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Places To Visit
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Buxton A spa town 1000 feet up in the Pennines. See the Georgian Crescent, the Pavilion Gardens, the Opera House.
Bakewell, Chatsworth and Haddon Hall
Bakewell is a busy market town, home of the famous Bakewell Puddings. Both Chatsworth and Haddon Hall are a short drive from here. Chatsworth is the splendid home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and has lovely gardens and parkland, an excellent gift shop, and a farm shop with top quality local produce. Haddon Hall is completely different, a medieval stronghold clinging to the rocks above the Wye. The terraced gardens are spectacular in most seasons
Arbor Low
Just off the A515 before Monyash, this is second biggest henge monument in England but with far more atmosphere than Stonehenge. No visitor centre or café here a few minutes walk through the fields and you stand in the middle of the stones, set to catch all the high points in the Peak District no question why this spot was chosen by ancient man.
Ilam
A pretty village just a few miles from Hope, the Hall grounds are owned by the National Trust, who also run a good tea room. The village church is steeped in history. A short drive further takes you to the parking at Thorpe Cloud, and one of the classic views of Dovedale, with stepping stones across the river.
Hardwick Hall, Carnfield Hall and Renishaw Hall Gardens
These three places are quite close to each other, over on the eastern side of the Pennines. Hardwick Hall is a magnificent Elizabethan house with a wonderful collection of embroideries, and lovely gardens. Carnfield Hall is a real one-off. Look in Hudsons Guide to ring the owner for an appointment to visit. The house is fascinating, and so is the collection of furniture, documents and other treasures inside.
Renishaw Hall Gardens, home of the Sitwell family, are well worth a visit.
Lyme Park
Where the wild hills start to drop down towards Manchester, Lyme Park was home to the Legh family for 600 years. It has a 1400 acre medieval deer park, a 17 acre Victorian garden and a Tudor hall which was transformed into an Italianate palace in the 18th century. It was the location for Pemberley in the BBCs Pride and Prejudice.
Leek
Known as Queen of the Moorlands, Leek is just becoming recognised as a historical jewel the old silk mills and Arts and Crafts heritage, in a high, hilly market town full of architectural gems. In St Edwards Church there are stone crosses from the C7, gravestones in French of the naval officers who lived in Leek after their capture in the Napoleonic Wars and late C19 embroideries of outstanding quality.
Macclesfield
This is the home of the English silk industry, and has an excellent museum and heritage centre.
Eyam
This is known as the plague village. The story is told above the old cottage doors, and in the church. The Hall is still a private house, a charming C17 manor house open to visitors.
Castleton and Blue John Mines
This little town is the centre of the Blue John industry. This attractive purplish crystal is only found near here. Most mines are worked out now, but three can be visited and are well worth seeing, as they include ancient limestone caverns with stalagmites and stalactites.
Cromford Mill
There is plenty to see here the heritage centre where the first water-powered cotton mills were developed, the canal which carried the materials in an out. There is a very good bookshop in the little town, and it was in a farm in the hills above where Alison Uttley grew up and thought of her stories about Little Grey Rabbit and Sam Pig.
These are our personal recommendations and we would be glad to hear from you of other places we should include.
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