In & around

The Peak District

The Peak District has a diverse choice of picturesque countryside and attractions to visit, which can be easily accessed by car from the Cottage, whilst others can also be accessed by local train and bus networks. Some of our favourites are summarised below, but do visit National Trust, English Heritage, and ‘visit peak district’ online to ensure you make the most of your stay. Most attractions noted below are north of Wirksworth, however the City of Derby and Kedleston Hall in the south are also well worth a visit. For ease, we have listed attractions in ascending order by distance from the cottage. If you are looking for something closer to the Cottage, then check out the more local attractions here

Ashbourne, c 20 min drive

With its winding cobbled streets, welcoming Market Place and handsome Tudor and Georgian heritage, picturesque Ashbourne is known as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'. With more than 200 listed buildings - including historic alms-houses, fine coaching inns and genteel town houses - it's a visual feast for the discerning visitor. Don't miss the splendid facade of the Grade I listed Old Grammar School, the 'longest inn sign in the world' at The Greenman public house on St John Street; or the beautiful St Oswald's Parish Church with its striking 212 feet high spire, described by classic author George Eliot as the 'finest single spire in England'.

Tissington, c 20 min drive

A perfect picture book village with beautiful cottages built around a noble old hall, fine church and duck pond. Tissington Hall is open to visitors at certain times and there are tearooms, gift shops and craft shops. The tradition of Well Dressing is said to have originated here and on Ascension Day five wells are decorated in a floral tribute to God for the gift of water. The Tissington Trail for walkers, cyclists and horse riders passes by the village, where there is parking and a picnic site.

Dovedale, c 25 min drive

Dovedale is known for the river Dove and its impressive limestone ravines, but the most iconic part of a trip to Dovedale has to be the picturesque stepping stones. Thorpe Cloud is an isolated limestone hill, also known as a reef knoll, which sits between the villages of Ilam and Thorpe and lies right on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Its highest point has an elevation of 287 metres, which is quite a quick and steep ascent, but one with lots of hike-worthy views. Remember to take a good pair of walking boots! Its also useful to take some change for the national trust car park as the machines do not take card or app based payments! A trip to the Izaak Walton for lunch, afternoon tea, or drink provides a welcome break.

Bakewell, c 25 min drive

Bakewell really is a little gem of a village in the heart of the glorious Peak District. The wonderful old buildings, the character cottages, the meandering river with banks of green willow – Bakewell is simply a truly beautiful place. The famous Bakewell show is a summer delight and a definite date to pencil in on your calendar. The modern-day town is bustling with visitors meeting its charm for the first time, travelling afar from all corners of the globe. It’s a trinket box of shopaholic delights with the wonderful River Wye undulating gently under a glorious gothic arched bridge and the ancient church looking on – it’s a place visited through past centuries, a small town from the Anglo-Saxon era.

Haddon Hall, c 30 min drive

Good to combine with a trip to Bakewell. Haddon is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful medieval manor houses in the whole of England, and rightly so. It’s an absolute must-see for any visitor to the Peak District. Haddon’s castellated stone walls are covered with ivy and climbing roses, and its perfect setting on a hillside overlooking the River Wye is straight out of a romantic fairy-tale! It is no small wonder, then, that Haddon has featured in the works of countless artists and writers through the centuries. More recently it has also been a favourite location for film-makers, featuring in Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, The Princess Bride and The Other Boleyn Girl

Chatsworth House, c 30 min drive

Chatsworth is set in the heart of the Peak District in Derbyshire, on the banks of the river Derwent. Home of the Cavendish family since the 1550s, it has evolved through the centuries to reflect the tastes, passions and interests of succeeding generations. Chatsworth House has over 30 rooms to explore, from the magnificent Painted Hall, to the family-used chapel, regal state rooms and beautiful sculpture gallery. Chatsworth also houses the Devonshire Collections, one of Europe's most significant art collections, which is continually added to, encompassing old masters to contemporary ceramics and artefacts from ancient Egypt to cutting edge modern sculpture. Each year Chatsworth hosts a number of special events including the horse trials, country fair and Christmas market; and from November the lower floors of the house are transformed for the annual Christmas displays.

Buxton, c 35 min drive

Elegant Buxton has been welcoming visitors to enjoy its natural thermal springs and superb setting 300 metres above sea level since Roman times. Known then as Aquae Arnemetiae, or the Spa of the Goddess of the Grove, its fortunes are currently reviving thanks to the restoration of its Grade I listed centrepiece, The Crescent, a five-star hotel. The Hotel spa utlises the town’s famous thermal water, which rises from the earth at a constant temperature of 28 degrees C. But there's much more to the highest market town in England than its most famous brand. Buxton is deservedly renowned for its Georgian and Victorian architecture - much of it linked with the 5th Duke of Devonshire's ambitions to create a spa town to rival Bath back in the 18th century.

Hardwick Hall, c 40 min drive

Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan showstopper in Derbyshire, surrounded by 2,000 acres of parkland. It was the formidable 'Bess of Hardwick' who created Hardwick Hall in the late 16th century. Since then, her descendants, farmers, gardeners, builders, decorators, embroiderers and craftsmen of all kinds, have contributed to and made Hardwick their creation.

Padley Gorge & The Longshaw Estate, c 40 min drive

You'd be hard pushed to find a more magical spot than Padley Gorge. With gently flowing streams and tumbling waterfalls in a woodland setting near the Longshaw Estate and Grindleford, Padley Gorge is photogenic and full of character. Unsurprisingly, it's also surrounded by great walks and is a popular spot for picnics and paddling. Padley Gorge is just 1/2 mile from the National Trust's beautiful Longshaw Estate – also well worth a visit.

Castleton c 55 min drive

Castleton is a beautiful village situated at the head of the Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District National Park. The village is popular for its show caves, history, shops, Christmas lights, garland ceremony, Winnats Pass, Cave Dale and for those wishing to walk on the numerous footpaths in the area. Surrounded by hillsides and overlooked by Mam Tor (the shivering mountain) and the ancient Peveril Castle.

Kinder Scout, c 60 min drive

At the highest point in the Peak District, Kinder Scout boasts unforgettable views, unique moorland and even a waterfall. It offers some of the most challenging but rewarding walks in the Peak District, where you’ll encounter gentle streams, dark gritstone, steep rocks to scramble up, unique peat and the glorious Kinder Downfall. This breath-taking moorland plateau is a walker's paradise: at 2,087ft above sea level it offers some of the most breath-taking views in the country. Accessible from the villages of Edale (where there's a well-linked train station) and Hayfield in the High Peak, walks around Kinder offer a journey through many different landscapes, illustrating the diversity of the Peak District.

Edale, c 60 min drive

Edale is a small village or, to be more correct, a collection of small hamlets or “booths” in the Derbyshire Peak District. Nestled beneath Kinder Scout and tucked away at the end of the Hope Valley, Edale is very popular with walkers and runners due to its beauty and accessibility.

Edale is probably most famous for its walking and every weekend the surrounding hills have their many footpaths explored by walkers of all abilities. There’s something for everyone in Edale from first time walkers venturing out into the countryside for their inaugural taste of the great outdoors or seasoned hikers exploring the dark and mysterious peat bogs of Kinder.

References: Some of the above information has been sourced from National Trust, English Heritage, and visitpeakdistrict.co.uk.