Peak District Accommodation

Why not book yourself a short holiday, escape the pressures of everyday life and spend some time recharging your batteries in the Peak District.

A wide range of accommodation is available in Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, from 5 star hotels to numerous camp and caravan sites. There are hundreds of excellent B&Bs and Self Catering establishments including holiday cottages and pine lodges.

Wherever you choose to stay you can be sure of a warm welcome and great service often in some of the most picturesque surroundings to be found anywhere.

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Peak District Attractions

Places to visit in 2012. If the natural attractiveness and beauty of the Peak District is not enough, we have many other attractions to explore including museums, heritage centres ,Country houses and gardens , theme park and lots more!

The spa town of Buxton was developed by the Dukes of Devonshire as a genteel health resort in the 18th century; now the largest town in the Peak District, it has an opera house with a theatre, museum and art gallery. Another spa town is Matlock Bath, popularised in the Victorian era. Bakewell is the largest settlement within the National Park; its five-arched bridge over the River Wye dates from the 13th century. Buxton, Matlock and Matlock Bath, Bakewell, Leek and the small towns of Ashbourne and Wirksworth, on the fringes of the Park, all offer a range of tourist amenities. To the north the village of Hayfield sits at the foot of Kinder Scout, the highest summit in the area.

Historic buildings include Chatsworth House, seat of the Dukes of Devonshire and among Britain's finest stately homes; the medieval Haddon Hall, seat of the Dukes of Rutland; Hardwick Hall, built by powerful Elizabethan Bess of Hardwick; and Lyme Park, an Elizabethan manor house transformed by an Italianate front. Many of the Peak's villages and towns have fine parish churches, with a particularly magnificent example being the 14th century Church of St John the Baptist at Tideswell, sometimes dubbed the 'Cathedral of the Peak'. 'Little John's Grave' can be seen in the Hathersage churchyard.

The picturesque village of Castleton, overshadowed by the Norman Peveril Castle, has four show caves, the Peak, Blue John, Treak Cliff, and Speedwell, and is the centre of production of the unique semi-precious mineral, Blue John. Other show caves and mines include the Heights of Abraham, reached by cable car, at Matlock Bath, and Poole's Cavern in Buxton. The small village of Eyam is known for its self-imposed quarantine during the Black Death of 1665.

The Mining Museum at Matlock Bath, which includes tours of the Temple Lead Mine, and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and Brindley Water Mill at Leek give insight into the Peak's industrial heritage. The preserved steam railway between Matlock and Rowsley, the National Tramway Museum at Crich and the Cromford Canal chart the area's transport history. The Life in a Lens Museum of Photography & Old Times in Matlock Bath presents the history of photography from 1839.

Well dressing ceremonies are held in most of the villages during the spring and summer months, in a tradition said to date from pagan times. Other local customs include Castleton's annual Garland Festival and Ashbourne's Royal Shrovetide Football, played annually since the 12th century. Buxton hosts two opera festivals, the Buxton Festival and the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, as well as the Buxton Festival Fringe, and the Peak Literary Festival is held at various locations twice a year.

Peak District food specialities include the dessert Bakewell pudding, very different from the nationally available Bakewell tart, and until 2009 the famous cheese Stilton and other local cheeses were produced in the village of Hartington.

Something for everybody.

For more information see Peak District Attractions

Peak District Activities

Activities and things to do in the Peak District - Looking for adventure? The Peak District has much to offer the intrepid visitor, including canoeing, mountain biking and rock climbing. We also have loads of other more sedate activities such as tours and cruises, riding centres and cycling. An extensive network of public footpaths and numerous long-distance trails as well as large open-access areas, are available for hillwalking and hiking.

Some of the long-distance trails in the White Peak, such as the Tissington Trail and High Peak Trail, re-use former railway lines and are well used by walkers, horse riders and cyclists. The Park authorities run cycle hire centres at Ashbourne, Parsley Hay and Middleton Top. Wheelchair access is possible at several places on the former railway trails, and cycle hire centres offer vehicles adapted to wheelchair users. There is a programme to make footpaths more accessible to less-agile walkers by replacing climbing stiles with walkers' gates.

The many gritstone outcrops, such as Stanage Edge and The Roaches, are recognised as some of the finest rock climbing sites in the world. Potholer can enjoys natural caves found in the limestone of the Peak. Peak Cavern is the largest and most important cave system which is even linked to the Speedwell system at Winnats. The only significant potholes are Eldon Hole and Nettle Pot. There are many old mine workings, which often were extensions of natural cave systems. Systems can be found at Castleton, Winnats, Matlock, Stoney Middleton, Eyam, Monyash and Buxton.

Some of the area's large reservoirs, for example Carsington Water, have become centres for water sports, including sailing, fishing and canoeing. Other activities include air sports such as hang gliding and paragliding, birdwatching, fell running, off-roading, and orienteering.

Something for everyone !

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Peak District Events 2012

Tissington Well Dressing Dates for 2012 Thursday 17th May - Wednesday 23rd May

Ashbourne Festival Dates 2012 22nd June - 8th July

Bakewell Show 1st & 2nd August 2012

International Horse Trials at Chatsworth 11th - 13th May 2012

The Chatsworth Country Fair 31st August - 2nd September 2012

Olympic Torch to visit The Heights of Abraham at Matlock Bath in Derbyshire UK - The Heights of Abraham are pleased to announce that they have been chosen as one of the UK's iconic destinations to be visited by the Olympic Torch. On Friday 29th June 2012, during its relay journey through Derbyshire the Torch will be carried to the Summit and back on the Cable Cars. Arriving in Glapwell in the morning it will head over to Bolsover, Calow and Chesterfield before continuing through Matlock, Darley Dale, Bakewell, Buxton, Ashbourne and Derby. Derby City Council said it was planning a major celebration to mark the torch's overnight stay in the city.

For various other events throughout Derbyshire and the Peak District see the Events Calendar 2012

See ArtsDerbyshire for Arts events and information in Derbyshire