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 beautifully wooded ravine of Wyming Brook is an absolute gem. It lies on the edge of the Peak District in Yorkshire, and it's a perfect spot for photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, hikers, or those who just want to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Wander among the trees here and discover a clear brook tumbling over mossy stones and part-submerged tree roots, criss-crossed by a series of a picturesque wooden footbridges. It's a stunning place to explore at any time of the year.
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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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If you've never spent a day in and around beautiful Bradfield, you've really missed a trick! Only 7 miles out of Sheffield but surrounded by the most wonderfully wild countryside, Bradfield straddles the border of the Peak District National Park in Yorkshire. It's the largest civil parish in England and it's made up of two villages: High Bradfield, which is situated on the hillside, and Low Bradfield, which sits down in the valley alongside the River Loxley.
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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.
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Just on the edge of the Peak District National Park you'll find the magnificent Hardwick Hall. Built by the formidable Bess of Hardwick in the 1590s, it's a wonderful example of an Elizabethan country house, set on a hilltop position overlooking the Derbyshire countryside. Outside there are also extensive formal gardens, parkland with family woodland trails, a lovely restaurant and a National Trust gift shop.
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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 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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