Things to do near Chesterfield

[liveeverysecond]

We've just booked a cottage/house for February half term in Chesterfield. We have 3DDs 10-13 so looking for activities within an hour of Chesterfield to do. Planning a trip to Manchester and Sheffield but it would be nice for something different or any recommendations. TIA

What sort of things are you into?

Hundreds of beautiful walks in Derbyshire and the Peak District, lots of lovely villages and pubs to stop off at too. Bakewell, Matlock (lots to do there), Castleton (with caves to visit)... The list goes on.

Chatsworth house and gardens (nice pubs in Baslow right next to it too).

Towards Mansfield/Nottingham there's Clumber Park (national trust), Rufford Park, Sherwood Pines, Sherwood Forest.

Manchester's quite a drive so I would go for Sheffield if you want to visit a city. But there are some nice towns before you get into Manchester if you drive in that direction - Disley is nice and has Lyme Park (National Trust again but great park land to walk around).

🤣🤣🤣🤣

White Peak is absolutely lovely.
Chatsworth
I like bakewell a lot.

You'll be fine as long as you avoid Chesterfield

Oops, xpost

Heights of Abraham
Gullivers Kingdom or whichever Gullivers is in Matlock
Matlock
Bakewell

Manchester is an odd outing from Chesterfield in my opinion.

Sheffield city centre is rubbish and depressing - full of closed shops. If you want to wander round shops then go to Meadowhall. Otherwise, Chatsworth, Matlock, Bakewell type areas are nice.
I don’t know it well but Nottingham might be nicer than Sheffield if you want a city visit. (I’m born and bred in Sheffield so not dissing it unfairly!)

Manchester is an odd outing from Chesterfield in my opinion.

Haha, yes!
Sheffield is always better than Manchester though!

peak District on your doorstep! Fabulous Walking galore. Days out - chatsworth, Castleton & caves, Matlock & heights of Abraham, Yorkshire sculpture park up the m1, hardwick hall, Buxton, Crich tramway museum

where is home? Are you travelling far? Agree that Manchester an odd day out - you come to get away from the cities ☺️

If your DC are 10+ Gullivers will be a bit young sadly.

Agree re Peaks and nice towns in area - Matlock, Bakewell, Chatsworth, also Haddon Hall if you like an old house.

YY Manchester an odd trip from Chesterfield - blardy long way. If you want a city, Nottingham is nearer. Or Sheffield, obvs.

Hope you like walking tbh as that is the main thing to do there - lots of lovely walks such as Tideswell, Ladybower, anywhere in the White Peak.

Yes all this

So many lovely places but Sheffield and Chesterfield I wouldn't bother with. Instead head to the peaks for all days out. Matlock and Cromford Mill. Hassop station hire bikes do the monsal trail. Ashbourne is within an hour also lovely Bakewell Castleton Chatsworth House. Sherwood Forest pines or Ruffird park are lovely. Plenty of NT houses and Bolsover Castle is lovely too.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park just off M1 near Wakefield would be good if weather is nice or research Hathersage open air swimming pool, you would need to book in advance.

I was going to type out a reply but basically, all of this.
And don't bother going to Manchester, it isn't very nice.
If you want to go shopping or visit a city, I would say Meadowhall for shopping, or Sheffield has an ice rink, Kelham Island museum and there's an art gallery in the library. It's a nice city with some good restaurants near the university.

With 10-13 year olds I'd be heading to meadowhall. Standard shopping centre as far as I'm concerned but my ten year old loves going for a bubble tea, browse around Kenji and the lanes and to watch a movie. Matlock bath is nice enough as is Bakewell, definitely go to the original pudding shop!
Bolsover Castle, Creswell Crags and Hardwick are all nice for a walk - a bit further afield you have Clumber park which i love.
Depending on DDS interests Sheffield also has the National Video Game museum.

To add also Linacre Reservoirs, just outside Chesterfield, at Cutthorpe. Not so much of an "activity", but a good trail around all three, or shorter round one or one and two, with things to see and look out for. No cost, just parking.
Manchester is quite some way - I wouldn't bother with that, but if going in that direction, Ladybower Reservoir (along with Howden and Derwent), fascinating history that even teens might find interesting. (It is the topside of Sheffield really - I always think that that ends up in Manchester...)
The Chesterfield Canal (a bit of a misnomer but it does go close by) has narrowboat trips at The Hollingwood Hub just outside Chesterfield, also Worksop - these are weekends. The Chesterfield Canal Trust has a website.
In Chesterfield itself, a trip up the Spire is always fascinating - and a good view (of sorts) from the top (of the tower, not the spire!

All of the above and I'd add Magna Science Adventure is a good day out. www.visitmagna.co.uk/
Also tropical butterfly house www.butterflyhouse.co.uk/

😂 I'm about 6 miles from Chesterfield and couldn't agree more, it's a dump!

Although OP may find the Crooked Spire interesting as well as the old buildings in the town centre.

There are worse places.
It was perfectly nice as an historic market town when I was growing up there (admittedly a long time ago); but more to the point, there are lots of lovely places nearby, and within a short travel time. Derbyshire itself is a lovely county; I was there yesterday - and the views across the moors and peaks are fabulous (but then, I am not, or with, a teenager, who might expect more than great landscapes 😉).
No, it's not Cornwall or Harrogate say - but it is where the OP is going (although I do wonder why), so the criticism is kind of irrelevant.

@LoveMyPiano it was in response to someone else's comment.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster is great.
www.yorkshirewildlifepark.com/

Derbyshire is lovely for walking and scenic days out - but not really in December with howling winds and lashing rain.
Agree about Sheffield city centre, it's awful.
Teens may appreciate Meadowhall. At least it'll be warm and dry.

I agree that Chatsworth is an interesting house and worth a visit.

You were agreeing with them, and I am expressing my opinion. To you 😉- does it matter?

Thank you all for your comments. We're coming up from Hampshire. We've done Cornwall, Norfolk, Devon, Somerset so fancied somewhere more central and actually I find the more touristy places less inviting in the winter. We just want a week away to relax but also visit some new places, but also happy to do leisure centres, shopping centres, wall climbing etc for the kids. I struggle to relax at home (always a million jobs to do) so it's a bit of s break and family time for us.

Off to do some research!

@LoveMyPiano @Bepis

The comment was mine.

And I absolutely stand by it.

Derbyshire is a GORGEOUS county, I know it very well. And I love Sheffield, btw, which most posters on here don't. (Although I think meadowhall is a boil on the arse of consumerist humanity).

But Chesterfield is a dive. DH comes from just outside there, and it makes him deeply unhappy

I disagree that it's a dump, it's much like any other market town. I've lived down south and I prefer Chesterfield. Creswell Crags has some amazing prehistoric cave art and a visitor centre/museum that's well worth a visit. Hardwick Hall is good for a day out as well.