Peak District tips

[Holidays4Ever]

I’d like to go in the Peak District in summer 2025, have never been before and I’m finding so many things I’d like to do but they are all over the place ! probably no more than 7 days to keep costs down. Any recommendations?

We will be driving from South East England, dc2 age 7 and dc2 age 14, both very outdoorsy but less hiking and more scrambling on rocks, mountain biking, wading in streams and climbing trees. The 14 year old still enjoys a good adventure playground, and both are good climbers (but only experienced on roped indoor walls or bouldering).

I was initially thinking of the YH Ilam Hall, and use that as a base to take days out - I’d love to see Chatsworth House. Alternatively happy to self-cater in a holiday home.

Any brilliant ideas where to base ourselves and things to do?

I did think about Matlock Spa too as looks like that area would be entertaining, but is it too far to happily day trip to Chatsworth?

Matlock is only 20 mins drive from Chatsworth (where there’s a good adventure playground), and it’s also really handy for lots of other things they’ll enjoy: Heights of Abraham (and the show caverns), The Lost Cauldron Gift Shop, Black Rocks and Gulliver’s Kingdom. There’s also river tubing https://www.rapidhorizons.com/tubing-adventures

Matlock it is. The river tubing looks fabulous.
I suspect I should have put this thread on UK Travel - sorry everyone!

Chatsworth and the gardens are wonderful. Plenty of space for kids to scramble over rocks and explore. Crich Tram museum is worth a visit too.

If your kids like scrambling and river wading take them to padley gorge. It's near Grindleford. Excellent place to explore, climb and have a wade in the river.

I think Matlock is good for a day trip but expensive.
You could always stay in Sheffield. It's less than 20minutes from the Peak District and less than 30 to chatsworth. Chatsworth is nice the adventure playground is good. You can buy tickets for individual parts eg farm+adventure playground. I personally wouldn't pay to take a 7 year old round the house or gardens but if you've got the budget you can.

Ecclesbourne Railway - check their timetableyou might get a steam train.

Also Haddon Hall and Hardwick Hall are possible days out.

Dovedale is popular.
Stanage Edge for rocks
Padley Gorge walk to Grindleford and have the best chip butty at the cafe by the train station. Or walk Grindleford to Hathersage.
Outdoor lido at Hathersage - and a decent cafe attached to it.
Monsal Head - walk or bike.
Chatsworth is certainly worth a visit and walk to the tower through the woods. Gardens are great - theres a maze!.

YHA Castleton is a great YHA has a yurt if it’s not already booked. It’s Central for the caves (3 within walking distance) and Pevril castle. Buxton is also very nice with a lovely Victorian theatre and glass house.

Matlock is good heights of Abraham worth a visit too.

Monsal trail is great for biking or just walking. Goes through some really cool tunnels. There's also lots of nice villages like Bakewell nearby.
And I would also suggest the caves at Castleton. One of them goes in a boat which is special.

Buxton is lovely (Buxtonian here). Pooles Cavern is great. Solomon's temple and corbar cross are nice walks.

We stayed in Millers Dale in this cottage and it was absolutely fantastic, great walks and bike rides on your door step and loads of brilliant places within a short drive, I really want to go back! Millers Dale station house

Recommend the Peak District Kids website - it is excellent for suggestions.

Thanks for all these suggestions everyone - like I said, there is SO much to do!

I drove all the way to France this year, and it was a little too hot, and I found myself thinking “so much of England I haven’t explored, let alone Wales and Scotland, I need to make some effort to holiday closer to home.”

I am making a long list of things to do. Plotting them on a map to see where everything is!

@whosaidtha , I wouldn’t have thought of staying in Sheffield. I’ll investigate!

@Doingthework staying in a yurt might be okay if we could use the YHA facilities. The kids would love it I expect, so worth considering.

@2catsand2kids That cottage is gorgeous. I need to think about my budget but it might be do-able.

We’ve started doing this the last few years and save our abroad holiday for either October half term or Xmas…

We loved the Peak District!
We stayed in Bakewell which is a great base and beautiful in itself.

• we did the open top bus to Chatworth house, it’s a round trip from Bakewell
• We did the Monsal Trail bike ride, you can hire bikes, takes you through old railway tunnels and over the viaduct, great fun!
• We went to Matlock and did the Heights of Abraham, great day out, the caves were a highlight!
• We went to Lyme Park (which is where they filmed Pride & Prejudice - Colin Firth edition!) so I way preferred it to Chatsworth.
• And we also went to Sheffield for the day!

Highly recommend :)

In Birchover you have Rowtor rocks and Robin Hood's stride which are good for bouldering style climbing etc. The Monsal trail has been mentioned but there is also the High Peak trail. There are many walks as part of the Dovedale river you can walk along and paddle. There is an outside river swimming pool at Youlgreave too.