There’s one thing above all else that pulls people into the Peak District: the glorious scenery. But this isn’t just an endearingly beautiful area — it’s also incredibly diverse. Venture to the centre and south of the region for the limestone plateau of the White Peak, a land of rolling hills and deep, wooded dales, flower-rich meadows and gin-clear streams. To the east and west and extending far to the north is the Dark Peak, all wild and wuthering with its upland moors and peat bogs, dramatic gritstone edges and lonely tors, weather-sculpted into weird and wonderful shapes.
Set against all this natural splendour are equally remarkable ancient man-made attractions such as Bronze Age stone circles and Iron Age hill forts, plus magnificent stately homes and handsome historic churches. Elegant Georgian homes line the streets of Instagram-ready towns and villages, cute stone cottages cluster round duck ponds and greens, while grand Victorian mills and abandoned mines stand testament to the area’s important industrial heritage.
This is a land rich in folklore, with supernatural tales of mermaids, headless horsemen, and mysterious lights in the night sky, and links to figures familiar from legend and literature, such as Robin Hood and Jane Eyre. Don’t be surprised if much of it looks strangely familiar: as a favourite location for film and TV shoots, this part of the country has provided scenic backdrops for everything from The League of Gentlemen and Last of the Summer Wine to The Other Boleyn Girl and Pride and Prejudice.
This article contains links from which we may earn revenue. More information here.
What to do
This is the perfect destination for going gung-ho in the great outdoors — so come cagoule-clad, sturdy-booted and raring for adventure. Rock climbers claw their way up Stanage Edge and the Roaches, while paragliders ride thermals high overhead; cyclists test their thighs on roads that hosted the 2014 Tour de France and serious ramblers tackle challenging moorland routes, including the Pennine Trail, which starts in Edale.
Advertisement
Prefer your bike ride or walk in the Peak to be more of a gentle pootle? No worries: there are plenty of easier, traffic-free paths, such as the Tissington and Monsal Trails, that crisscross the countryside following the route of former railways.
Few leave without visiting Chatsworth House — and rightly so. The “Palace of the Peak” is one of the UK’s finest stately homes, stuffed with artistic treasures and surrounded by magnificent gardens and parkland. Approach it from the south to see it as part of one of the best views in the Peak District — the house appears across the valley, gilded window frames glinting in the sun and fountain in full flow.
Other popular destinations include Matlock Bath, where you can ride a cable car up to the Heights of Abraham, a hilltop country park with panoramic views, and Castleton, home to fascinating underground caverns and the picturesque ruins of Peveril Castle. Then there’s Eyam, aka the plague village, which nobly cut itself off from its neighbours in the mid-17th century to prevent a local outbreak of the Black Death spreading further afield.
In the south, you can visit Derwent Valley Mills, a Unesco world heritage site that played a pioneering role during the industrial revolution. To the west, the reinvigorated spa town of Buxton deserves a place on anyone’s must-do list, with striking Georgian architecture, gorgeously landscaped Pavilion Gardens and a lively cultural calendar.
Where to stay
The local accommodation scene has come a long way in recent years; sleek new arrivals have raised the bar for Peak District hotels and old favourites have significantly upped their game. Choices in the northern Dark Peak are still largely limited to campsites but once you get down to the Hope Valley and all points south your options open up: from hostels, self-catering cottages and homely B&Bs to glamping pods, cool boutique inns and upscale hotels with fine-dining restaurants.
Advertisement
At the top end of the luxe scale is Cavendish Hotel in Baslow, with elegant rooms and stirring rural views; nearby Fischer’s Baslow Hall, famed for its food; and the Peacock at Rowsley, where historic charm meets contemporary chic on the banks of the River Derwent. The Buxton Crescent, complete with a rooftop pool, is a haven for spa-lovers, as is the Three Horseshoes, just outside Leek, where the best rooms have private outdoor hot tubs.
The Chatsworth estate does a nice line in upmarket cottages and pubs, including The Devonshire Arms at Beeley. Other swish country inn options include the Duncombe Arms in Ellastone (well placed for exploring the underrated Staffordshire countryside) and The Cow, a rustic-chic gastropub overlooking the village green in Dalbury Lees.
Food and drink
Much of the Peak District is farmland, and all those fields of grazing cattle and sheep result in quality beef and lamb being plated up in local restaurants. Expect lots of dairy favourites — cream, butter and cheese — taking centre stage too and make time to visit The Old Cheese Shop in Hartington to stock up on Dovedale Blue, Hartington Stilton and Peakland White. You won’t be short of excellent farm shops where you can put together a cut-above picnic from local produce and stock up on foodie souvenirs — look out for cold-pressed rapeseed oils or preserves made from fruits foraged in the surrounding countryside.
Staple lunch items on pub and café menus are Derbyshire or Staffordshire oatcakes: savoury pancakes often filled with cheese, mushrooms, sausage, bacon or egg. The sweet-toothed can sample Ashbourne gingerbread and that most famous of Derbyshire dishes, the Bakewell pudding — a puff-pastry case topped with jam and filled with a baked egg and almond mixture.
Wash everything down with craft ales from a growing number of Peak District breweries, a glass of wine from one of the local vineyards or small-batch spirits from award-winning independent distilleries such as White Peak (makers of Shining Cliff gin) and Forest, whose spirits come in distinctive porcelain bottles.
Don’t miss
Advertisement
“Well dressing” takes place in several towns and villages between May and September — and it’s well worth trying to see at least one or two examples of the art while you’re here. This quirky local tradition involves decorating local wells and springs with elaborate pictures created from petals, berries and other natural components.
Learn more about the region with a guided experience run by the park rangers, who can cover everything from mindfulness walks and wildlife to the history of lead mining and discovering old aircraft wrecks up on the moors. Other local experts offer outings and classes that will reveal where to catch the best fish or capture the finest photographs, how to bake a perfect Bakewell pudding, or how to make a piece of jewellery from Blue John, a rare local stone found nowhere else on Earth.
Tourist hotspots quickly become overcrowded at peak times, so make the effort to go off the beaten track. Instead of battling for a parking space in Bakewell, try visiting other market towns around the edges of the national park, such as Ashbourne, Wirksworth, Leek and Holmfirth. Swap queuing to cross the stepping stones in Dovedale for quieter dales such as Wolfscote, Lathkill or the Manifold Valley; leave the crowds to tramp up Mam Tor together while you head south to enjoy show-stealing 360-degree views from the summit of lesser-known Chrome Hill.
Know before you go
The Peak District covers not just the Peak District National Park but also surrounding — and equally scenic — areas of Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. There’s limited public transport, so most visitors prefer to travel by car and nervous drivers should stick to the main roads to avoid finding themselves on a twisty-turny, single-track lane in the middle of nowhere. The weather can change suddenly, especially on the moors; make sure you’re appropriately dressed and equipped before heading out for a walk.
Inspired to visit the Peak District but yet to book your trip? Here are the best holidaycottages.co.uk and Vrbo breaks to the area, as well as the best Peak District tours from trusted operators. And if you’re still unsure of where you want to go or what type of holiday to book, get in touch with the Designer Travel experts here and one of the team will be in contact to help you arrange your perfect tailor-made break
Advertisement
Sign up for the Times Travel Newsletter here.