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!
Many visitors to the Peak District may already know or have been to Dovedale; it's one of the most popular beauty spots in the National Park and indeed one of the most visited natural sites in Britain, attracting over a million visitors every year. The easy access paths through the valley and the delightful river with its pretty stepping stones make it a firm favourite with families and day-trippers. Despite its popularity it's still not difficult to escape the crowds, however, particularly if you walk a short distance away from the main valley, and the nearby dales of Hall Dale and Milldale will reward you richly for just a little...
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Ilam is just about as perfect a Peak District village as you could hope to get! With a collection of pretty cottages set in the most idyllic location, and only a short walk from the popular beauty spot of Dovedale, it’s a great place to spend a day.
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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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Full of history and character, the beautiful town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire is known as the Gateway to the Peak District. Situated on the southern edge of the Peak District, it boasts beautiful architecture, independent shops and lovely cafés, and it's the perfect base from which to explore the spectacular White Peak countryside.
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Poole’s Cavern is a spectacular limestone cavern in the graceful spa town of Buxton, on the edge of the Peak District. This wonderful all-weather visitor attraction has been delighting tourists for hundreds of years, who travel from all over the world to marvel at the beautifully-illuminated chambers, rock formations and underground streams. The whole family can enjoy a day out here, touring the underground world on paved walkways with knowledgeable guides to help you understand the views around you.
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The Manifold Way is a (mostly) traffic-free trail that runs for 8 miles through stunning countryside in the Staffordshire Peak District between Hulme End in the north and Waterhouses in the south. Following the former route of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway, in use until 1934, it follows the course of the River Manifold through the Manifold Valley.
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Ashford-in-the-Water is - arguably! - the most perfect little village in the Peak District. Certainly if you're looking for chocolate-box appeal, you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere more picturesque. It has everything that a country village needs: an idyllic riverside setting, complete with a medieval bridge, pretty limestone cottages, narrow lanes, a tearoom and cosy country pubs. The Sheepwash Bridge across the River Wye is one of the most photographed bridges in England, and it’s not hard to see why.
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