Top 10 Summer Peak District Days Out with the Kids
So the loooong Summer holidays are now stretching out in front of us. If you’re a kid, that’s brilliant; if you’re an over-stretched parent trying to think of ways to keep the darlings amused for 6 whole weeks, less so.
But here to help is our Pick of the Top 10 Peak District Days Out for the whole family to enjoy. There are plenty of choices for rainy days too, and choices that won’t break the bank.
No 10: Crich Tramway Village
Peak District Days Out at Crich Tramway Village
Crich Tramway Village is a fabulous place to spend a day, with plenty to keep the whole family happy. First, it’s home to the National Tramway Museum, with more than 60 vintage trams to admire in airy exhibition halls.
But there’s also a beautifully-recreated period village on the site, complete with a pub, café and several olde-worlde shops. A number of restored trams run through the village and visitors can take unlimited rides for more than a mile into the surrounding countryside, with stunning views of the surrounding Derwent Valley.
There are a couple of great children’s adventure playgrounds (indoor and outdoor), plus woodland walks and picnic areas. Dogs are welcome too.
Summer Opening Times: Daily, 10:00am – 5:30pm (last admission 4:00pm) Prices: Adult £22.00 / Child £14.00 Prices include free return admission for 12 months Address: Crich Tramway Village, nr Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 5DP
The beautiful village of Castleton in the Hope Valley has something for everyone. It’s surrounded by stunning scenery and the village itself has plenty of gift shops, tea rooms, restaurants and pubs.
Castleton has no less than four show caves for adventurous kids of all ages to explore, and all offer something special and unique. In Peak Cavern you can see where some of Britain’s last troglodytes lived, in houses built inside the cave mouth, making a living from rope making until 1915. In Speedwell Cavern you travel into the depths of the cave system by boat. Both Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern are home to the rare mineral Blue John, found nowhere else in the world. At Treak Cliff Cavern you can polish a piece of your own Blue John to take home with you.
But if going underground doesn’t appeal to you, head up instead to the Norman ruins of Peveril Castle that overlook the village. Kids will have fun exploring the ancient walls – and rolling down the grassy banks. The walk up to the castle might be quite steep, but it offers breathtaking views from the top. Peveril Castle is managed by English Heritage.
A trip to Matlock Farm Park is a great day out for the whole family. There are loads of animals to see and feed, including meerkats, llamas, wallabies, deer and peacocks, as well as plenty of familiar farmyard favourites. Children can get up close and personal with furry friends, and cuddle guinea pigs, rabbits and chicks in the petting barn. And if the animals aren’t enough, there’s also a great adventure playground, an indoor play barn, a Go-Karting track, a licensed café serving hot food and a gift shop.
Here’s a great Peak District day out that can cost nearly nothing, assuming you have a bike. This 13 mile bike ride on the Tissington Trail and High Peak Trail takes in fantastic views across the White Peak, and a short detour (on foot) allows you to explore the mysterious ancient site of Minninglow Hill, where the Neolithic tombs will appeal to any kids with a sense of history. Although it sounds like quite a distance, take it easy with rest stops to enjoy the views and have a picnic halfway round! The route is relatively flat, with the vast majority on either the Tissington Trail or the High Peak Trail, both former railway lines that have been converted to well-made cinder walking/cycling/riding trails.
The route starts from the Peak District National Park Visitor Information Centre at Parsley Hay, where there’s a bike hire centre if you don’t have bikes yourself. There’s car parking available here (fees apply), as well as public toilets, a café and small gift shop.
Summer Opening Times: All day, every day Prices: Free, apart from car parking fees Address: Parsley Hay, Buxton SK17 0DG
Swinging across the chasm above the picturesque town of Matlock Bath, you’ll see the cable cars that take visitors up to the Heights of Abraham. The ride is one of the highlights of any visit, rising 169 metres (554ft) over the steep limestone gorge to the top of Masson Hill. The spectacular trip offers fabulous views of the Derwent Valley during the third of a mile journey.
Once at the summit, there is plenty within the Heights of Abraham estate to keep visitors occupied, including impressive show caves (tours included within the price of admission), a geology and paleontology museum, a restaurant, an adventure playground, shops, and beautiful woodland walks.
Adventurous Peak District Days Out at Wild Park Derbyshire
Here’s a great way to wear the kids out over the Summer holidays – this Peak District day out is adrenaline-fuelled action and adventure in the wild woods! Wild Park Derbyshire is a family-run venue, established more than 20 years ago in Brailsford, just 10 minutes from Ashbourne. Here you’ll find the perfect outdoor venue for Paintballing, Laser Tag, Quad Biking, Archery and Pistol or Crossbow Shooting.
All the latest state-of-the-art equipment is provided, and Wild Park Derbyshire has over 200 acres of land for you to play in, including mature woodlands, swamps, brooks, and open fields. So you can all scream as loudly as you need to!
Summer Opening Times: Daily, til late Prices: From £20 per person
Another great family day out that doesn’t have to cost a thing. Located just outside the village of Hathersage, Stanage Edge is a gritstone edge that’s 4 miles long. It’s a natural playground, the surface covered with flat, smooth boulders that make parts of it look like a lunar landscape. They’re great for jumping on, a natural ‘parkour’ course. Adventurous kids can also visit Robin Hood’s Cave, crawling under rocks and through tunnels to emerge on to a natural balcony halfway up the stone escarpment. And for those who prefer slightly less adventure, Stanage Edge also offers stunning views across the whole of the Hope Valley.
A word of caution – Stanage Edge has sheer drops in places and it’s a natural landscape, so there aren’t any safety barriers. Keep an eye on your kids to stop them going too close to the edge!
Summer Opening Times: All day, every day Prices: Free
Perched on a ridge high above the Vale of Scarsdale, on the eastern edge of the Peak District, Bolsover Castle is a wonderful building. Now managed by English Heritage, it dates back to the 11th Century and was built by William Peveril, one of William the Conqueror’s knights. It’s a very ‘castle-y’-looking castle, and kids will love exploring its spooky rooms and ruined ancient walls. More practically, there’s also a great children’s playground there, a cafe and a gift shop.
Throughout the year Bolsover Castle plays host to a number of wonderful events, and it’s particularly well known for its displays of horsemanship. Over the Summer Holidays, on Sunday 25 and Monday 26 August, you and your kids can enjoy an exhilarating spectacle of speed and skill in a Legendary Joust, as four knights and their horses compete for honour and glory. See lances shatter, feel the thunder of hooves and hear the roar of the crowd as reputations are won and lost.
This great Peak District day out can cost very little, and it’s in the most perfect setting. The stunning limestone valley of Dovedale is one of the best loved beauty spots in the Peak District National Park, and in fact it’s one of the most visited natural sites in Britain, attracting over a million visitors a year. Steep crags tower above the River Dove as it tumbles through the dale, crossed by a picture-perfect set of stepping stones. Its easy access paths and grassy slopes make it a favourite spot for a picnic, where the kids can play happily in the clear, shallow water.
There is parking at Dovedale (fees apply), public toilets and a small refreshments stand.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Please treat this natural area of beauty with the respect it deserves. Take all your litter home with you, and note that BARBECUES AND CAMP FIRES ARE NOT PERMITTED ANYWHERE WITHIN THE PEAK DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK.
Summer Opening Times: All day, every day Prices: Free, apart from car parking fees
Chatsworth House is indisputably the jewel in the Peak District’s crown, and there’s more than enough to keep the whole family occupied for a full day here. The house is a feast for the senses, with more than 30 rooms open to the public, containing awe-inspiring interiors and a world-famous collection of art. Outside, there are 105 acres of formal gardens, from extravagant water features to monumental Victorian rock gardens, and a maze that will stump even the most adventurous explorer.
And there’s loads more to keep younger visitors happy, with a large woodland adventure playground featuring a rope park, a trampoline, slides, water and sand play. There’s also a child-friendly farmyard that allows kids to get up close and personal with the animals. When you’ve worked up an appetite, there are a number of restaurants, cafes and tea shops throughout the estate.
Summer Opening Times: House – 10:30am – 5:00pm (last admission 4:00pm) Garden – 10.30am – 6.00pm (last admission 5:00pm) Playground and Farmyard – 10:30am – 5:30pm Prices: For admission to House, Garden, Playground and Farmyard Adult £32.00 / Child £18.00 Address: Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1PP
