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The Peak District - Derbyshire
The Peak District National Park does not disappoint! Over 500 square miles of bustling market towns, impressive stately homes and country houses, craggy peaks, gentle valleys, unspoilt villages all providing a rich resource for visitors to explore and enjoy annual visits in excess of 22 million per year serve only to bear testimony to its popularity.
What makes this area such a desirable part of the world.
Its appeal must surely lie largely in its diverse landscape, tradition and heritage providing inspiration to all who visit and relief from the daily stresses of our busy lives.
The Peak District's many attractions include museums, galleries, theme parks for both young and old, heritage centres, mills and caverns. Eating and drinking are Peak District pastimes, the region offers an enticing choice of pubs, restaurants, bistros, cafes and tea rooms. Eating Out In The Peaks lists where you can eat, drink and be merry.
If Kent is the garden of England, then The Peak District could be its rockery, on account of its craggy hills and caves. Or a very ornate attraction (Chatsworth).
We prefer to picture The Peak District as a playground whether you are seeking the adrenaline-fuelled thrills of Alton Towers and other theme parks in Derbyshire, outdoor activities such as walking, hiking, cycling, discovering hidden depths in the region's network of caves and caverns, or simply want to give yourself up to the pleasures of food and drink with the Peak District's gastronomic diversity. A pudding in Bakewell. Spring water in Buxton. Stilton from Hartington and food for thought throughout the whole region. And some of the nations best food can be found in the restaurants and Peak District Hotels that are in abundance within the area.
If you're planning to stay for a few days, check out the Peak District Holiday Accommodation section where you can choose from quaint self-catering peak district cottages, or homely peak district bed and breakfast, campsites in the peak district or youth hostels. The Peak District also offers hotels to suit every budget. For the Peak District Cottage Of The Week just take a peek!
The Peak District's a paradise for sports enthusiasts, outdoor aficionados and fresh air fiends. For water lovers, Carsington Water, England's ninth largest reservoir, is a popular venue with an onsite exhibition showing how Severn Trent distributes local water supplies. There are shops, restaurants, a visitor centre, and a sailing club: activities for all the family! Pull on your walking boots and try out one of the thousands of trails, paths and routes zigzagging the hills, valleys and waterways. See Walking In The Peaks for guidance on where to head for.
Monsal Dale is one of the prettiest photographic shoots in Derbyshire .From its source on the gritstone moorlands west of Buxton, the River Wye cuts a southerly course through limestone country to Rowsley where it meets the River Derwent. It is not many miles long but it passes through some superb scenery, and a few dales. Monsal Dale is that part of the Wye valley between Water cum Jolly dale and the foot of Taddington dale, where it meets the A6 road. Here the valley is horse shoe shaped and sitting at the crest is Monsal Head, which provides one of the finest viewpoints in Derbyshire of the dale and river deep down below and of the aqueduct that once carried the Midland Red Railway Line but which has now mellowed considerably into the surrounding countryside. At the head is a hotel, bar and resturant and a large pay and display car park to cater for the thousands of visitors to it every year.This is a famous meeting point for camera clubs around the UK . A short walk can be be made down into the dale, from here, and back up the other side of the river, passing the point where the Wye tumbles over a weir that has featured on many post cards and calenders. High on the left stands the prominent headland of Fin Cop, a landslip which has traces of an iron age fortification at its summit. This is the only fort, of this particular era to be identified on the limestone, but the interior has been levelled by modern farming. Another natural rock formation here is known as Hob's House. Legend has it, that Hob was a giant who emerged at night to thresh the corn of local farmers, who in turn rewarded him with a bowl of cream. The viaduct was build in 1863 despite much protest at the time. It was the cause of John Ruskins famous outburst about the valley being gone and now every fool in Buxton can be in Bakewell in half an hour and every fool in Bakewell in Buxton. The Peak section of the line closed in the late 1960's and in 1980 the track was bought by the National Park who converted it into an 8 and a half mile footpath called the Monsal Trail., linking Coombs Road viaduct, south east of Bakewell to Wyedale, east of Buxton. Since then, several tunnels en route have had to be closed for safety reasons, but alternative paths have been opened.
ALL of the above has been brought to you by www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk , a 4000 page website on where to go and what to do in the peak district , from Peak District Hotels to wonderful Peak District Cottages , all with easy access to fantastic photographic opportunities!
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