t wait to be off (he’s not really fast asleep, he’s just examining the inside of his eyelids). It’s good to see Mark Spitts here again, even if the light reflecting back off his Manchester milk bottles is making things difficult for the photographer.
The three of them really enjoyed meeting their fellow fund raisers for the first time, and also came up with some great ideas of how we can improve our event for 2017. The Oesophageal Patients Association were not represented but they did get their cheque posted out in the usual manner.
By the time the Lathkill reaches Alport the river displays a series of weirs which were built during the nineteenth century to serve the booming woollen industry. The river was also dammed to form ponds for the brown trout who’s sporting qualities resulted in the river becoming a fly fishing Mecca.
June 18th 2016, marked the day of our 14th annual fundraising nine and twenty two mile walks in and around Chatsworth House in the Derbyshire Peak District in aid of the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund.
The combined efforts of our sponsored walkers, together with the generosity of their valued sponsors, and also our corporate sponsors, raised another excellent sponsorship total of £7,286.50. This took the accumulated fund total for all our walks to date to £161,225.29. As with every other year, every penny of the sponsorship money raised in our walks is donated to our four nominated cancer charities.
Regrettably, the 22 mile walkers broke with an honourable tradition of posing for a photograph before setting off on their walk, and so we are only able to show the starting line-up for the 9 mile walkers.
The photographs too, were a little sparse compared to recent years, and rather than break the walks up into our usual 9, and 22 mile entries with only a few accompanying photographs for each, we’ve decided to bundle the whole lot together and let our Event Organiser, and usual walks narrator Gerard Mitchell sort it all out!
Somehow, Gerard manages to keep his eye on both walks, and takes us through the day‘s events. (PL)
8. Aqueduct Pillars Lathkill Dale. These remains are the bases of pillars supporting an aqueduct which spanned Lathkill Dale in its industrial hey-day. Copyright Trevor Harris and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. (click to enlarge)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1310452
9. Cascade, Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. The cascade, was completed in 1696 before being rebuilt on a larger scale five years later. A different sound is emitted as the water passes each group of steps. Copyright Christine Matthews and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. (click to enlarge)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2481527
Some additional photographs to accompany the above text
Comments from the Charity Organisations we support
Below is a collection of just some of the many kind comments we have received from the recipient charities we support through the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund. The value of every participant’s work in raising monies for the fund can be readily seen in their thanks.
Thank you so much for fundraising for Cancer Research UK, and your recent donation of £2,367.95 (including £260.00 matched funding) raised by those taking part in the Chatsworth Challenge Walk 2016. With your support we will beat cancer sooner.
Lynn Desborough
Local Fundraising Manager
Thank you very much for raising a kind donation of £2,107.95 sent in memory of Dave and Frank. You've paid a great tribute to Dave Owens and Frank Goodall. we'd like you to know how much we appreciate the fact that you've chosen to support Macmillan at this time. Your gift will help improve the lives of people with cancer and their families.
Roberta Borg
Supporter Donations Team
Thank you for your kind donation of £2,107.95 to Marie Curie. Marie Curie delivers expert hands-on care, emotional support, research and guidance helping people living with a terminal illness. Your donation will help make this possible.
Katy Grinter
Community Fundraiser
Oesophageal Patients Assc.
We are writing to express our sincere thanks for yet another donation we have received from you and your team. We were pleased to have received a massive £702.65. Thank you so much.! Once again, thank you so much for your donations for all these years. With best wishes from us all at
The OPA
Copies of all letters we receive from the charities can be seen on our Downloads Page >
chatsworthchallenge.com are organisers of fund raising challenge walks in support of the Dave Owens and Frank Goodall Memorial Fund to raise monies for nominated charities in support of cancer research, prevention, and treatment.
Page Acknowledgements
Text : Philip Lynskey : Gerard Mitchell
Images : Philip Lynskey: Gerard Mitchell: Howard Stockdale: Janine Firmin: Colin Wilkinson
Christine Matthews: Trevor Harris: (Creative Commons Licence)
© www.chatsworthchallenge.com
amount raised to date after current walk year
For any visitors coming to this site for the first time, please note that our annual Chatsworth Challenge Walk is open to anyone who wishes to take part.
Are you visiting this site
for the first time ?
It’s great day out for families and friends to enjoy the open air and a view of some marvellous countryside in Chatsworth, and, you’ll be part of a very worthwhile and enjoyable fundraising event.
More Info here >
Oscar and Dad Simon share a pint of best bitter at the end of a long day’s walk in the hills. (click to enlarge)
Oscar Firmin (seen here with Dad Simon), has become the proud owner of the title of ‘Youngest Fundraiser’ thanks to his praiseworthy £90.00 sponsorship contribution to this year’s walk. Raising the sponsorship, and then getting the money in is tough as all fund raisers know, so just how he managed to get his sponsors to think he could walk nine miles, or bully them into giving him the money in the first place is a mystery we may never know the answer to.
Anyway, in the traditional spirit of the Chatsworth Challenge Walk, he’s seen here celebrating with a strong pint of ale after a tough day in the Derbyshire hills.