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!
This very pretty Peak District village is situated towards the south of the Peak District National Park, and can be combined with a visit to Dovedale if you have the time. Hartington has everything you could hope for from a Peak District village: a duck pond in the centre, houses of mellow stone on twisty lanes, great country pubs … and even a famous cheese shop!
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For those with younger families, the wonderful theme park of Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath is a real treat. It’s especially designed for children aged between 2 and 13, with a wide range of rides, attractions and themed areas – from the Western World to Smuggler’s Wharf. There’s an exciting Log Flume and Drop Tower, as well as a Log Roller Coaster and a Pirate Ship. Aspiring digger drivers will also love the JCB Zone in Lilliput Land!
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The Tissington Trail is a traffic-free trail that runs for 13 miles from Parsley Hay in the north to Ashbourne in the south. It follows the route of the former railway line between Buxton and Ashbourne, closed in the 1960s, and is now a wonderful track for walkers, riders and cyclists through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Peak District.
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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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Ladybower Reservoir is one of three large reservoirs located in the beautiful Upper Derwent Valley in the Peak District. It's surrounded by wonderful countryside and, at 5.5 miles, our easy circular walk around part of its shores is a great way to spend a day, especially with a picnic (no barbecues please) or a meal at the nearby Yorkshire Bridge Inn afterwards.
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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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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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