16 day itinerary
91 pages / 100+ photographs / 4 MB file size

In the centre of England, this National Park is in the southern section of the Pennine Hills.  Explore the famous towns of Buxton, Bakewell and Ashbourne.  Enjoy the beauty of Dove Dale, Monsal Dale and Lathkill Dale.  Admire the glories of Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall.  The walking opportunities are wonderful, taking in dales, moors and gritstone edges.  The area is steeped in history, with many hidden treasures from the past.

Visit Peak District National Park:

White Peak	the southern area - a gentle landscape, with its rivers running through lush meadows and valleys with rocky limestone outcrops
Dark (or High) Peak	the northern area - a wild landscape, with less vegetation, but a place of wonderful solitude
Quaint villages	with plenty of history.  Many have a market square, a cross, a green, and a duck-pond
Wildlife	is in abundance, especially near the rivers in wooded valleys, called dales
Lead mining	was an important industry over the centuries, but the remains now blend pleasantly into the landscape
Footpaths	walk along some of the 1,600 miles of rights of way and over 80 square miles of moorland.  Additionally, there are trails on old railway tracks
Many walks	carefully selected and researched, these all are well described, with good explanations of the interesting features

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Visit pretty villages, including:

Tissington	regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Peak District, with its old cottages, green, duck pond, and magnificent Hall
Ilam	a show-piece village of unusual buildings, with an Eleanor Cross, Hall and shrine to Saint Bertram
Eyam	the famous 1660s plague village, where the locals isolated themselves to prevent the disease from spreading.  There is plenty of interest here
Tideswell	with its church, known as 'The Cathedral of the Peak'
Winster	with about 70 buildings listed for their architectural value, and the Market House, built about 1700
Edensor	the estate village for Chatsworth - rebuilt in the 1830s, because it spoilt the view. John F Kennedy's sister, Kathleen, is buried here
Other villages	many have interesting and historic features, or are simply attractive to drive through.  Visit quaint teashops and traditional pubs

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Visit interesting towns, including:

Bakewell	home of the 1859 Bakewell Pudding, this is a busy little place, with an interesting museum in a 1538 house
Buxton	with its 23 acres of landscaped gardens, laid out in 1871.  Wonderful architecture around The Crescent and the famous Opera House
Castleton	home of the 1176 Peveril Castle, and various caverns, including the only place in the world to mine Blue John
Cromford	nominated a World Heritage Site, for its fascinating industrial archaeology.  In the late 1700s, this is where Sir Richard Arkwright became 'The Father of the Factory System'
Macclesfield	with fascinating museums about its bygone silk industry

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Visit ancestral homes:

Chatsworth	home of the Dukes of Devonshire since 1549.  This is one if the UK's most famous homes to tour, with wonderful water features in the landscaped gardens by 'Capability' Brown
Haddon Hall	a fascinating home, dating from the 1100s, with 1500s terraced rose gardens.  It has been used as a location for many films
Errwood Hall	romantically set in the Goyt Valley about 1840, the remains are still surrounded by many of the Grimshaw family's 40,000 rhododendrons and azaleas

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Visit other interesting places, including:

Arbor Low	this 'Stonehenge of the North' was constructed between 4,500 and 5,000 years ago
Hartington Signal Box	well preserved on the Tissington Trail - formally the Ashbourne to Buxton Railway
Winnats Pass	a steep, narrow valley, with many limestone outcrops
Ladybower and other reservoirs	Derwent Dam was used by Dr Barnes Wallis to test his bouncing bomb.  It was also used by 617 Squadron to practise during World War II, and as a location for The Dam Busters film.  The narrow reservoirs are most attractive
Red House Stables	one of the best collections of carriages in the UK. Many have been used in films
Others	such as Padley Chapel, Litton Mill, Magpie Mine, Roystone Grange, Thor's Cave, Lumsdale and Nine Ladies Stone Circle

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Maps are important on this itinerary.  It is clearly stated which are recommended.