Peak District

Understand

The Peak District is sometimes called the Derbyshire Peak District, but the area also covers parts of Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Cheshire, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire. The central and most rural area of the Peaks falls within the Peak District National Park, but the boundaries are not prominent (marked by roadside signs, but no barriers) and are irrelevant to most visitors: many well-known Peak towns and villages (e.g. Glossop, Buxton, Hayfield) are outside the Park. This was England's first national park and is still the most visited, mainly because of its accessible location within reach of the large cities of Manchester and Sheffield. The Peak District National Park Authority provides public facilities (car parks, lavatories, visitor centres) and works to maintain the rural nature of the Park, without turning it into an open-air museum; however, most land is still owned by the traditional landlords, and (although public access is very good – see below) contains working farms and towns. This is a region of contrasts, with wild moorland, classic walking country which encompasses every kind of activity, from a gentle stroll to the lofty challenge of the high moors. The leafy lanes and quiet villages are ideal for that feeling of getting away from it all. With towns such as the beautiful Georgian spa town of Buxton, with its wonderful architecture and cultural life, along with picturesque Bakewell (home of the delicious sweet treat the Bakewell Tart) and the attractions of Matlock Bath (often said to resemble a seaside village despite being far inland), you’ll be spoiled for choice with places to stay and things to see and do. From cosy farmhouses and welcoming guest houses to international hotels, you’ll find all the hospitality and comfort you need for a really memorable break. There’s plenty to see, such as breathtaking caverns where the precious Blue John stone is mined, the night-time spectacle of the Matlock Illuminations and a trip back in time

Getting there

1 Manchester and 2 Sheffield are the main approaches by long-distance travel, or you might come via 3 Chesterfield or Derby. By train: most trains hurry through, but several services call at the little stations across the area, which are on hiking trails. Trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield run hourly via New Mills, Chinley, then through a long tunnel to Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford, and Dore & Totley. Trains from Piccadilly to Buxton run M-Sa twice an hour via New Mills, Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le-Frith. Trains from Piccadilly to Glossop and Hadfield (not to be confused with nearby Hayfield) run twice an hour. Don't be tempted by the wayside halt of Flowery Field, it's a nondescript suburb. Trains from Derby run M-F hourly to Matlock via Ambergate, Whatstandwell, Cromford and Matlock Bath. The long-abandoned High Peak Railway branches off from Cromford and is an excellent hiking trail. By bus: For long distance coaches, travel via the cities suggested above. See individual towns for other buses within the area. Bus 199 runs hourly from Manchester Airport to Stockport, Stepping Hill, Disley, New Mills, Furness Vale, Whaley Bridge, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Peak Dale and Buxton. Bus 65 runs from Sheffield to Meadowhall, Fox House, Grindleford, Calver, Eyam, Great Hucklow, Tideswell and Buxton. It runs M-Sa every two hours, with only three buses on Sunday. Bus 271 runs from Sheffield to Fox House, Hathersage, Bamford, Hope and Castleton. It runs M-Sa every couple of hours. Buses run from Chesterfield via Baslow to Bakewell, to Matlock, and via Bakewell, Eyam, Bamford, Castleton and Ladybower to Sheffield. By road: major roads crisscross the area, including A6 the historic London-Manchester-Carlisle road. Summer weekends they get very congested. Wednesday afternoons in summer is when the bikers try to go supersonic along the straights.

Getting around

See public transport routes described above, and some places are within hiking distance, eg between Hope or Edale railway stations to the attractive area of Castleton. Beyond that, you really need a car. And so does everyone else, hence the congestion in summer, and the main routes are tedious for cyclists with all the traffic brushing past.

See

Bakewell – pretty riverside town and home of the famous Bakewell Pudding Buxton – Georgian spa town Caves and caverns: the best collection of show-caves are around Castleton, with Speedwell, Blue John and Treak Cliff all open to visit. Stately mansions: this area was never a cockpit of war so places were built for opulent living not defence. Chatsworth near Bakewell is the standout, and Haddon Hall is nearby. Lyme Park on the far western side of the Peaks in Cheshire is another great option. Alton Towers west of Ashbourne is just a masonry shell, but is nowadays the picturesque backdrop to a theme park. Dovedale – attractive, though busy, limestone valley Eyam – attractive village with plague-related history High Peak and Tissington Trails – popular cycling routes on disused railways Manifold Valley – cycling opportunities and limestone scenery Matlock Bath – inland riverside resort with caves and visitor attractions The Roaches – walking and climbing area in the Staffordshire Peak District Stanage Edge – popular walking and climbing area, famous training ground for British mountaineers Crich Tramway Village is five miles southeast of Matlock Bath.

Do

Hiking

Maps: Like the rest of country, the Peak District is covered by Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger maps (with the red covers), but you need Maps 109, 110, 118 and 119 for full coverage. A better option is the OS 1:25000 Outdoor Leisure series (yellow covers), Maps OL1 ("The Peak District – Dark Peak area") and OL24 ("The Peak District – White Peak area"). There are lots of other guides, in print and online. Don't rely on generic online maps such as Google: they're designed for the built environment and don't show natural features such as contours and bogs. Kinder Scout in 1932 saw a "mass trespass" to protest that a privileged few could use it for grouse-shooting while most people weren't allowed to walk there. This, plus the harsh punishment of some of the protesters, led to public support for better access to uncultivated land. In 1949 the first National Parks were created, in 1965 the Pennine Way opened, and in 2000 the long-established protection of "rights of way" was broadened into "open access" areas. Kinder Scout is a bleak and soggy triangular plateau that exemplifies the contrasts of the Peak District. To its south lies attractive limestone country. But at Edale this changes abruptly to gritstone, poorly permeable to rainfall and overlain by peat bog. The plateau is bounded by steep scarps, so there are great views on the way up (an excuse to catch your breath) and along the scarp edge. But go in search of the summit, and you struggle through bogs and lose the view, all for the sake of a couple of metres extra altitude to reach the OS triangulation point