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 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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The High Peak Trail offers 17 miles of almost traffic-free bliss for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse-riders, stretching between Dowlow near Buxton and High Peak Junction near Cromford. It follows the route of the former High Peak Railway Line, opened in 1831, and runs through stunning limestone countryside and rolling hills, passing close to the ancient site of Minninglow.
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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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Mam Tor, literally meaning ‘Mother Hill’, is an iconic peak just outside the pretty Peak District village of Castleton in Derbyshire. The views from the top are well worth the walk - taking in the whole of the Hope Valley on one side and the whole of the Edale Valley to Kinder Scout and the Derwent Moors on the other.
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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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We believe that it's hugely important to get the younger generation enjoying the great outdoors, and the Peak District offers fantastic opportunities to spark their interest. The more that children can learn to appreciate and love the countryside, the better it is for all of us; a connection with nature not only improves their physical and mental health but also paves the way for a lifetime of respect and responsibility for the environment. Our Peak District Kids' Walks are written specifically with kids in mind. The routes are shorter for little legs (although not necessarily easier, kids love to scramble!) and there are plenty of kid-friendly distractions along the way,...
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Peak Rail is a heritage steam and diesel railway line that runs for 4 miles between restored railway stations on the edge of the Peak District at Matlock and Rowsley South. Peak Rail has been operating for nearly 30 years, and it all began when a group of enthusiasts first started running preserved steam and diesel locomotives on a section of 19th Century heritage line. Largely staffed by volunteers, it's always been a very popular Peak District day out, with a number of special events usually running every year, including the wonderful ‘Santa Special’ train rides for families at Christmas.
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