The Peak District: A Guide
I have been visiting the Peak District on and off for around four decades now. When I was young and foolish, I used to think it was quite nice. Older and wiser, I now consider it World Class. And — whisper it — I rather prefer it to the other, more famous northern national park, The Lake District.
The Peak District is to the outdoors what The Beatles are to pop — there’s pretty much something in there for everyone — hills, trails, views, woods, ridges, rivers, lakes, canals, rocks, caves, trails, spa towns, quaint pubs, country houses, ruined castles, industrial heritage, craft breweries. The area is divided into the Dark Peak (moorland dominated by gritstone) forming a horseshoe arc around the White Peak, a gentler, limestone area with valleys and gorges.
Here are my favourite parts of the Peak District — from the most famous to the insider tips.
Walks with Views
Mam Tor is perhaps the most famous peak, even if Kinder Scout is the highest. A favourite with families, you can park by the side of the road and be at the top in just 20 minutes. If you have the energy and don’t fancy a picnic, there is a walk along the ridge that take you to Losehill House for a genteel afternoon tea.
Park at Curbar Gap car park (or by the side of the road if it is quiet enough) for Baslow Edge / Curbar Edge / Froggatt Edge, a gentle walk of a little over a mile in each direction with dramatic views.
Do the short walk from Owler Tor to Mother Cap; for a longer walk, join this up with Padley Gorge (below) and / or Longshaw Estate (also below).
Hen Cloud to The Roaches and Lud’s Church, just outside Leek, is a longer walk that will take a few hours to complete.
Trails
There are plenty of repurposed disused railways lines for exploring either on foot or on two wheels.
The High Peak Trail and Tissington Trail form an inverted “Y” that can be completed in a morning by the enthusiastic cyclist or just strolled along for part of the way.
The Monsal Trail features bridges and tunnels and has one of the Peak District’s most iconic views from Monsal Dale.
Finally and most famously, there is the Pennine Way, starting at Edale.
Walks by Water
Padley Gorge near Grindleford has a river, waterfalls, woods, and rocks; park on the B6521 if you can and a circular walk will take an hour or so.
Park at Wye Dale Car Park and walk alongside the River Wye to Chee Dale Stones (and to mix it up, return via the Monsal Trail).
Walk along the Derwent Reservoir just off Snake Pass to see where the dambusters practised.
Visit Dovedale for stepping stones and the view from Thorpe Cloud.
Park at High Peak Junction Car Park and walk along the River Derwent and Cromford Canal.
Visit the Goyt Valley with its two reservoirs, Erwood and Fernilee.
Ashford-in-the-Water is a picture-perfect village with the Sheepwash Bridge over the River Derwent.
Activities
Chatsworth House and the Blue John Cavern are perhaps the most famous non-hiking activities in the Peak District — and handy back-ups in case of rain.
There are plenty of other houses (Haddon Hall, Thornbridge Estate) as well as underground options (Peak Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff)
Peveril Castle, one of the first stone castles in England, is naturally defended by sheer drops with views over the village of Castleton.
Longshaw Estate is a park with gardens and a cafe.
Scenic Drives (or Rides)
Drive up and / or down Winnat’s Pass, near Mam Tor; for the full experience, make it a circular tour by following the road round the back of Mam Tor via Edale.
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Almost any of the main roads through the Peak District will give excellent views along the way.
- East-West A628 Woodhead Pass
- East-West: A57 Snake Pass between Sheffield and Glossop
- East-West; A619/A623 between Chesterfield and Sparrowpit
- East-West: A537 Cat and Fiddle between Buxton and Macclesfield
- North-South: A515 between Ashbourne and Buxton
- North East-South-West: A6 between Buxton and Rowsley
Eat and drink local
For local beers, look for Thornbridge, with a taproom just outside Bakewell and Wincle Beer, whose taproom is in Wincle, naturally enough.
Stock up on food, including Bakewell tarts, at Chatsworth Farm Shop.
After Mam Tor, Winnats and Peveril castle, drop into Peveril Stores for lunch.
There is no shortage of great pubs in the area; my favourites include:
- Flying Childers for unspoilt quaintness
- Packhorse Little Longstone for rural quaintness and easy access to Monsal Dale
- The Pilsley Inn for refined-yet-unpretentious aristocratic sophistication
At the higher, more formal end, there is Fischers of Baslow and Losehill House.
For bragging rights, the highest village pub in England is the New Inn in Flash.
Towns and villages
The Peak District is full of quaint villages; its larger population centres are pleasing enough, but tend to attract tourists en masse:
- Buxton is a former Victorian spa town
- Ashbourne has a cobbled town square
- Bakewell has the River Wye and is home to the famous tart and pudding
- Matlock Bath is a kind of Blackpool-on-Derwent with amusements, fish and chips and the river
With Children
For younger children (and big kids), there is:
- Heights of Abraham
- Crich Tramway Museum
- Matlock Boating Lake and Miniature Trains
- Matlock Bath self-hire boats
En route
Depending on where you approach from there is also:
- Jodrell Bank in Cheshire
- The Joy Division Tour of Macclesfield
- Lyme Park
- The canal at Bugsworth Basin
- Views from Bollington White Nancy
