Peak District Towns and Villages: Derbyshire

Peak District Towns and Villages: Derbyshire 1

The Derbyshire Peak District

The beautiful county of Derbyshire makes up the vast majority of the Peak District National Park. It is roughly split into two parts: the White Peak to the south, comprising gently rolling slopes of lush pastureland, criss-crossed by ancient stone walls, and the Dark Peak to the north, characterised by wild, heather moorland and dark gritstone crags.

Derbyshire villages and towns are as diverse as the landscape, but without exception they are characterful, pretty places, each with their own unique charm.

Click on the links below to find out more about the beautiful Towns and Villages of the Derbyshire Peak District.

Ashford-in-the Water

If you’re looking for a chocolate-box Peak District village to visit, you couldn’t possibly do better than spending a day in Ashford-in-the-Water. It has everything that a perfect village needs: an idyllic riverside setting, complete with a medieval bridge, pretty limestone cottages, narrow lanes, a tearoom and cosy country pubs … [more]

Ashbourne

The picturesque town of Ashbourne is known as the Gateway to the Peak District, and it’s a perfect base from which to explore the spectacular White Peak countryside. The town has lots to offer the visitor, with beautiful architecture, plenty of independent shops and lovely cafés … [more]

Bakewell

Bakewell, with its beautiful setting on the River Wye, is often referred to as the ancient capital of the Peak District. It is a relatively small market town but it’s a wonderful place to explore, with pretty riverside walks, old stone cottages, narrow lanes and hidden courtyards … [more]

Bamford

The pretty village of Bamford is beautifully located in the Hope Valley, underneath the dramatic heights of Bamford Edge and situated on the banks of the River Derwent. From here the river flows into the Upper Derwent Valley and feeds Ladybower, Derwent and Howden Reservoirs … [more]

Baslow

The beautiful village of Baslow is on the edge of the Chatsworth Estate, and makes a perfect place to stay when visiting the area. The village is overlooked by the dramatic gritstone edges of Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge, and the River Derwent runs through it … [more]

Beeley

Beeley is a picture-perfect little village at the southern end of the Chatsworth Estate, with pretty stone cottages clustered on quiet lanes. The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside, situated between lush parkland on one side and wild open moorland on the other … [more]

Birchover

The pretty village of Birchover lies on the south eastern border of the Peak District National Park. It is a characterful village, 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 is steeped in history … [more]

Buxton

As the Gateway to the Peak District, the historic spa town of Buxton should feature in the itinerary of every visitor. It has something for everyone, with stunning Georgian and Victorian architecture, beautiful parks, quirky shops, top-class theatre, and fantastic dining … [more]

Calver

The pretty village of Calver lies on the border between the White Peak and the Dark Peak, situated on the River Derwent and surrounded by the most beautiful scenery … [more]

Castleton

A day in the beautiful village of Castleton should feature in the itinerary of every visitor to the Peak District. It is surrounded by stunning scenery, nestled in the hills at the western end of the Hope Valley, and has something to offer for everyone … [more]

Cromford

The lovely village of Cromford is in the Derbyshire Peak District, in the Derwent Valley between Matlock and Wirksworth. It is perhaps best known for its connection with the renowned industrialist Richard Arkwright, who built Cromford Mill in 1771 … [more]

Crowdecote

The picturesque hamlet of Crowdecote lies on the River Dove, which divides the Derbyshire Peak District from the Staffordshire Peak District. It is a small place, but very pretty – and situated in the most stunning scenery … [more]

Curbar

The very pretty village of Curbar lies on a hillside, perfectly positioned overlooking the River Derwent, sheltering under the mighty gritstone edges of Curbar Edge and Baslow Edge … [more]

Earl Sterndale

The small but pretty village of Earl Sterndale is situated amid beautiful Peak District countryside in the Upper Dove Valley in Derbyshire, close to the Staffordshire border. It lies in the foothills of the distinctive Parkhouse and Chrome Hills, and within walking distance of Dovedale … [more]

Edale

The pretty village of Edale is surrounded by probably the most stunning scenery in the whole of the Peak District. It is circled by 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 … [more]

Edensor

Edensor (pronounced ‘Enzer’) is a small but very pretty village situated within the grounds of the Chatsworth Estate. The village is made up of a charming, slightly eccentric mixture of different house styles, from Tudor to Norman, from Swiss-style cottages to Italian-style villas … [more]

Eyam

The pretty village of Eyam has a great deal to offer visitors; it is in a beautiful location, has a fascinating and inspiring history, and a wealth of interesting buildings to explore … [more]

Froggatt

The beautiful village of Froggatt in the Derbyshire Peak District is a small but perfectly formed place; a cluster of stone houses on narrow lanes, nestling beneath the mighty gritstone escarpment of Froggatt Edge … [more]

Foolow

Foolow is a small but delightful village in the White Peak area of the Peak District. It offers quiet, country lanes, pretty limestone cottages, a village green with a medieval cross – even a picture-perfect duck pond, complete with white Aylesbury ducks … [more]

Glossop

The bustling market town of Glossop is located in the High Peak of Derbyshire, on the north western reaches of the Peak District National Park. It is set in spectacular surroundings, has a wealth of history, and lots to offer visitors to the area … [more]

Grindleford

The little village of Grindleford is situated in a particularly beautiful part of the Hope Valley. It is overlooked by the wild moorland of Eyam Moor to the west and the impressive edifice of Froggatt Edge to the east … [more]

Hartington

Hartington is a very pretty village, situated at the northern edge of Dovedale and surrounded by the most stunning countryside. It has everything you would hope for from a Peak District village: houses of mellow stone on twisty lanes, great country pubs, a duck pond … even a famous cheese shop … [more]

Hathersage

Situated in the beautiful Hope Valley and surrounded on all sides by wooded hillsides and magnificent gritstone edges, the pretty village of Hathersage is a great place to explore. It is popular with lovers of outdoor activities and is also rich in historic and literary connections … [more]

Hayfield

The lovely village of Hayfield lies in the valley of the River Sett, at the foot of Kinder Scout, on the very edge of the Peak District National Park … [more]

Hope

The pretty village of Hope is often overshadowed by its near neighbour Castleton, but it has much to offer the visitor, with a range of lovely shops, cafes and pubs. As the name suggests it is located in the heart of the Hope Valley and surrounded by stunning scenery, overlooked by Win Hill and Lose Hill … [more]

Litton

Litton is an utterly charming White Peak village, small but perfectly formed. It comprises a cluster of pretty stone cottages around a village green, complete with its own set of ancient stocks … [more]

Matlock

Surrounded by wooded hillsides and set on the River Derwent, just on the edge of the Peak District, Matlock is a lovely town to explore. It has plenty of independent, quirky shops, as well as a wide choice of cafés, pubs and restaurants … [more]

Matlock Bath

Matlock Bath was one of England’s first true tourist destinations. It occupies a beautiful position in a limestone gorge on the River Derwent, on the edge of the Peak District, and offers beautiful riverside walks and lively shops … [more]

Miller’s Dale

The small but perfectly formed village of Miller’s Dale lies on the banks of the beautiful River Wye, surrounded by the limestone crags of the White Peak. It comprises a cluster of pretty houses, a cafe, craft centre, and a characterful church, all in the shade of a deep, wooded limestone valley … [more]

Monyash

The lovely village of Monyash is an absolute gem, with pretty stone cottages lining quiet lanes and a country inn overlooking a village green. It is located in the White Peak at the head of the beautiful Lathkill Dale, surrounded by rolling fields and gentle hills … [more]

Over Haddon

Over Haddon is a small but very picturesque Peak District village, set peacefully amidst the rolling fields of the White Peak and located on a hill overlooking the beautiful Lathkill Dale. … [more]

Parwich

The idyllic Peak District village of Parwich is a beautiful little gem in the Derbyshire hills, surrounded by stunning countryside. Walking along the lanes is like stepping back in time, with pretty stone cottages clustered on quiet streets and dotted along the stream that runs through the centre of the village … [more]

Rowsley

The lovely village of Rowsley lies on the very edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, close to the Chatsworth House estate. It’s a peaceful, pretty place, surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside … [more]

Sheldon

The small village of Sheldon in the Derbyshire Peak District, perched high above the River Wye, is an absolute gem. Surrounded by stunning White Peak limestone countryside, it is a cluster of characterful stone cottages on a hill, mostly built along one single lane … [more]

Stanton in Peak

The beautiful village of Stanton in Peak is a little gem – pretty stone cottages clustered on a hillside, overlooking the most spectacular countryside. It is a great starting place for walks in the surrounding countryside, and a perfect base for exploring the ancient history of the area. … [more]

Stoney Middleton

Stoney Middleton is an interesting, pretty village. It has a wealth of beautiful buildings, little lanes lined with stone cottages, a very unusual octagonal church, and even a little brook running through the streets … [more]

Tideswell

Tideswell is a large village in the heart of the White Peak. It has a rich history and a great selection of independent shops, pubs and cafes, and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful limestone uplands in the area. Its magnificent church is known as the Cathedral of the Peak, and rightly so … [more]

Tissington

Tissington is about as perfect a Peak District village as can be imagined. The prettiest of stone cottages are clustered around a gracious stately home, Tissington Hall, in a village complete with a duck pond, six ancient wells, a beautiful church and a lovely tea shop … [more]

Whaley Bridge

Whaley Bridge is a pretty little town on the western edge of the Peak District, situated on a crossing of the River Goyt. Although it sits outside the boundary of the Peak District National Park, it is an important gateway town to the beautiful Goyt Valley and has much to offer the visitor … [more]

Winster

Winster, in the Derbyshire Peak District, is an interesting, ancient village, mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It lies very close to a prehistoric trading route, the Derbyshire Portway, and was a historic centre for lead mining, for which it has been well known since Roman times … [more]

Wormhill

The pretty village of Wormhill lies in Derbyshire, surrounded by the most stunning Peak District countryside. It is an ancient settlement, with a fascinating if rather grisly history of wolf hunting dating back to the 14th Century, when this part of the Peak District was within the Royal Forest of the Peak … [more]

Youlgreave

The beautiful village of Youlgreave or Youlgrave is one of the largest villages in the Peak District. It’s a lovely place with history around every corner, and it’s surrounded on all sides by the most stunning countryside… [more]

You are in DERBYSHIRE

Other Peak District Counties >

Cheshire

Staffordshire

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