Peak District

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Justin Foulkes

Overview

Rolling across the Pennines' southernmost hills is the glorious Peak District National Park. Ancient stone villages are folded into creases in the landscape, and the hillsides are littered with stately homes and rocky outcrops. The Dark Peak is dominated by exposed moorland and gritstone 'edges', while to the south, the White Peak is made up of the limestone dales.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Chatsworth House

Peak District

Known as the 'Palace of the Peak', this vast edifice 3 miles northeast of Bakewell has been occupied by the earls and dukes of Devonshire for centuries…
Pavilion Gardens

Peak District

Adjoining Buxton's opulent opera house are the equally flamboyant Pavilion Gardens. These 9.3 hectares are dotted with domed pavilions; concerts take…
Haddon Hall

Peak District

With stone turrets, time-worn timbers and walled gardens, Haddon Hall, 2 miles south of Bakewell on the A6, looks exactly like a medieval manor house…
Cathedral of the Peak

Peak District

Dominating the former lead-mining village of Tideswell, the massive parish church of St John the Baptist – aka the Cathedral of the Peak – has stood here…
Buxton Crescent & Thermal Spa

Peak District

In Victorian times, spa activities centred on Buxton's extravagant baths, built in Regency style in 1854 and fronted by the Crescent, a grand, curving…
Poole's Cavern

Peak District

A pleasant mile-long stroll southwest from the town centre brings you to Poole's Cavern. This magnificent natural limestone cavern is reached by…
Thornbridge Brewery

Peak District

Brews by this riverside brewery include bottled varieties (such as a fruity strawberry-blonde ale, I Love You Will You Marry Me), keg beers (eg its Vienna…
Peveril Castle

Peak District

Topping the ridge to the south of Castleton, a 350m walk from the town centre, this evocative castle has been so ravaged by the centuries that it almost…