The Peak District

The area around Tideswell is lovely especially Monsal Dale and Monsal Head. Litton Mill is in the same vicinity and is beautiful too. In a different part, over towards Dovedale, there are some good walks with Ashbourne being an interesting town. The village of Tissington is also worth a visit. If you drive down to Dovedale and beyond there are some really good walks with a couple of National Trust places to visit. We have a holiday lodge on a park over looking the Dove Valley and find it an incredibly restful place to stay. I was born in Derbyshire and could bore about the Peak District for ever!

Don't give up on it but keep exploring, you will fall in love!!

I have an excellent book, published by Ordnance Survey, of walks in the Peak District. I don't know if it is still in publication, but it should be. Fully agree with kitty and would add that there are disused railway lines such as the Tissington Trail and the Manifold Trail that are good for walking and cycling - you can hire bikes. If you are interested, you can find all the dates for well dressings on this web site:

www.derbyshireuk.net/derbyshire_welldressing2012.html

My experience of the Peak District is limited to Matlock Bath, which we`ve visited many times, and gone up to the Heights of Abraham in the cable cars, but we learned the hard way not to visit on a bank holiday, you can`t move for motor bikes!

Buxton and Ashford in the Water are great and both have lots of lovely pubs and restaurants. Eyam, Peak and Speedwell Caverns and Blue John Mines are interesting. There's lots of places you could visit along the canal system, like Chapel en le Frith. Something for everyone!

Don't get me started! Try walking along some of the wonderful gritstone edges - Stanage, Derwent, Baslow, Curbar and Froggatt. Derwent Edge has spectacular views of the Ladybower and Derwent reservoirs, and mountain hares in the spring if you're lucky. Most of these edges can be incorporated into a round walk and there is usually a pub or two along the way (The Grouse near Froggatt has good food). Try going from Over Haddon, (near Bakewell) down into Lathkill Dale, up through the dale and then back up to Over Haddon for a shortish but very pretty walk. Or from Youlegreave down into Bradford Dale, up the river to Middleton (which is on the well dressing circuit) and then across the fields at the top of the dale and back down into Youlegreave. Choose a good guide book and go for it! You won't be disappointed.

When I was in a singles group I used to go walking in the Peak District every weekend but it was a good few years ago and I'm not sure how far I can walk these days. And my map reading skills leave a lot to be desired. I've given up a small part time job that was taking up my weekends so hope to have weekends free to try walking again. Crazy to have such beauty on my doorstep and not go there! Wondering if my local u3a go walking there. Will check it out....

Derby u3a go walking in the Peak District on Wednesdays [which is my day off!]. I assume I can join even though I work part time.

I am lucky enough to live just on the edge of the Peak District. Susie cb Hayfield is a lovely village. Great cafe with home made cake and soup. Easy walk along Sett Valley trail and more challenging walks up Kinder.

Thank you for this some lovely suggestions which I will be taking up (probably when this cold spell is over) now its just a decision between golf and walking

I am visiting my sister in Manchester next month, before bringing her back to spend a holiday with me in France. I am very grateful for all these great suggestions as she only gets a day out in the countryside when I take her (two sons live within ten minutes of her,but never invite her on their trips). I am planning to take her to The Lake District, the Trough of Bowland, The Yorkshire Dales and The Peak District. Now I have some good recommendations for places to visit and eat!

Last September, with a group of local friends, we went to Swaledale and stayed at The Punch Bowl Inn (excellent) and went walking from there, maybe susiecb you already know that area but for anyone else, it's a really lovely part of the world. Wenslydale and Richmond nearby.
We go annually to Keswick and Northern Lakes and always by passed Swaledale across the A66, what a mistake.

Sorry, I know that you were talking Peak District and I am a little off the mark but wanted to share my info with you!

DS1 distinguished himself (aged 11) by falling in the Swale and having to walk miles back to the caravan clad only in his father's cagoule. Sorry - completely irrelevant; it was the mention of the Swale that brought this comedy to mind.

I love the Punch Bowl and what a lovely view there. I used to live in Wensleydale and the Three Horsehoes just outside Leyburn is very nice although the landlord was very taciturn the sausages are magic! Leyburn itself has little to recommend it and the pubs are not very good. Lots of pubs have closed in Wensleydale. The Kings Head in Askrigg was the All Creatures Great and Small pub and although it has changed the village is nice and the walks to the waterfalls challenging but lovely. Unfortunately the Aysgarth Falls which are spectacular do not have a very good pub at all so drive on. Hawes is very touristy but the fish and chips are good. Middleham is a nice village esp if you like racehorses several good pubs and wonderful views from the top of the village. I could go on and on but do give West Witton a miss esp the Wensleydale Heifer - now vastly overpriced, touristy and busy.

I looked at annobels link for well dressing and found some beautiful cottages for short term rental Fri/Mon and the prices are very reasonable the diary for well dressing goes on for a few months during the year,I think mr.glamma and I will look into it further thanks.ps.quite a lot of them are pet friendly.

glamma I have to admit that, although I live very close to the Peak District, and always 'mean to' visit some of the well dressings, in 27 years I never have!

If you are coming from the Sheffield side then start at Foxhouse and walk over to Grindleford or Hathersage.
There is of course Chatsworth, if you are not so good at map reading, you can just walk about the extensiver grounds. I would advise taking a packed lunch as Chatsworth has a Nat Trust shop and cafe and the food and snacks are pricy.
As some one who spent my youth in the peak district and who visits it every year when in the UK, my favourite place is Haddon Hall. Lovely!
Bakewell is now too touristy and I avoid it now.

I love Haddon too; it's absolutely timeless. The Long Gallery has to be one of the finest anywhere. Go when the roses are out, though.

Chatsworth is still privately run by the Duke of Devonshire and not the NT. Yes, the restaurant is more pricey than the NT ones, but the quality is good - I still treasure the memory of a raspberry tart!

Yes, Derbyshire.
What a beautiful county.Not only in nature, but every house, cottage, barn, whatever ,looks so smart.
When you visit Monsal head and look down to the valley, it is as if looking at an Old Master Landscape painting.

Chatsworth is still privately owned by the Devonshire's, but Hardwick Hall is now National Trust. The Hall was exchanged in lieu of taxes by the then Duke.
Hardwick is just across from the M1 motorway, between Notts. and Derbys.

Haddon is also privately owned. The estate belongs to the Duke of Rutland, the Manners of Belvoir Castle.