The Peak District, UK

Highlights

Longshaw Estate and Padley Gorge
Burbage Rocks
Mam Tor and Castleton
Chatsworth
The Monsal Trail and Viaduct
Matlock and Matlock Bath
Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs
Buxton

Why visit the Peak District?

For pretty market towns, grand country estates, dramatic landscapes and fantastic hiking.

Getting There and Around

Driving by car is easiest for visiting the National Park but not the most sustainable option.

The National Park gets very busy during the summer and on weekends so it’s best to arrive early in the day to get a parking space.

There are buses from Sheffield to the Peak District (bus number 218), as well as a local railway network with stations at Buxton, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Grindleford and Hathersage. The Peak District is very easy to reach by train from both Sheffield and Manchester.

Accommodation

We have lived in Sheffield for 20 years and have camped in the Peak District numerous times. Our favourite campsites with children are Staden Grange near Buxton and Barn Farm near Birchover. The National Trust and Chatsworth Estates have a number of holiday lets in the area. Alternatively, stay in Sheffield or Manchester and take day trips to the National Park.

Longshaw Estate & Padley Gorge

This was our go-to Peak District walk when our kids were little. It is a 15 minute drive from where we live in Sheffield.
It’s an easy and fairly flat 2 mile walk. The walk has fantastic views over to Burbage Rocks and Sunrise View.
In summer there is an ice cream van at the Gorge.
There is a large car park, visitor centre and a newly renovated cafe, all operated by the National Trust.
An alternative is to visit by train and walk to Padley Gorge from Grindleford, where the station cafe does the best chips!

Burbage Rocks

Our kids love this walk as it’s a bit more challenging and has streams to walk through and rocks to scramble over.
We usually start at Burbage Bridge, walk up to Higor Tor, down and round back to the Bridge. A longer version starts at Surprise View and approaches Higer Tor from the south.
An even longer version would start at the Longshaw Estate car park.
These are circular routes that can also be done in reverse.

Mam Tor and Castleton

Castleton is one of the more touristy parts of the Peak District and is popular with walkers and people visiting the caves.

A fun thing to do is descend into Speedwell Cavern where you can take a guided boat tour through the caves.

The scenery in this area is simply stunning and the Mam Tor walk is a great one to do with kids. You can walk along Mam Tor and turn back when little kids get tired.

For a longer walk circular walk, continue along the Tor and then descend to Castleton, passing by the YHA, walk through the village and up Winnats Pass back to the start. We also like to start in Castleton and do this walk in reverse. For an even longer walk you can include the hike up to Peveril Castle.

Don’t miss the spectacular Winnats Pass in Castleton

Chatsworth

We have mixed feelings about Chatsworth.

The House is undoubtably magnificent and the grounds and gardens are wonderful, but it’s also a huge feudal estate and the aristocratic Devonshire family still benefits from enormous wealth, privilege and power…

…so we do tend to start talking about revolution and turning the UK into a republic when we think too much about it….

Anyway, family tickets are £75 for the House, Gardens and Farmyard, or £53 without the House. So Friends annual membership can be good value if you intend to visit multiple times.

When they were younger the kids loved the farmyard and playground at Chatsworth. Now that the kids are a bit older, they prefer to explore the gardens which are stunning and vast.
Manicured lawns, fountains and stepped cascades, intricately designed rock gardens with hidden paths, hedge mazes, glass houses and even an underground mining tunnel can keep them busy running, hiding, climbing and playing for hours.

As well as the main House, which is interesting for adults (perhaps less so for kids), gardens and farmyard there are also restaurants, a fantastic farm shop, a garden centre, and shops selling local crafts and gifts.

The Monsal Trail and Viaduct

The Monsal Trail is an old railway line that has been converted into a flat and easy cycle path.

We like to start at the old Hassop Station where there is a cafe, play area, car park and bike hire.

We then cycle the trail through the old railway tunnels to the Monsal Head viaduct.

When the kids were little we hired tandem bikes or bikes with baby seats from Hassop Station Cafe, but now they are older they can manage the ride fairly easily on their own bikes.

The journey is breathtakingly beautiful.

In the other direction, it is a mile to Bakewell which has cute shops and a nice park with a playground.

An alternative route on foot (not bike) is to start at Monsal Head, walk downhill through woodland, and along the River Wye before passing under the viaduct, and back up the (steep) hill to finish.

Howden, Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs

This area is one of our favourite parts of the Peak District.

The Woodcraft Folk (of which we are members) have an outdoor pursuit centre at Lockerbrook Farm which sits wonderfully nestled in the hills above the reservoirs. The holiday cottage there is very reasonably priced.

This part of the Dark Peak offers fantastic walks which are more challenging than the others in this blog post, but are manageable for older children who walk often.

Some of our favourites from the harder walks are Bamford Edge, Stanage Edge, Win Hill, Cutthroat Bridge, and Lockerbrook.

Perhaps the easiest walk (or bike ride) with kids in this area is Derwent Resevoir. Park at the Fairholmes Car Park where there is a bike hire shop and a cafe.

The cycle route goes across the bottom of the reservoir dam and around the reservoir. On days when the water level is high the water spills over and down the dam which is pretty cool to see.

It’s interesting to learn about the villages of Ashopton and Derwent which were flooded when the dam was built and the Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs were formed. When the water levels are low, the top of the old church spire can be seen poking out of the water. Together, the three reservoirs provide the water for much of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

The walk up to Lockerbook Farm is steep and challenging but it’s relatively short (3 miles or so as a round trip) and it rewards walkers with fantastic views.

We start either from Fairholmes Car Park or from Bridge End Car Park. Both have signposted footpaths to Lockerbrook that are easy to follow.

The walk takes in the pine forest, including the logging road, and open moorland with sheep grazing at the top. Don’t forget to close the gates!

Buxton

There are a number of picturesque towns and villages in the Peak District which draw many visitors. We love Bakewell, Castleton and Hathersage but try to visit off-season as they get busy.

Our favourite town to visit in the area is Buxton with its grand Victorian architecture and down-to-earth shops. Buxton has a fantastic park in the town centre. The River Wye runs through the park. The park is home to The Pavillion botanical gardens which is a good option for a rainy day. The park also has two brilliant new playgrounds, a miniature railway, and pretty landscaped grounds.

Final Thoughts

We highly recommend visiting the Peak District national park with kids because there is so much to see and do.

We love the dramatic landscapes of the dark peak moors with their beautiful purple heather, and the sweet market towns in the light peak.

Great walks and cycle rides, hearty food at village pubs, climbing rocks, exploring caves, and splashing through rivers all make the Peak District a perfect family travel destination.