As the 2nd most visited National Park on earth, the magnificent Peak District sells itself.
Situated almost smack bang in the middle of the country, it is Britain’s beating heart. Accessibility is not the sole reason so many flock to the Peak District, but, surrounded as it is on all sides by the cities of Sheffield, Manchester, Derby and Stoke, nearly 20 million lucky people live on its doorstep.
Any notion of the busiest National Park in the western world being an overcrowded commotion, however, can be quickly dispelled - barring the occasional sunny Sunday afternoon in the summer. The Peak covers 555 square miles, touching four counties. Predominantly residing in Derbyshire, it also reaches out to South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. Delightful hamlets, ancient villages and the odd lively market town sit amid a sprawling, undulating wilderness of moorland, limestone and gritstone edges, and a patchwork of fields enveloped in a maze of pre-historic dry-stone walls.
The attractions here are wide-ranging and almost endless. Its central location handily lends itself to day trips and short breaks, but the Peak District boasts such a rich array of unspoilt goodness that longer stays are surely warranted. From fabulous Peak District cottages to homely B&Bs and luxurious converted barns, the broad selection of quality accommodation here is first class.
With digs secured, this green and pleasant world in itself, where time appears to have stood still, becomes your oyster.
Chatsworth
With arguably the nation’s favourite country house as its centrepiece, Chatsworth still proves a magnetic draw after all these years. Given the frequency with which the house and grounds are used as a film location, one could be forgiven for thinking Keira Knightley lives here. She doesn’t, but even more beautiful spectacles than she lie in wait for visitors; around a thousand acres of stunning gardens, over five miles of walks and of course the stately grandeur of the house itself, which is of course open to the public. No Keira though.
Nearby Bakewell is no stranger to fame either, renowned nationally for its self-titled pudding (not a tart). It’s a lively little market town, boutiquey with strong agricultural connections, serving as it does the cluster of villages which surround it.
Just a few minutes’ drive out of Bakewell is the popular Monsal Head, with its jaw-dropping panoramic views over the viaduct and valleys. The Monsal Trail, naturally, meanders through here - one of five official Peak District trails, all of which follow former railway lines. Recently featured on the popular TV show, The Hotel Inspector, The Rutland Arms Hotel in Bakewell is just one of many choices of Bakewell accommodation for the discerning holidaymaker to these parts.
Of course the Peak represents a real treasure trove for walkers of all kinds. Nearly two thousand miles of public paths, as well as the open access expanses, take in every nook, cranny and cliff-edge of this breathtaking National Park. The edges of Derwent, Froggat, Stanage and Curbar all provide notable routes and with it, of course, majestic scenery.
War & Peaks?
This article is in danger of turning into a Tolstoy-esque tome. The list of Peak District must-visits is as long as the Tissington Trail, and to cover them all would send this piece into the epic realms of War & Peace. It would, however, be remiss not to at least recommend the caves and caverns of Castleton, the sparkling illuminations of Matlock Bath, and the Georgian delights of the lofty spa town of Buxton.
Pubs
The raft of beautiful villages, complete with their truly wonderful pubs – often log-fired and always hospitable – are too numerous to mention. One seldom has to travel far to find a cracking country inn. Here at Let’s Stay we have approximately one hundred and twenty four favourite pubs in the Peak District, but we’ll give you one for free. The Barrel Inn at Bretton, reputedly the highest pub in the park, is a glorious boozer boasting superlative views, great ale, excellent locally-sourced and home-cooked food and, yes, the obligatory open fire.
Tellingly regarded by authorities as the first area of unspoilt Britain deemed worthy of preservation and protection – some accolade, I’m sure you’ll agree - the Peak District became the nation’s very first National Park in 1951. And with very good reason too. Visit and you’ll see for yourself. In fact, on second thoughts, don’t just visit – stay!
Sean Cummins
February 2010
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