The peak district comprises of two distinct landscapes. The Dark Peaks of the north which feature gritstone crags and the moorlands of Kinder Scout and the White Peaks of the south which has a gentler limestone landscape with pretty valleys winding through the countryside.

As well as the 500 square miles of stunning countryside, there are interesting market towns like Bakewell and Buxton and areas of historical interest such as the world heritage site in the Derwent Valley and the famous plague village of Eyam.

To make it easy for you to plan a holiday in the Peak District, we have grouped information together about towns and villages, into three distinct areas as shown below. Click on a section of the map that interests you or pick a village from the list below the map.

To give you some idea of the scale of the map above it is about 18 miles from Ashbourne to Bakewell and 12 miles from Bakewell to Hope by road. All distance shown bleow are from one of these towns three towns.

North

Castleton 2 miles west of Hope
Famous for its caverns including, Blue John, Peak Cavern and the ruined Peveril Castle made famous by Sir Walter Scott's 'Peveril of the Peak'.

Edale is 6 miles north-west of Hope
The village of Edale (also known as Grindsbrook Booth has a National Park Visitor centre and a church containing a bible printed in 1541 by Edward Whitchurch. Other hamlets in the vale of usually include the name Booth (or herdsmen's shelters). Probably not permanently settled in Saxon times, Edale became part of the 'Royal Forest of the Peak' after the Norman Conquest. The 'Royal Forest' covered a lot of the modern Peak District. Farming and settlements were discouraged in the forest because they got in the way of the hunting.

Glossop almost 17 miles north-west of Hope by road around Kinder Scout (636m) on the A625 and A624.
It sits at the foot of the famous Snake Pass, on the northwestern edge of the Peak National Park boundary. It was named after a Saxon, Glott and has a large central square and substantial civic buildings. It is an industrial town that once had 56 mills weaving cotton. However, its origins predate the industrial revolution going back to Roman times as evidenced by Melandra Castle nearby. Old Glossop (1 mile north-east) has the parish church, part of a medieval market cross and an old manor house as well as some 17th century housing. The New Exhibition Hall houses some restored steam engines and locomotives.

Holme and Holmfirth are just outside the Peak National Park in West Yorkshire about 30 miles north-west of Hope. They are charming gritstone villages once important in the textile industry but now they are famous for being the location of the TV programme The Last of the Summer Wine. It is possible to do a tour of the locations of the Last of the Summer Wine.

Hope it is 12 miles north of Bakewell and lies at the junction of Edale and Hope Valley. Its not the prettiest of towns, with a nearby cement works, but it used to be the centre of the Royal Forest of the Peak and thus gave its name to the valley. It has a weekly livestock market and a church dedicated to St Peter of Early English origin. The church is renown for its unusual gargoyles and part of a Saxon preaching cross in the churchyard.
Mam Tor or Shivering Mountain is in easy reach of Hope. Fishing and rough shooting are popular in the area as well as trips to the Blue John mines, Peveril Castle and Edale for walking.

New Mills about 14 miles west of Hope on the northwestern fringe of the Peak District, about 8 miles east of Stockport.
The town became important in the textile industry after the industrial revolution introduction of waterpower, mechanisation and the factory system for cotton. New mills based on waterpower were built in the Torrs, the natural gorge running through the town, on the banks of the two rivers the Sett and Goyt. The Torrs were particularly suitable for mill construction, rocky waterfalls and cascades in the beds of the rivers allowed the construction of weirs and a steady supply of water. New Mills police station was the site of the imprisonment of the some of the trespassers of the famous mass trespass of April 1932 on Kinder Scout, which helped bring about the National Parks and Access to the countryside.

Central

Ashford in the Water 1.5 miles north-west of Bakewell.
The river Wye flows through the pretty village of Ashford and is crossed by the Sheepwash Bridge. The Church was rebuilt in 1870 but it incorporated a Norman tympanum in the south door. Ashford became famous for inlaid marble from the mid 1700s onwards

Bakewell 18 miles north of Ashbourne.
Founded in Saxon times it is the home of the famous Bakewell Pudding. The town was built on the River Wye at a point where it was fordable and in 924 Edward the Elder ordered a fortified borough to be built here. Bakewell has one of the oldest markets in the area, dating from at least 1300.. Markets are still held every Monday and there is a thriving livestock market.
www.bakewelluk.co.uk

Buxton 12 miles West of Bakewell.
Buxton is a spa town and has been known since Roman times for its naturally curative warm waters. Its spring water flows freely at the St Anne's Well, situated opposite the grand Crescent. As a result of being a spa town there is a significant amount of Georgian architecture - particularly notable is the Crescent.
www.buxtononline.net

Baslow 4 miles north-east of Bakewell
Baslow is on the edge of the Chatsworth estate and is credited as being one of the most picturesque villages of the Peak District. It has a number of bridges (one with a small toll house at the end). The church has a broached spire dating from the 1400s.

Beeley 5 miles east of Bakewell
Beeley is a very pretty estate village near the south end of Chatsworth.

Birchover is 5 miles south of Bakewell
The village is set in magnificent rock formations. Many of the outcrops are said to have connections with the Druids. Behind the Druid Inn are two rocking stones one thought to weigh at least 60 tons. Nearby Stanton Moor has many Bronze Age barrows and several stone circles.

Cressbrook 7 miles north-west of Bakewell
The village of Cressbrook and Cressbrook Dale are renowned for the wonderful views. There is an unusual Gothic chapel and an old mill that was owned by the so called 'Minstrel of the Peak' William Newton.

Edensor 4 miles north-east of Bakewell
Set in the private park of the grounds of Chatsworth the model village was created by the 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1842 The village was moved to its current position so that the village could not be seen from Chatsworth House.

Eyam (pronounced "eem") is 7 miles north of Bakewell.
Known as the Plague Village it is famous because the vicar, at the time the plague arrived in 1665, persuaded the villagers that they should isolate themselves to avoid passing it on to the surrounding villages. Five out of every six villagers died - including the wife of the Vicar William Mompesson. Many of the cottages in the village have inscriptions over the front door commemorating the victims of the plague.

Hathersage is 9 miles north of Bakewell.
Hathersage is reputed to be the birthplace of Little John. Nail making and wiredrawing to produce pins and needles was a local trade along with the manufacture of millstones and grindstones from the nearby grit stone edges. Charlotte Bronte stayed in the George Hotel and is said to have 'borrowed' the name of the local gentry for her novel Jane Eyre.

Tideswell is 8 miles north-west of Bakewell.
Tideswell is famous for the big church known locally as the 'Cathedral of the Peak'. The church of St John the Baptist was built in the 14th century and has one of the earliest perpendicular towers in the country. Tideswell was granted its charter for a weekly market and fair as early as 1250 indicating the importance of the settlement to the High Peaks

Youlgreave (also spelt Youlgrave) is 5miles south of Bakewell
Bradford dale runs to the side of Youlgreave and it is close to the famous Lathkilldale. It is one of the larger villages of the White Peak built largely of Limestone and Gritstone. The two main industries until the twentieth century were mining for lead and farming. The church is largely Norman and has an unusual two-basin font. The east window is by William Morris.

South

Ashbourne 12 miles south of Bakewell
It is a picturesque small market town situated at the southern tip of the Peak District. It became important in the 18th and 19th century as a meeting point of six coaching roads. Bonny Prince Charlie proclaimed his father king of England when on his way through to London.
www.ashbourne-town.com

Brassington 9 miles north-west of Ashbourne
This is an attractive limestone village of 17th and 18th century houses. A number of prehistoric graves and part of a Roman Road demonstrate the longevity of the settlement.

Cromford 14 miles morth east of Ashbourne
In 1771 Sir Richard Arkwright built the first mechanised textile factory in the world in Cromford. It is now part of a world heritage site as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Two more important buildings still stand in Cromford - the church of St Mary and Willersley Castle

Dove Dale Easy access and parking is available at Ilam which is 5 miles north of Ashbourne.
Dovedale is certainly the most visited area of the white peaks because of its picturesque route through the lime stone valley aleside the river Dove which is famous for trout fishing.
More photographs and information

Hartington - is about 12 miles north of Ashbourne.
Hartington is a popular tourist location that has a good selection of tea rooms, pubs and a variety of shops.
More photographs and information

Longnor is 9 miles west of Bakewell
Longnor has wonderful views with some interesting pubs a very nice Craft Centre which serves food and refreshments. Longnor was one of the locations used for the filming of Peak Practice. It is also know for it's well dressing and race meeting which takes place in early September.
More photographs and information

Ilam (pronounced "eye lam") is 5 miles north west of Ashborne
The village was built in the 19th century by Jesse Watts-Russell who also built the stately home (Ilam hall which is now a Youth Hostel).
The architecture is a cross between Americam Colonial and Alpine styles.
More photographs and information

Manifold Way Waterhouse is about 8 miles from Ashbourne where your can park and hire cycles.
The Manifold Way follows the route of a disused railway line (Leek and Manifold Light Railway) so it is flat and runs along side the picturesque Manifold and Hamps rivers.
More photographs and information

Matlock and Matlock Bath 16 miles north-east of Ashbourne, lie just outside the Peak District National Park, the town became important in the 19th century, when it developed as a spa.

Tissington is situated about 4 miles north of Ashbourne.
Its claim to fame are its beauty, its age and its well dressings. Tissington Hall is in the centre of the village, and has been the home of the FitzHerbert family for over 500 years. The current hall dates back 400 years. Every year in spring a number of wells in the village are decorated with flowers as part of the annual "Well Dressings" a common Derbyshire custom.

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