Emily Orford plans to walk 209 miles, across seven counties, along five canals and down ten long distance routes as part of the Lyme Park Stag Challenge, which gets underway this morning (Thursday).

She will be following in the footsteps of Lyme's 17th century gamekeeper, Joseph Watson, who in 1710 drove 24 brace of stag from Lyme to Windsor – to win a bet of 500 guineas, and at the same time improve the bloodline of Windsor's own herd of red deer.

So what would Joseph Watson – who lived until he was 105, drank a gallon of malt liquor a day and worked as a gamekeeper for 70 years – have made of it all?

"He was obviously a tough and very dedicated employee," said Emily, who will be in costume as Watson for today's launch.

"Unfortunately the 500 guineas he won would have gone to his employer, Lord Newton, but I'm sure it boosted Watson's standing in the popularity stakes at Lyme enormously.

"What he might have made of a woman repeating his journey 300 years later is anyone's guess – but I like to think he would have secretly approved!"

Emily is using Watson's walk to raise £50,000 in sponsorship towards conservation work to restore two derelict landscape ponds at Lyme Park - important sites for wildlife habitats.

She said: "Over the years the landscape ponds have fallen into disrepair, but a recent survey we carried out identified that all five types of Britain's amphibians – frogs, toads and great crested, smooth and palmate newts – live there.

"If we raise enough funds we plan to clear the sites of overgrown vegetation and raise water levels by restoring and rebuilding the pond dams."

Lord Newton, whose family has been associated with Lyme Park since 1398, will officially start the walk at 9.30am today, which will follow Watson's route along the old driveway at Lyme, down onto the Cheshire Plain and along the Macclesfield Canal.

The following day, Emily will be arriving at Little Moreton Hall, near Congleton, before leaving Cheshire and heading south into Staffordshire.

She will be accompanied along the different stages of the challenge by more than 125 walkers, and expects to cross the finish line at Windsor on November 2, where she will be greeted by HRH Prince Philip.

To find out more about Emily's Stag Challenge, give a donation, or keep up to date with the walkers through her daily blog, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lymeparkchallenge.