| info@peakdistrictonline.co.uk Tel: 0845 166 8022 |
|
| Ranger Gallery | RANGERS | Peak District Rangers | Join The Rangers | Peak District News | Derbyshire News | Weather Forecast | Have Your Say | Peak District Online | Holiday Accommodation Peak District |
|
Print-friendly version
Peak District Online  The Peak District National Park is extensive and diverse and can be divided into sections known as The Dark Peak, The White Peak, The Staffordshire Moorlands and the Derbyshire Dales. The cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Derby are excluded from the National Park, its largest town being Bakewell which is the capital of the Peak District and contains the Peak District National Park headquarters at Aldern House. Buxton, which is often described as the cultural capital of the Peak District is surprisingly omitted, the boundary sweeping almost 360 degrees to exclude it, and the towns of Ashbourne, Belper, Matlock, Leek , Chesterfield and Dronfield also lie just over the border. What the Peak District does contain however are lots of wonderful village, some containing chocolate box pretty cottages or character properties oozing with charm. Together with valuable housing, business premises, shops and village stores these villages in the peaks help to support the communities which live and work here together with the millions of visitors who pass through each year. Some of the villages in the peaks are steeped in history, their names familiar and appearing in many of the guide books, such as Chatsworth, Eyam, Dove Dale, Castleton and Padley, whilst others such as Ible,Pike Hall, Parsley Hay, Oker and Bretton are so small that they hardly raise a mention. Centuries ago it was quite a challenge to travel through the vast tracts of uncultivated open land, moors and bogs so markers were erected such as the crosses at Wheston and Hope. The routes of old drovers roads and salt ways can still be found like the medieval portway which ran north from Derby passing through Grange Mill before leading north to Castleton, whilst packhorse routes and holloways can still be traced around Glossop, Hayfield, Thornhill, Wardlow and the aptly named Holloway. Running down the eastern flank of the Peak District are glacially formed Edges or escarpments, often featuring huge unusual shaped gritstone boulders with strange names. Some of these Edges take the name of the village above which they tower such as Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge. Behind the Edges lie long stretches of high moorland which you must cross before you reach the villages of Barlow and Holmesfield, both commuter belt land for Chesterfield and Sheffield. Stanton moor sits like a raised oasis of sandstone above Darley Dale and Birchover. The White Peak was named after the mile upon mile of limestone dry walls which divide it, with none more evident than those surrounding Flagg, Chelmorton, Newhaven and Sheldon. Some villages in the Peaks are found on remote hilltops where years ago little farmsteads eked out a living from the land. Abney, Butterton, Elton, Flash, Grindon, Hollingsclough and Warslow have names that almost sound synonymous with hard times. Peak Forest on the other hand takes its name from The Royal Forest of the Peak which back in the 13th century was a wooded expanse in the north of the Peak District where royal shooting parties would hunt deer, wild boar and even wolves. Chapel-en-le-Frith was another settlement in the Royal Forest, its name meaning Chapel in the Forest. Chinley is a more modern village in the peak, being established in Victorian times at a junction of railway lines which then led to Manchester, Stockport, Sheffield, Derby and London. Villages in the Peak to the south of the region around Ashbourne are dramatically different from those to the north, often with rosy red bricks, Higham, Hognaston and Fenny Bentley being prime examples. The Peak District contains several rivers that started life as rain falling on the high land and moors, the most important being the River Derwent which has three dams in succession within the first few miles of its source. After cascading over Derwent, Howden and Ladybower, the river flows down the valley passing Bamford, Hathersage , Grindleford, Calver, Baslow, Rowsley, Matlock, Matlock Bath, Cromford, Whatstandwell, Ambergate and Belper before it reaches the county capital of Derby after which it joins forces with the Trent. The River Wye flows through dramatic scenery on its route east from Buxton, including Millers Dale , Cressbrook, Ashford-In-The-Water, Bakewell and Rowsley where it unites with the Derwent just after powering the waterwheel at Rowsley Mill The little river Noe has the Vale of Edale all to itself before it runs into the Derwent at Shatton, whilst the Amber which meanders through Ashover has a valley named after it - the Amber Valley. The rivers Lathkill and Bradford are said to be amongst the purest in the country and flow through nature reserves, overlooked by the villages of Monyash, Over Haddon, Youlgreave and Alport. But one of the most famous of Peak District rivers is of course our wonderful Dove, the drama queen of the dales which entices the most visitors to walk along its banks. Only the little hamlets of Crowdecote, Milldale and Mappleton can boast to be sited by its side, but Hartington, Alstonefield, Thorpe, Longnor and Sheen are but a mere footpath away. Some villages in the peaks are so special that they are named twice! Middleton-by-Youlgreave is a short distance from Youlgreave and Middleton-by-Wirksworth can be found a mile or so from Wirksworth. Then there's Little Longstone and Great Longstone, Little Hucklow and Great Hucklow not to mention Stanton-in-the-Peak and Stanton Lees. Chatsworth House is the jewel in the Peak District crown, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Also owned by the estate are several villages in the Peaks including Beeley, Pilsley, Edensor and several properties at Wetton. The little peak district village of Hassop is dominated by Hassop Hall, Snitterton by Snitterton Hall, Alderwasley by Alderwasley Hall and Tissington by Tissington Hall which remains an estate village owned entirely by the FitzHerbert family. Wingfield Manor near South Wingfield may now be nothing more than a ruin, but it survived many battles and for a time was used as a prison for Mary Queen of Scots. Her freedom was foiled by a plot thought up by Thomas Babington of Dethick after which both of them met a premature death at the hands of an executioner. Riber has a castle and a hall amongst its handful of properties, whilst the peak district villages of King Sterndale and Earl Sterndale have regal sounding names. The residents may not be aristocrats, but they certainly consider their homes to be little palaces! Some villages in the peak are famed for a feature or nearby place of interest such as Crich and Crich Stand, Carsington and Carsington Water, Tideswell and the Cathedral of the Peak, but does anyone remember the sad story of the lone tree at Oker. Bradwell on the other hand is famous for its scrumptious ice cream! Customs and traditions abound in the villages in the Peak, many having an annual well dressing ceremony where wells which provided valuable water before the onset of the mains supply are blessed by a pictorial floral arrangement. Amongst the villages taking part are Bonsall, Brassington, Foolow, Litton, Longnor, Parwich , Stoney Middleton , Taddington and Wormhill . Winster has a shrove tide pancake race down the village street and Castleton has an annual garland ceremony. Surrounded by wonderful Peak District countryside makes living in one of the villages in the peaks a blessing, often expensive but always appreciated.  For more information on Stately homes please visit Derbyshire Country Houses Arts, Crafts and Museums Throughout the Peak District there are a variety of museums and Arts and Crafts Shops showing work from famous artists to local artists who have taken inspiritation from the beautiful surroundings. The Peak Districts vast sources of natural materials are used by the many established Peak District craft workers to create and inspire. For more information on Arts, Crafts and Museums please visit Peak District Arts & Crafts Outdoor Pursuits Fishing is one of Englands most popular sports/pastimes and in The Peak District you will find an excellent choice of rivers and lakes to try and catch that elusive Big One. If fishing is something new to you there are fishing schools and tutors that can teach you from the basics to the advanced. The Peak Districts landscape means it is a Mecca for climbers; thousands of climbing enthusiasts take to the crags each year. Stanage, Burbage, Curbar and Froggatt edge are some of the popular areas for climbers. The peak district has climbing to occupy the enthusiastic beginner through to the world-class athlete visiting from abroad. Walking Walking has to be the most popular activity in The Peak District and that is for a reason it is home to beautiful scenery and has terrain that can provide you with any walking route you require from a Sunday stroll or for the more adventurous a hike through rugged terrain. For more information on Walking please visit Peak District Walking Peak District Holidays are an experience to treasure, so special that you will want to return time and time again. We have dramatic scenery patiently waiting to be captured on your cameras, which has taken millions of years to be formed into the breathtakingly beautiful rolling hills of the White Peak, the tranquil and serene Derbyshire Dales or the rugged moorland pinnacle known as the Dark Peak which can be foreboding and fearsome in bad weather or heaven on earth when the sun is shining. Down the eastern flank of the Peak District is an impressive backbone of glacial Edges fringed with footpaths. Mountain Biking and Cycling The sport of mountain biking is extremely popular in the Peak District, especially around Edale and the Hope valley. Traversing the hillsides on a bike is an exhilarating (and often exhausting and dirty) experience and it is possible to cover considerable distances over unlikely looking terrain. You can find large groups of riders around these areas most weekends. There main centres for mountain biking are around the Hope Valley and the Upper Derwent valley, though good routes also start from Hayfield, Peak Forest, Eyam and Tideswell - just to give a few examples. Cycling routes are all over the Peak District and there are cycle hire centres in Bakewell, Ashbourne and Derwent. For more information on Mountain Biking and Cycling please visit Cycling In The Peak District Accommodation There are thousands of Cottages, Hotels, B&BS, Farms and many more choices of accommodation in the Peak District and for whatever your length of stay you can be sure there is the right accommodation for you. Stay in a 4 star hotel in luxury or set up camp in a one of the hundreds of campsites. Stay on a working farm or relax in a lodge in one of the many Country parks. Peak district hotels abound with hotels in the peak district being some of the most sought after hotels in the country. From the smallest Peak district hotel to some of the largest hotels in the peak district , all offer a warm welcome ready for the day ahead ! For more information on Accommodation please visit Accommodation In The Peak District Food and Drink The Peak District offers a vast choice of dining experiences. Whether you prefer a carvery meal in a traditional pub or the whole haute cuisine experience, there are cafes, bistros, restaurants and tearooms all waiting to take your order. Eating out in the Peaks guarantees two things diversity and hospitality. The Peak District is fast becoming renowned for its gastronomy and thanks to the rich supply of local specialities; diners can enjoy fresh produce, tasty cheeses, organic meats and robust puddings. Eating Out in the Peaks provides culinary experiences sure to satisfy the heartiest of appetites as well as the most discerning of customers. Peak District cafes and bistros pride themselves on welcoming visitors whether they seek a restorative cup of tea, a relaxing glass of wine or a full-blown three course meal. For more information on Food and Drink please visit Food And Drink In The Peak District Peak District Village Websites Just launching for 2008 ! A number of village sites for the community - check out Foolow more soon! Farmers Markets Farmers' markets have existed since the dawn of agriculture and the birth of commerce. They differ from conventional markets in that farmers are present in person to sell their produce and goods to the general public whether this is jam, bread, vegetables, fruit, meat or dairy produce. There is no middleman. It's an honest, traditional and typically rural way of operating and is enjoying increased popularity across the UK, and especially in the Peak District where there is such a wonderful range of local produce. For more information on Farmers Markets please visit Farmers Markets In The Peak District |
|
| Peak District Rangers - - Tel: 0845 166 8022 Email: info@peakdistrictonline.co.uk Copyright © Peak District Rangers 2010. Peak District Cottages by Peak District Online. |