70 Best Days Out in the Peak District
The Peak District National Park was founded on 17 April 1951, the first national park ever to be created in the UK. It covers 555 square miles of the most beautiful parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Yorkshire and even parts of Greater Manchester.
To celebrate the 70th birthday of our very favourite place, we’ve collected together what we consider to be the 70 Best Days Out in the Peak District to inspire you to visit more of this wonderful area. Have a browse through our collection below to get suggestions for entirely new spots to discover, or to remind yourself to revisit old favourites.
You’ll find all the region’s best attractions in here, as well as the most popular beauty spots and a few hidden gems as well, not to mention some wonderful little villages and many of the vibrant towns on the borders.
Join us in celebrating the very best that the Peak District has to offer, not just in this special birthday year but in every year to come!
The romantic ruins of Peveril Castle stand on a hilltop high above the pretty village of Castleton in the heart of the Peak District. Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, this is one of England’s earliest Norman fortresses. It’s one of only 48 castles recorded at that time, and the only one in Derbyshire. Its historical significance is recognised by the fact that it’s a protected Scheduled Ancient Monument, designated to be of international importance.
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A day out in the beautiful village of Eyam is the perfect choice for visitors to this part of the Peak District. Set in a stunning location, surrounded by wonderful Derbyshire countryside, Eyam has a fascinating and inspiring history, reminders of which lie around every corner. Eyam today is a pretty, characterful village, with a range of small shops and cafés, a beautiful Jacobean Hall that's open to the public, a wonderful pub, a Museum and a small Visitor Information Centre.
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The beautiful Treak Cliff Cavern, located in the village of Castleton in Derbyshire, offers a great Peak District day out. It’s the home of Britain’s rarest mineral, Blue John stone, and Castleton is the only place in the world where it can be found! There are beautiful caverns to explore here, as well as a cafe with fantastic views, a gift shop and a museum.
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The Blue John Cavern in Castleton is home to 8 of the 14 known varieties of Blue John Stone, where it’s been mined for centuries. During the winter months miners still descend deep into the tunnels here, armed with traditional picks and shovels, in search of the beautiful stone. This is then cleaned and polished to be made into jewellery and ornamental objects. Guided tours of the cavern are conducted at short regular intervals. Each tour lasts around an hour and gives a wonderful insight into these magnificent natural cave systems. The famous Blue John Stone can be seen in its natural state, along with stalactites, stalagmites and huge, beautifully...
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Alton Towers, on the edge of the Peak District in Staffordshire, is the largest theme park in the UK and covers a whopping 910 acres, with more than 40 rides and attractions split across 10 themed areas of action and adventure. There's something here to suit guests of all ages, sizes and levels of thrill-seeking!
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The Peak District National Park is full of the most wonderful dales, but Coombs Dale is a particularly special gem. For a start, it's virtually unknown - to most visitors and even to many residents of the neighbouring villages - so you’re almost guaranteed to find peace and quiet here.
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The deep, dark chasm of Lud’s Church is a truly mysterious place, full of myth and legend, hidden within the depths of Back Forest in the Staffordshire Peak District. Inside is green as far as the eye can see. The walls are covered with mosses, ferns and grasses, and arching above the chasm, forming a natural roof, are trees that have grown from both sides to meet in the middle.
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