The Peak District National Park

There is a marvellous variety of landscape within the Peak District. The scenery can change quite dramatically in a matter of a few miles, from high unbroken expanses of heather-covered moorland to limestone escarpments and thickly wooded dales, all of which add considerable charm and appeal to the region.
The Peak District National Park has adopted the millstone as its symbol – look out for them by the roadside of the Park boundaries. Millstones were actually used by many industries as grinding stones. You can still see some of them abandoned and half-finished in old grit stone quarries.
The Peak District has two distinctly different types of countryside, each of which has its own special group of animals, birds and plants associated with it.

The wild and rugged countryside is a particular favourite with walking and climbing enthusiasts. The hard yellow-brown millstone grit, the dark peat-covered red summits and miles of dark stone walls help give the Dark Peak its name.

• Kinder Scout is one of the highest parts of the Peak District. It’s a flat plateau, dotted with rocks weathered into unusual shapes is quite remarkable. After heavy rain, you can see the spectacular ‘Downfall’ as it cascades 100 feet down the mountain side. A wonderful challenge for experienced walkers!
• High Peaks with gritstone edges are quite amazing as they come into view, in parts stretching as far as the eye can see.
• Scenic Views of beautiful lakes. The upper stretches of the River Derwent form the picturesque reservoirs of Howden, Derwent and Ladybower. The Royal Air Force used the reservoirs to practice for the famous ‘Dambusters Raid’ during the Second World War.
  Fernilee and Errwood reservoirs are set amidst the wild beauty of the Goyt Valley which lies north-west of Buxton.
• Flora and Fauna Vast expanses of bright purple heather, bilberry and white-tufted cotton grass characterise the peat moors of the Dark Peak. These are the haunts of the mountain hare, red grouse, golden plover and curlew, whose eerie call seems to symbolise the wild dark peak.
  In the lower, rough pastures of the hillsides, patches of bracken and gorse scent the air with their sweet smells. Lapwing, skylark and snipe breed here and you might see a tawny owl, as they often fly during the day, unlike other owls.

This is the greater part of the central and southern areas of the Peak District. As one looks at the miles of bright, white stone walls you’ll understand the reason for its name. Other characteristics of the area are the steep-sided, wooded dales, bight green pastureland and the stark limestone crags and cliffs.

• Derbyshire Dales Perhaps the best known are Dovedale and Lathkill Dale for their pleasant walks and spectacular rock outcrops, there are many others to explore which are every bit as beautiful but less frequented.
• Stone Walls do feature prominently in both the Dark and White Peak countryside The fields around Chelmorton have been declared an historic landscape as they are a wonderful example of mediaeval strip cultivation.
• Vanishing Rivers! The Manifold and Lathkill rivers in times of drought disappear underground, leaving their ‘beds’ for some distance and then bubbling up again further downstream.
• Flora and Fauna In spring and early summer there is a veritable flower show to be seen. Some of the flowers are unique to the limestone area. By the rivers you’ll find ramsons with its unmistakable smell of garlic! Among others are meadowsweet and the golden marsh marigold. On higher ground mountain pansies, scabious, eyebright, harebell and the tiny white flowers of spring sandwort are to be found. In wooded areas, you should be able to see treecreepers, long-tailed tits and wheatear.

Nearby are the towns and villages of:- Bakewell famous for its ‘pudding’. Matlock, another former spa town offers a spectacular cable car ride to the Heights of Abraham. Eyam, well-known as the ‘Plague Village’ and Tideswell’s church is noted as the ‘Cathedral of the Peak’. Castleton has its caves and castle ruins and of course, Blue John Stone. The cobbled yards and antique shops of Ashbourne and the ancient market town of Leek which borders on the Staffordshire Moorlands are both also worth visiting.

Stately Homes
Chatsworth. The country seat of the Duke of Devonshire. Farmyard exhibition, gardens, acres of parkland as well as the wonderful homes itself. Haddon Hall. A fortified mediaeval manor house, with beautiful formal gardens overlooking the River Wye. Riber Castle. The castle and its land have been transformed into a zoo park with a collection of British and other wildlife. Lyme Park. A fine Elizabethan building with later additions, surrounded by large gardens and deer park. Hardwick Hall. An impressive building of the Elizabethan era on a dramatic hill-top site. ‘More glass than wall’ was a description once made because of its enormous windows. Sudbury Hall. An imposing and richly decorated house of Charles II period, with fine carving and ceiling paintings.

Caverns to Visit
Speedwell. A fascinating underground boat trip to see the ‘Bottomless Pit’. Blue John. Vast caverns with many different rock formations. Peak Cavern. Once used for rope making as far back as the 15th century. Treak Cavern. Poole’s Cavern. Described as one of the seven ‘Wonders of the Peak’. Nearby there is a nature trail through woodland to Solomon’s Temple, a stone tower with breath-taking views over Buxton and its surrounding countryside.

Wells Dressings
An ancient custom of decorating springs and wells with flowers to form pictures as a form of thanksgiving for the continuing water supply. The wells dressing is often the centre of a gala week, with a carnival procession led by the Carnival Queen.

Ancient Monuments
The region has a number of prehistoric burial mounds, stone burial chambers and stone circles. Arbor Low on Middleton Moor, Nine Ladies at Stanton Moor, Nine Stones at Harthill Moor (only four stones remain), Melandra Roman Fort near Glossop and Peveril Castle at Castleton.

The Buxton Festival, The Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, The Buxton Jazz Festival, plays, musicals, ballet … Details of productions and special entertainments held at the Buxton Opera House and The Pavilion Gardens are usually advertised the local press.

The Peak District is well known for it's immense wealth of outdoor pursuits, and you’ll find there’s something here for everyone ~ those who enjoy physical activity as well as the ‘lie back–and–relax’ type! The Tourist Information Centre staff will provide you with further information of any of the following activities: Walking, Rock Climbing, Pot-holing, Fishing, Swimming, Hang Gliding, Golf, Nature Trails, Cycling/cycle hire, Guided Walks, Parks and Gardens etc.,