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It’s difficult to imagine today, but at one time the northern part of Derbyshire was a desert of drifting sand dunes, much like the modern Sahara. Later it was submerged beneath an inland sea.

Finally it fell victim to the Ice Age which, inch by inch, nurtured its great rocky heights and curvaceous valleys.

Thanks to such geological manipulation it’s an area that can rightly claim to be one of the most varied in Britain, with a landscape that rolls out like a multi-layered carpet.

It has tranquil, sheep-grazed dales and harsh, rock-strutting peaks while numerous historic houses and butter-coloured farmsteads beckon you across hissing brooks and meadows strewn with wild flowers.

Yet this is only part of the story of a locale filled with the remnants of ancient industry, a jigsaw of dry-stone walls, wide, awe-inspiring vistas and an unyielding sense of longevity. Surprisingly, this county has more historic National Trust properties than anywhere else in the country.

And it happens to be home for Britain’s first-ever national park, the Peak District National Park, which offers an unbeatably photogenic terrain that holds a rare appeal for the casual sightseeing motorist, the horseman, cyclists and battle-hardened ramblers.

Within the 500-or-so square miles of the Peaks, which is richly blessed with wildlife and distinctive flora, you will come across places such as Castleton, famous for its fabulous caves; the ever-courteous county town of Matlock, with its exciting Heights of Abraham and fascinating museums; Eyam, one of the best preserved villages in the Peaks which is celebrated as the ‘plague village’ after its population went into voluntary quarantine in 1665 as the Black Death swept north from London; and Buxton, an old spa town with one of the country’s finest Georgian crescents.

River Wye at Bakewell plus Church in the distance
Bakewell - Photo by Edward Rokita

Buxton Pavilion
Buxton - Photo by Edward Rokita

You will certainly wish to visit beautiful Dovedale and the Manifold Valley to seek out unspoiled villages, gently-sipping streams and stress-free scenery. And don’t miss the delightful Goyt Valley, Carsington Water or Edale, the start of Britain’s best-known long distance footpath, the 250-mile Pennine Way.

History buffs should take a look at Arbor Low near Middleton-by-Youlgreave. This is an enigmatic stone circle and henge thought to have been built around 4,000BC. It stands 250 feet across and must have possessed great power in pre-history.

Chesterfield Town Hall and Market

Chesterfield - Photo by Edward Rokita

Chesterfield Church and Crooked Tower

The word ‘Peak’, by the way, is something of a misnomer because rather than being named after any true mountains, the area probably took its title from the pre-historic Pecseaton people who lived here 10,000 years ago.

The so-called High Peak, in the north, is a place of rugged millstone grit with heather moorlands. Kinder Scout is the highest point while Mam Tor - the ‘shivering mountain’ - is the Dark Peak and the start of the Pennine Way. Close by are towns such as Glossop and Chapel-en-le-Frith.

This higher land is a natural playground for climbers and cavers, though other sports such as hang-gliding, paragliding and microliting have taken off, so to speak, more recently. Shining Tor, Stanage Edge, near Hathersage, and the Roaches are among the most popular places for such pursuits.

Water sports are also important because the many lakes of the Peaks provide ideal conditions for sailing, canoeing, kayaking and windsurfing. For anglers the area has special significance - it was the meandering River Dove that inspired that great fishing icon Izaak Walton to pen his treatise ‘The Compleat Angler’ in the 17^th century.

Matlock Bath Venetian Nights
Matlock Bath - Photo by Edward Rokita

The Derbyshire Dales are further south and include The White Peak and the Hope Valley, a riotously varied landscape of gorges, cliffs, caves, pure-water streams and idyllic hamlets with duck ponds and tourist-friendly manor houses.

The Baroque mansion Chatsworth House, near Bakewell, is certainly the most famous stately home in the Peaks. Known locally as the Palace of the Peak , it was built in the late 17^th century to replace an earlier house created by Bess of Hardwick. Its luxuriously grounds were landscaped by none other than Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in 1760.

Other tucked-away treasures include Hardwick Hall – also commissioned by Bess of Hardwick – and the charmingly atmospheric Haddon Hall. The Norman ruins of Peveril Castle refuse to be ignored because they sit on top of a cliff at Castleton, offering superlative views of the world below.

Among the many lakes and reservoirs in the District are Ladybower on the River Derwent. It was completed in 1945 and involved the sinking of both the villages of Derwent and Ashopton. Earlier it had witnessed the testing by Barnes Wallis of his bouncing dambusting bombs.

History-lovers will certainly wish to visit the many local museums, art galleries and ‘working’ museums, although some would prefer to head for the Staffordshire Moorlands and its famous theme park, Alton Towers.

An interesting alternative would be a ride on the Churnet Valley Railway, near Leek, followed by a trip along the Caldon Canal on a narrowboat. Or you could take a trip to Hathersage church to see the 10ft long grave of Little John, one of Robin Hood's outlaws. The tomb was apparently opened during the 19th century and a 32-inch thighbone recovered!

Tourist Information Centres:

BAKEWELL
Old Market Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1DS
Tel: 01629 816558
E-mail: bakewell@peakdistrict.gov.uk

BUXTON
The Crescent, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6BQ.
Tel: 01298 25106 Fax: 01298 73153

CHESTERFIELD
Rykneld Square, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 1SB
Tel: 01246 345777 / 8

GLOSSOP
Victoria St, Glossop, Derbyshire, SK13 8HT
Tel/Fax 01457 855920
Web: www.glossoptouristcentre.co.uk

MATLOCK
Crown Square, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE3 3AT.
Tel: 01629 583388

MATLOCK BATH
The Pavilion, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, DE4 3NR
Tel: 01629 55082 Fax: 01629 56304

Useful Links:

Car Parking in North Derbyshire - www.where2park.net

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