{"id":25534,"date":"2023-04-17T15:52:28","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T13:52:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=142520"},"modified":"2023-04-17T16:36:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T14:36:08","slug":"peak-district-guide-where-to-stay-and-eat-things-to-do-and-best-walks","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/peak-district-guide-where-to-stay-and-eat-things-to-do-and-best-walks\/","title":{"rendered":"Peak District guide: where to stay and eat, things to do and best walks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discover the best things to do in the Peak District, gorgeous country walks and beautiful cottages and hotels to stay in with our visitor’s guide to the national park <\/p>

By Helen Moat\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 17 April 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The Peak District may not be Britain\u2019s largest national park<\/a> (it only ranks sixth) but it is its first, and within its 555 square miles there\u2019s a thrillingly diverse landscape.<\/p>\n

The northern part of the Peak District is a brooding landscape of exposed moorland, rocky outcrops and dizzying escarpments. Its fringes are pooled by reservoirs and scattered with gritty mill settlements, rich in industrial heritage.<\/p>\n

To the south you\u2019ll find a gentler landscape of meadow and dale, where\u00a0limestone soil nurtures an abundance of wildflowers and the insects and butterflies that feed off them. Tucked into the uplands and dales are historic stone-built settlements and fine country houses, all inviting exploration.<\/p>\n

Experience the full diversity and enchantment of the Peak District landscape with our holiday guide, discovering the best places to stay, things to do and great country walks.<\/p>\n

Looking for more outdoor inspiration? Check out our guides to easy mountains for beginners<\/a>, great hill walks<\/a> and gorgeous river rambles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Where is the Peak District?<\/h2>\n
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The Peak District is a national park in the middle of England\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Peak District is a 555 square-mile national park in the middle of England.<\/p>\n

The park is landlocked and straddled by a number of major towns and cities, including Manchester to the west, Sheffield to the east, Huddersfield to the north and Stoke on Trent to the south. This makes the Peak District relatively easy to access, yet despite this you\u2019ll find the park still has many wild corners to discover.<\/p>\n

Peak District Map<\/h2>\n
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As you can see from this map, the Peak District is surrounded by large urban areas such as Manchester and Sheffield, but once inside the park there are far less roads and towns, particularly in the north.<\/p>\n

Where to stay in the Peak District<\/h2>\n
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A weir on the River Manifold in the grounds of Ilam Park and Hall\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

From holiday cottages and luxury hotels to camping and Airbnbs, the Peak District has thousands of places to choose from when it comes to places to stay. Here are a few of our favourites.<\/p>\n

YHA Ilam Hall<\/h4>\n

What a location for budget accommodation. The plot was chosen for its magnificent views over Bunster Hill and Thorpe Cloud. Soak in the history of elegant YHA Ilam Hall<\/a> and its fairy-tale estate village. Private room from \u00a339.<\/p>\n

Bassettwood Farm, Tissington<\/h4>\n

Bassettwood Farm<\/a> offers cosy farmhouse accommodation on the edge of the estate village. The full English breakfast made with local ingredients will set you up for a day of walking. Double from \u00a375.<\/p>\n

Buxton Crescent Spa Hotel<\/h4>\n

A night in this sumptuous 18th-century crescent of painted ceilings, neoclassical columns and stained glass is a well-deserved treat. Restore aching bones in Buxton Crescent<\/a>\u2019s spa pools, salt cave, saunas and steam rooms. Double from \u00a3145.<\/p>\n

T\u2019owd Man\u2019s Cottage<\/h4>\n

T\u2019owd Man\u2019s Cottage<\/a> pays homage to the area\u2019s mining heritage. This one-bedroom, mid-terrace stone cottage in Bonsall makes a cosy getaway for one or two people keen to explore the Peak District and the nearby High Peak trail.<\/p>\n

The Stone Estate<\/h4>\n

Close to Ilam is the lovely village of Alstonefield, a great base to explore Lathkill Dale. The Stone Estate<\/a> has\u00a010 self-catering cottages in the area, ranging from beautiful barn conversions to charming cottages, all built from the limestone of the White Peak.<\/p>\n

What to do in the Peak District<\/h2>\n

Nature reserves<\/h3>\n
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Wyming Brook is just a stone\u2019s throw form Sheffield\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Step into the wild side of the Peak District with these unmissable nature reserves.<\/p>\n

Wyming Brook Nature Reserve<\/h4>\n

The broad path sweeps through Wyming Brook<\/a> down to Rivelin Dams through scented pines, mossy crags and tumbling water. In spring, this SSSI is alive with birdsong. On your Wyming Brook walk<\/a>, look out for crossbills, dippers, redstarts, wood warblers and pied flycatchers.<\/p>\n

Thorswood<\/h4>\n

Thorswood<\/a> is a varied reserve rich with heritage, from Iron Age barrows to Industrial Age mining. Rare flora such as mountain pansy and moonwart thrive over 150 acres of limestone grassland and hay meadows, while hares abound.<\/p>\n

Brown End Quarry Nature Reserve<\/h4>\n

The information boards around\u00a0Brown End Quarry Nature Reserve<\/a>\u00a0allow you to visualise the quarry as it was in time immemorial, first as the floor of a tropical ocean teeming with marine life, and then as a frozen waste inhabited by woolly mammoths, reindeer and lemmings. In spring, the site is bright with yellow cowslips.<\/p>\n

History and Heritage<\/h3>\n
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Lyme Hall was used in the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice to portray Austen\u2019s Pemberley\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

From Neolithic Britain and the Bronze Age to the more recent history of the\u00a0Elizabethan era, the Peak District if a playground for history lovers. Here are a few must-visit sites.<\/p>\n

Lyme Hall<\/h4>\n

Credited with the \u201ccraziest Elizabethan frontispiece\u201d by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner, Lyme Hall<\/a> was built to impress with its Italianate courtyard, classical statues and wood-carved rooms.<\/p>\n

Nine Ladies Stone Circle<\/h4>\n

The Early Bronze Age site stands in a woodland clearing on Stanton Moor<\/a>, the ladies and their fiddler allegedly turned to stone for dancing on\na Sabbath.<\/p>\n

Ilam Hall<\/h4>\n

Explore the Ilam Hall<\/a>\u2018s model village, estate grounds and church with its 13th-century tomb of Saxon saint and hermit St Bertram.<\/p>\n

Tegg\u2019s Nose Country Park<\/h4>\n

The path along the disused quarry of Tegg\u2019s Nose<\/a> exposes an industrial and geological past dotted with aggressive-sounding equipment, including a stone crusher and swing jaw.<\/p>\n

Minninglow Burial Mound<\/h4>\n

A five-minute detour up to Minninglow<\/a> reveals a Neolithic chambered tomb and two Bronze Age bowl barrows.<\/p>\n

Museums<\/h3>\n
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Masson Mills\/Credit: Alan Heardman, Geograph<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

There\u2019s still plenty to do on a rainy day in the Peak District. Why not check out one of these museums?<\/p>\n

Masson Mills<\/h4>\n

Now a World Heritage Site, Derwent Valley was a cradle of the Industrial Revolution. Richard Arkwright opened the first water-powered cotton mill at Cromford in the 1770s. In Matlock Bath, Arkwright\u2019s showpiece Masson Mills<\/a> is the grandest example of his entrepreneurial zeal and has a textile museum.<\/p>\n

Peak District Lead Mining Museum<\/h4>\n

Nearby is the Peak District Lead Mining Museum<\/a>, which boasts a real lead mine and a beautiful mineral collection.<\/p>\n

Shopping<\/h3>\n
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Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop\/Credit: Wesley Trevor Johnston, Geograph<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

There\u2019s a vibrant mix of shopping in the Peak District, from family-owned locally sourced butchers and bakeries, to farmer\u2019s markets and specialist shops.<\/p>\n

Wirksworth Farmer\u2019s Market<\/h4>\n

Held on the first Saturday of the month, Wirksworth Farmer\u2019s Market<\/a> offers wonderful fare from producers all based less than 20 miles from Wirksworth.<\/p>\n

David Mellor Country Shop<\/h4>\n

David Mellor Country Shop<\/a>\u00a0in Hathersage stocks the finest British rural crafts plus designs from international manufacturers. It is\u00a0dog-friendly.<\/p>\n

Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop<\/h4>\n

Find fresh fruit and vegetables, delicious pastries, meat, fish and tempting cheeses at\u00a0Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Towns<\/h3>\n
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Visit the Victorian town of Bollington\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Peak District is dotted with villages and small towns, offering visitor\u2019s plenty of home comforts after a day of walking in the hills. Here are a few of our favourites.<\/p>\n

Bollington<\/h4>\n

The path along Kerridge edge is a fine approach to the Cheshire town of Bollington. Pause at the monument of White Nancy (occasionally given a colourful themed makeover) and take in the town at your feet. Bollington showcases Victorian engineering ingenuity at its best with its canal, aqueduct, railway viaduct and monumental mills of soaring chimney stacks. Explore Bollington on bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Marsden<\/h4>\n

Backed by the bleak beauty of Wessenden Moors, a gentler pastoral Colne Valley at its feet, the gritty West Yorkshire town is fast becoming gentrified with galleries, boutiques and caf\u00e9s. Rest weary bones by taking a narrowboat along Huddersfield Narrow Canal and into a canal tunnel of superlatives: Britain\u2019s longest, deepest and highest.<\/p>\n

Buxton<\/h4>\n

Buxton, the Bath of the north, makes a fine base for exploring the national park. Here the Romans discovered the health-giving properties of its natural mineral water. Gather ideas for your visit at the Pump House, an exquisite information centre of painted ceilings and marbled arches, wander through Cavendish Arcade, with its barrel-shaped stained-glass ceiling, and the opulent Buxton Opera House. Stroll through the Winter Garden, Octagonal Hall and Garden Pavilions, then climb the hill to the monumental Derbyshire Dome.<\/p>\n

Peak District Boundary Walk<\/h4>\n

Following on from the work of countryside enthusiast Ethel Haythornthwaite, Friends \u2028of the Peak District has created a 190-mile long-distance walk using existing public footpaths, trails and lanes. The Peak District Boundary Walk<\/a> wriggles in and out \u2028of the national park\u2019s edgelands and across the counties of Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.<\/p>\n

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Peak District walks<\/h2>\n
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Walks the hills and dales around Headstone Viaduct and the River Wye\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Discover the Peak District on foot with our pick of the national park\u2019s best walks, from the valleys of Chee Dale and Derwent to the heights of Kinder Scout and Chrome Hill.<\/p>\n

Derwent Reservoir<\/h4>\n

A 10.5-mile circular walk around the majestic reservoirs and through the mixed woodland of the glorious Upper Derwent Valley in the Peak District.<\/p>\n

10.5 miles\/16.9km | 6\u20137 hours | moderate.\u00a0 <\/em>Derwent Reservoir walk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Roaches<\/h4>\n

Look out for wallabies while enjoying folklore and oatcakes amid striking Staffordshire gritstone outcrops with this 9.3km walk in the Peak District National Park. Late summer is a wonderful time of year to walk The Roaches ridgeline as it flushes purple with flowering heather.<\/p>\n

5.8 miles\/9.3km | 4 hours | moderate.\u00a0<\/em>The Roaches walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Chrome Hill<\/h4>\n

The Dragon\u2019s Back range are often cited as the only true peaks in the Peak District; a line of pinnacles said to resemble the \u2018plates\u2019 along the spine of a stegosaurus dinosaur. This exhilarating 10km walk includes seven short, steep climbs to each summit.<\/p>\n

6.2 miles\/10km | 4 hours | moderate. <\/em>Chrome Hill walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Mam Tor<\/h4>\n

Traditionally, the sign of a Cheshire cheese swinging in front of a pub was used to show it offered a warm welcome, and that a roaring fire, hearty meal and tankard of ale awaited within. This is certainly true of the Cheshire Cheese which lies nestled in the village of Hope in the Peak District. This is the sort of cosy pub you long to stumble across after an invigorating day in the hills.<\/p>\n

8.7 miles\/14km | 5 hours | moderate-challenging. <\/em>Mam Tor walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Kinder Scout<\/h4>\n

Sandwiched between Manchester and Sheffield in Derbyshire, the bleak but beautiful upland plateau of Kinder Scout is a landscape of wind-swept waterfalls and rocky crags, perfect for hikers and scramblers alike.<\/p>\n

16.3 miles\/26.3km | 9 hours | challenging. <\/em>Kinder Scout walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Chee Dale<\/h4>\n

Deep in the White Peak east of Buxton is a captivating area of countryside; a union of natural bounty and majestic engineering that together create a truly astounding landscape.\u00a0Although it may have its challenges, this 6.8km loop walk is readily accessible to all with a measure of agility and a sense of adventure.<\/p>\n

4.2 miles\/6.8km | 3 hours | moderate. <\/em>Chee Dale walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Birchover<\/h4>\n

Surrounding the Peak District village of Birchover is a haunting landscape of gritstone bluffs, standing stones, burial mounds and Bronze-Age stone circles, hidden in inky woodland or exposed on windswept upland.\u00a0The paths here are littered with the history and mythology of the south-east Peak. Explore this prehistoric landscape on a 8.6km walk.<\/p>\n

5.3 miles\/8.6km | 3 hours | moderate. <\/em>Birchover walk<\/a><\/p>\n

Discover more Peak District walks<\/h4>\n

The Peak District National Park in Derbyshire is one of Britain\u2019s most iconic landscapes \u2013 hike over hills, moors and mountains, amble beside idyllic rivers and climb through deep gorges with our guide to the best Peak District walks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Where to eat and drink in the Peak District<\/h2>\n
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Old Horns Inn\/Credit: Terry Robinson, Geograph<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The Peak District has a fine selection of places to eat and drink, from village cafes to historic pubs. Here are a few not to miss.<\/p>\n

Old Horns Inn, High Bradfield<\/h4>\n

Enjoy dizzying views from the Old Horns Inn<\/a> beer garden across to Agden Reservoir and Bradfield Moors, and a decent selection of real ales.<\/p>\n

The Pack Horse, Hayfield<\/h4>\n

The Pack Horse<\/a> is a traditional village pub tucked below Kinder Scout<\/a>. It serves succulent roasts and fine wines, and prides itself on its seasonal and sustainable menu.<\/p>\n

Fleece Pantry, Holme<\/h4>\n

The Fleece Pantry<\/a> is an Aladdin\u2019s cave of culinary takeaway delights, from freshly baked bread, pies and pastries to breakfast in a roll.<\/p>\n

Caudwell\u2019s Mill, Rowsley<\/h4>\n

Enjoy comfort food, from homity pie to lemon drizzle cake, in rustic leat-side Caudwell\u2019s Mill<\/a>. The historic water mill itself was built in 1874 and the mill shop sells a wide range of flour.<\/p>\n

Village Green caf\u00e9<\/h4>\n

The village of Eyam was once a lead-mining centre, although its popularity now rests on the legend of its self-imposed quarantine during the plague outbreak of 1665. The sunny Village Green caf\u00e9<\/a> has a mouth-watering afternoon tea menu, with a cup of spiced citrus tea to warm you up, and\u00a0a beautifully presented selection of sandwiches, all-butter scones with strawberry and Champagne jam and a selection of treats.<\/p>\n

Three Stags Head<\/h4>\n

Run by earthenware potter Geoff Fuller and his wife Pat, the Three Stags Head in Wardlow Mires holds a special place in Derbyshire\u2019s affections. It\u2019s basic: open fires, flagstone floors, whitewashed walls, impromptu folk music, great cooking involving game and excellent beer from Abbeydale. Dogs are welcome and you might see a hawk, too. Look out for the stuffed, and armed, fox in the window. Open weekends only. 01298 872 268<\/p>\n

Design Museum Caf\u00e9<\/h4>\n

Based in the David Mellor Design Museum<\/a>, this stylish venue boasts light lunches,cakes and puddings, all made with local produce. Designed by Corin Mellor, the award-winning caf\u00e9 is a fine example of informal modern dining style. Hathersage, Sheffield S32 1BA,\u00a001433 650220.<\/p>\n

The Devonshire Arms<\/h4>\n

Situated on the Chatsworth Estate, the Devonshire Arms<\/a> offers a fascinating mix of a traditional bar area and an ultra-modern, colourful restaurant serving a mix of culinary classics and more contemporary fare, much of it featuring produce from the estate, such as Gloucester Old Spot pork, lamb and gammon. Beeley DE4 2NR,\u00a001629 733259.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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