Local Attractions

The Peak District is one of the most beautiful areas of the United Kingdom. It ranges from unspoilt wilderness to historic sites to bustling towns and villages. The High Peaks, forming the start of the Pennine Way, with their vast gritstone moorlands give way to verdant green valleys. It’s an outdoor paradise much loved by walkers and climbers, cavers and cyclists, those who like to fish and those who like to sail.

And yet it’s but a short drive for most of England’s population, being surrounded by the major cities of Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham. As befits such a central location it’s easy to reach whether you’re coming for a well-earned short break or a much longer stay.

The treasure houses of Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall are within three miles of Manor Court Cottages – and are as famous now as stunning film locations as they are for their vast and fascinating histories. A little further afield are Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle, and dominating the Hope Valley you’ll find the dramatic Norman ruins of Peveril Castle looming over the busy limestone village of Castleton. Castleton is also known for its caverns: the charmingly named Devil’s Arse, the Blue John Cavern where the famed Derbyshire gemstone was mined for centuries, and Speedwell Cavern in which an underground boat trip leads to the Bottomless Pit.

The Derwent Valley leads from the north of the district, where the peaceful Ladybower Reservoir was by contrast the scene of the practice sessions for the World War II Dambusters, down through the beauties of the Peak to south of Matlock where Richard Arkwright built his historic mills. This area is now a World Heritage Site – and provides a fascinating insight as to how some of the country’s most beautiful scenery provided the engine room for the Industrial Revolution.

Bustling Bakewell is our local town and is less than 2 miles away. It’s got its popular Monday Market – one of the best in the country – and has a fine range of shops and services, restaurants and cultural activities. The Little Royal – Bakewell Show – is held each August and the town is probably most famous for its Puddings. Bakewell Carnival, a hectic week of events and celebrations known as Derbyshire’s finest, takes place in the week leading up to the first Saturday in July, and then there’s the Bakewell Arts Festival later in the summer.

If for some reason you tire of the endless countryside, breathtaking views and country pubs, then within an hour’s drive there are the thrills of Alton Towers and the retail therapy of Meadowhall and the Trafford Centre. It’s idyllic but not isolated.