Peak District with 3 and 1 year old - recommendations please.

[bluebear]

Dh is wanting to spend a weekend in the Peak District so he can go climbing with some friends - leaving me to entertain an almost 4 year old ds and an 18 month old dd for most of a day...Anyone got any recommendations for a local attraction to entertain us?
We haven't booked accomodation yet so we could make sure we were within reasonable distance of any attraction.

(Or shall I insist that he lets us stay at home in peace whilst he clings to a rockface

There is a great farm called white post farm which is near mansfield in notts. I guess it would be around 3/4 hr journey from most places in peak district. has plenty to do in all weathers, baby animal holding, big playground, we love it there!!!this is their website!

Being a Nottingham girl I regularly go to the Peak District. I know in the Bakewell Tourist Information Centre they do books on where to go with children/walks with children etc - I know because I always think "I must buy these" but dd is only 7 months. I'm sure if you give them a ring or look at their website they would be happy to help.

I've got a vague recollection that Chatsworth House had a little farm with baby animals but this was when I was little - about 30 years ago - so not the most up-to-date information!

If it's nice weather then a pic nic at padley Gorge is fab. It's a lovely stream with places a four year old can paddle, rocks to jump about on, mud to grub around in. take my dds there whenever we visit my mum. It's fab. If your dh is climbing it's very likely close to where he'll want to be. where are you headed?

hotmama is right about Chatsworth - the farm and playfround there is fab - also close to some of the main climbing areas

Chatsworth sounds good - and White post farm - Ds has been quite ill recently and so isn't up to much running/jumping around so probably can't go walking with him ( which is a real shame as i love hill walking and can't wait to enjoy it with the kids)

Hatsoff - Not sure where he's climbing - he knows the area well, climbed a lot in life before kids, but I've never been with him (I'm not built in the right shape for climbing )

you can park on the main road near Padley Gorge and you just literally walk for 5 minuntes to get down to the stream. If he's climbing in the Grindleford/Hathersage area - which is quite likely - then both Padley and Chatsworth are near. He'll probably know Grindleford Station cafe - regular haunt of climbers and walkers - not a bad place to take kids - they can watch for trains coming out of the tunnel and walk to a different bit of Padley Gorge, just over the railway Bridge. I worked at the station caf for most of my teenage years.

Wow - sounds great.

I've just found a website for a farm B and B where the kids get to feed the animals in the morning or can have a tour of the farm - and they can fit us together in one room.

Both kids are mad about trains...and I'm mad about cafes...so suits us fine.

I'm not sure you'd be mad about the Station Caf. Climbers love it for its huge piles of chips and pints of tea, but it's pretty grotty. has a sort of character all its own I guess. enjoy your trip - it's a beautiful part of the country, give it a hug from me

chips ...and no dh to 'remind' me about my diet.

Chatsworth is fab, highly recommend it!