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!
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Edale
The pretty village of Edale is a great place to spend a day. It's surrounded by arguably the most stunning scenery in the whole of the Peak District National Park, with the towering slopes of Kinder Scout to the north, the Great Ridge of Mam Tor to the south, Win Hill to the east and Dalehead to the west. Edale is well known to many as being the start or end point of Britain’s most famous long distance hiking trail, the Pennine Way, which starts right next to The Old Nag's Head pub and runs for 268 miles to Kirk Yetholm in the borders of Scotland.
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Birchover and Rowtor Rocks
The lovely village of Birchover lies on the south eastern border of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, surrounded by the most stunning scenery. Although only five miles out of the town of Matlock, it stands amid the most magnificent open moorland that's steeped in history. On the edge of the village you'll find the mysterious cave complex of Rowtor Rocks, consisting of numerous interlinked tunnels, passages, viewpoints and caverns, some man-made. Many of the rocks have been carved with symbols and pictures, including serpents, circles and cups. The modifications and carvings reputedly date from the 17th Century and are the handiwork of a very intriguing individual, the village...
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Sudbury Hall
Just on the outskirts of the Peak District National Park close to Ashbourne in Derbyshire, Sudbury Hall is a beautiful late 17th Century country house, the historic home of the Vernon family. Here you'll find a beautiful home with lavish interiors, as well as the wonderful National Trust Museum of Childhood. Outside there are acres of landscaped parkland with formal gardens and ornamental lakes, as well as a great outdoor woodland play area to help your kids burn off steam.
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Alton Towers
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!
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Dove Stone Reservoir Walk
Dove Stone Reservoir is located in the far north west of the Peak District National Park. It's a spectacular spot in the hills and moors on the edge of Oldham, popular with visitors and families. Our beautiful Dove Stone Reservoir Walk (4 miles) gives you a great tase of the countryside in this part of the Peak District. It takes you briefly into the Chew Hills and the moors of Dove Stone Moss, and then returns for an easy circuit of the lovely reservoir, with fabulous open views of this wonderful area.
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Stanage Edge
Stanage Edge is a stunning gritstone escarpment north of the pretty Peak District village of Hathersage. It runs for almost four miles roughly north to south, rising to 458 metres (1,503 feet) at its highest point. Stanage Edge is the absolute epitome of the Dark Peak. Its gritstone plateau is a wild, unforgiving place offering unsurpassed views of the Hope Valley, and in warmer months its slopes are softened by blooming purple heathers and bright bracken. Here and there are abandoned millstones, harking back to the industrial past of this area. Despite its height and imposing presence, Stanage Edge is quite accessible for most, and a visit to this incredible...
Read More
70 Best Days Out in the Peak District: Crich Tramway Village
A day out at Crich Tramway Village, located just a short distance from the lovely town of Matlock, is a fabulous way to spend some time, with plenty to keep the whole family happy - including the dog! It's home to the National Tramway Museum, which takes you through a hundred years of tramway development from 1860 – 1960, and also features a beautifully-recreated period village, complete with a vintage pub, café and olde-worlde shops.
Read More