This footpath is known as "The Horseshoe". Could it be because of the shape?
You can enter from the Ripley end at Hollybank Lane, or from the Hampsthwaite end from the road up to Clint Bank. If you do this you will need to walk on the road for a short distance.
The container is a small tupperware clip-lock box with log, pencil and a few bits and bobs.
The path is not suitable for pushchairs, it is rocky and uneven, and quite narrow. It gets muddy in the winter, and overgrown in the summer, would advise against going down here in shorts during nettle season.
It is however a nice short-cut if you are going from Ripley to Hampsthwaite, and cuts out most of the road.