Views towards Peakshill & Rushup Edge from Bull Pit near Castleton, North Peak District
Pennine Way National Trail at Edale up to Kinder. North Peak District
Old Nags Head Pub Edale, Official Start of the Pennine Way North Peak District
Ladybower Reservoir & Derwent Dam, Upper Derwent Valley North Peak District
Moorland Centre, Peak District National Park Flagship Visitor Centre in Edale, North Peak District
The famous Sid's Cafe in Holmfirth. Last of the Summer Wine Country North Peak District
Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre in Marsden North Peak DistrictThe North Peak District contains the wild beauty of the Dark Peak gritstone landscape, a bed of hard millstone grit beneath peat, which pushes up from the shoulder of Mam Tor near Castleton north to the highest point in the Peaks Kinder Scout and on towards Saddleworth and Marsden Moor. What is particularly special about this great area of wilderness in Britain is that it sits just a few miles from two of the north's largest cities, Manchester and Sheffield.
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Britain's first National Trail, The Pennine Way weaves up from Edale through the Dark Peak via Kinder and Snake Pass towards Standedge and the Southern Pennines. At Castleton the Derbyshire White Peak limestone landscape has its last great drama at the famous Castleton Caves, Winnats Pass and Mam Tor. Castleton in the Hope Valley is a popular centre in the North Peaks. The village features spectacular attractions like the showcaves and Peveril Castle and contains a superb range of fine gift shops, Blue John Stone jewellery shops, cafes, tearooms, inns and holiday accommodation. National Park Visitor Centres in the North Peaks can be found in Castleton, the flagship eco friendly Moorland Centre at Edale and Fairholmes in the Upper Derwent near the Derwent Dam.
The Upper Derwent Valley north of Bamford contains the legendary Ladybower, Derwent and Howden reservoirs famously associated with the Dambusters. The Upper Derwent is a topspot for outdoor activities in the Peak District. Walking and cycling trails weave around the woodlands and reservoirs of the Upper Derwent, most of which are gentle and family friendly.
On the northwestern edge of the Peaks sit Glossop and Hadfield, gateways into the stunning Longdendale Valley and reservoirs. The Trans Pennine Trail open to cyclists, horse riders and walkers cuts across the North Peaks passing through Hadfield in the west and Penistone in the east. The Saddleworth gritstone villages of Delph, Diggle, Uppermill and Dobcross which sit close to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal contain a range of craft shops, antique shops and traditional inns.
Canal boat cruises along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal are available from Uppermill near the Saddleworth Museum. On the north eastern edge of the Peak District National Park sit the Yorkshire Peaks and Pennines towns of Holmfirth and Penistone. Holmfirth is famously associated with the hit TV series 'Last of the Summerwine'. The town features several Summerwine attractions including an exhibition and Summerwine Tours by minibus or helicopter! Penistone is a top spot for horse riding, walking and cycling and a great family activity holiday base which affords easy access to the Peaks and South Yorkshire attractions.
Castleton is one of the Peak District National Park's most popular villages with tourist visitors. Surrounded on all sides by spectacular scenery, Castleton is home to a selection of some of Britain's best showcaves. The four Castleton Caves including Peak Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and Blue John Cavern are all open to the public and feature spectacular rock formations, subterranean lakes, orchestral galleries with great acoustics and dynamic fibre-optic lighting effects. Two of the Castleton Caves, Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern, feature the stunning deposits of the famous Blue John Stone local to this area of the Peak District. Blue John Stone is still mined in the Blue John Cavern and used to make Blue John Stone jewellery and ornaments on sale in a selection of Blue John Stone gift shops at the Caverns and in Castleton village centre.
Castleton village in the Hope Valley is also a mecca for craft shopping, fine bistro restaurants and cafes and charming traditional inns. Gift shops in Castleton, many of which contain onsite tearooms, are some of the best in the Peak District. The Hope Valley villages of Castleton, Brough, Hope and Bradwell all offer a wide range of holiday accommodation. The Peak District National Park Authority also has one of its main visitor centres in Castleton centre. Hope village near Castleton sits along the Hope Valley line and is connected by rail to both Sheffield and Manchester (Northern Rail).
Spectacular walks around Castleton are numerous and include one of the Peak District's most popular scenic walks, The Mam Tor walk from which there are magnificent views. Both Mam Tor and Winnats Pass are two breathtaking natural features near Castleton which are essential viewing in the Peaks. Other great Castleton walks direct from the village include the walk up to the Norman Peveril Castle (English Heritage) which overlooks Castleton village. Walking trail also lead out from Castleton taking in the remains of old lead mines like Odin Mine, Derbyshire's oldest lead mine.
Edale with its five famous Booths is the starting point of Britain's oldest National Trail, The Pennine Way (268 miles). This challenging trail through the great uplands of England, which culminates at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders on the edge of The Cheviots, begins just in front of the famous Nags Head Pub in Edale. In the Peak District The Pennine Way pushes up through the millstone grit landscape of the Dark Peak towards the legendary Kinder Scout (636m) from which the best panoramic views of the vast swathe of the Dark Peak can be seen.
Outdoor activities and shorter walks also feature around Edale and the gentler Edale Valley. Buses run regularly between Edale and the Castleton Caves and walking between Edale and Castleton via Mam Tor is also popular. Outdoor activity centres and a youth hostel are in the Edale area and a great choice of campsites are located around the Edale Booths. The Peak District National Park Authority also has its flagship eco-friendly National Park Visitor Centre, The Moorland Centre, here in Edale just up from Edale station. Well connected by public transport, Edale Station links the village by rail to both Sheffield (east) and Manchester (west).
Bamford village is a gateway into the Upper Derwent and the famous Upper Derwent Reservoirs including Ladybower, Howden and Derwent Reservoirs. Bamford is connected to both Sheffield and Manchester by rail (Northern Rail) and features a wide choice of holiday accommodation, pubs, cafes and amenities. Staying in Bamford affords easy access into both the Upper Derwent just north and Castleton attractions just to the west of Bamford. The Upper Derwent Reservoirs are most famously associated with The Dambusters, 617 Squadron RAF who used the reservoirs as practice territory for their World War II mission to bomb the dams of the Ruhr Valley in Germany which resembled those at Derwent. You can find out more about the Dambusters at the Derwent Valley Museum situated in the tower of the Derwent Dam.
Just near the Derwent Dam sits the Fairholmes Visitor Centre, a one-stop-shop for maps and guides on the Upper Derwent area. As well as its historic links with The Dambusters, the Upper Derwent is one of the best outdoor activity areas in the Peak District. Numerous walking and cycling trails weave around the area, most of which are family friendly and well marked making this area a top spot for family activity holidays in the Peak District. Gentle walks around Ladybower and the Derwent Reservoirs are truly spectacular and wonderfully accessible. Car parks flank the west bank of Ladybower and sit adjacent to Fairholmes.
Glossop on the western edge of the Peak District National Park has long been a gateway into the Peak. The Romans built a fort near Glossop at Gamesley, the Melandra Roman Fort to protect their lead mining interests in the Dark Peak. They also built a road up from Old Glossop across the Snake Pass to connect with their twin fort Navio near Brough in the Hope Valley. Old Glossop, the original old town around the eastern edge of Glossop, contains a selection of historic 17th and 18th century buildings including historic pubs, a Market Square and Cross.
Glossop town centre offers excellent facilities and amenities including a wide choice of restaurants, pubs and holiday accommodation. The famous A57 Snake Pass Road weaves up from Glossop across the Snake Pass and Featherbed Moss through the Hope Forest arriving spectacularly at the Upper Derwent Reservoirs. Glossop is conveniently close to the Pennine Way and an ideal stopping off or starting point for walkers looking to access the trail.
Hadfield just north of Glossop is a great gateway into the Longdendale Valley with its spectacular reservoirs including Torside. The Trans Pennine Trail, a multi-user route for cyclists, horse riders and walkers, passes Hadfield making it an excellent holiday base for access on to both the Trans Pennine Trail and the Longdendale Trail which follows part of the Trans Pennine Trail's route.
Hadfield is also famously associated with the hit TV series 'The League of Gentlemen' which was filmed around the area. Cafes and local shops which featured in the series can be seen around Hadfield.
Holmfirth is a stunning Pennine Yorkshire village on the north eastern edge of the Peak District National Park which has famous associations with the popular hit TV series 'Last of the Summerwine'. Summerwine attractions in Holmfirth are extensive and include helicopter tours of 'Compo's Country', Last of the Summerwine exhibitions and tearooms, the famous Sid's Cafe from the series and Nora Batty's Cottage, available as self catering accommodation. Minibus tours of Summerwine Country also feature from Holmfirth.
Holmfirth is also a real Peaks and Pennines centre for arts, crafts and festivals. A superb choice of craft shops and centres can be found in Holmfirth centre and around the Holme Valley. The acclaimed Picturedrome Cinema and Theatre in Holmfirth is a centre for the arts in the town. Holmfirth festivals and events include the annual Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival as well as Art Weeks, Folk Festivals, weekly markets and the monthly Holmfirth Farmers' Market.
Just a few miles southwest of Holmfirth via the pretty villages of Holmbridge and Holme sees you in the Peak District National Park. Stunning walks feature in this area around Digley Reservoir and Ramsden Reservoir. A choice of short and long walking trails also weave around Holmfirth in the beautiful Holme Valley.
Penistone, known as the Pennine heart of South Yorkshire, is a popular outdoor activities holiday base on the north eastern edge of the Peak District. The Trans Pennine Trail passes through Penistone and there are numerous opportunities for great horse riding around various bridleways in the Penistone area. There are several that sit just west of Penistone in the Dunford Bridge and Thurlstone Moors area of the Peaks and offers a wide choice of riding adventures in the area with a cowboy style theme. Numerous riding schools and B&B farms with horse stabling facilities can be found around the Penistone area.
A great base for families, Penistone offers extensive amenities including a variety of world cuisine restaurants, cafes, accommodation and takeaways. As well as affording easy access to great walking around Langsett and the Langsett Reservoir in the Peak District, Penistone is also well placed for easy access to top attractions in the local South Yorkshire area such as Wentworth Castle Gardens, Cannon Hall and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
The Stocksbridge area just south of Penistone and right on the border of the Peak District National Park boasts some hidden gem walking trails. Forming part of the 'Stone to Steel' project, the Stocksbridge area is becoming increasingly accessible to walkers. A choice of heritage trails currently feature in the area taking in ancient woodlands, historic churches, reservoirs and crag edged moorland that can be found in the Upper Don area. Download maps of these walking trails via the 'Stone to Steel' heritage walking trails website.
The trails also feature fascinating industrial heritage sites in the Upper Don including the historic Stocksbridge Steel Works and Worley Top Iron Forge.
The wild moorland of Saddleworth and the Marsden Moor Estate at the northwestern end of the Peak District National Park is cut through by the Pennine Way National Trail weaving its way towards Standedge and the Southern Pennines. Around the Dark Peak's Saddleworth Moorland sit the stunning and unique Saddleworth villages including Diggle, Delph, Dobcross and Uppermill. Historically part of the Yorkshire West Riding, these villages are also linked to Ashton and Stalybridge by the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Attractions alongside the Huddersfield Canal in the Saddleworth area include the Saddleworth Museum in Uppermill. Just near the Saddleworth Museum Pennine Moonraker offer Saddleworth Canal Cruises along the Huddersfield Narrow. Delph, Diggle, Uppermill and Dobcross all contain a superb choice of craft and antique shops, fine real ale pubs and in Delph sits the acclaimed Millgate Arts Centre, home to the Saddleworth Players.
All the Saddleworth villages afford good access on to the Pennine Way. Greenfield sits at the foot of Dovestone Reservoir. A challenging walking trail pushes around Dovestone Reservoir which has parking adjacent near Greenfield and picnic tables halfway around the circuit at Ashway Gap. Good views can be seen from here across to Saddleworth Moor.
Marsden village sits at the foot of the mighty Marsden Moor Estate (National Trust) which stretches across a great swathe of the very northwestern edge of the Peak District National Park's Dark Peak. The National Trust have a Marsden Moor visitor centre in Marsden village located near Marsden station in the Old Goods Yard.
Great walking and birdwatching opportunities alongside Marsden Moor around Marsden can also be found around the gentler Colne Valley which surrounds Marsden, Slaithwaite and Golcar pushing towards Huddersfield. The Huddersfield Narrow Canal also features strongly in Marsden. The famous Standedge Tunnel, Britain's longest, deepest and widest canal tunnel winds for just over 3 miles from Diggle to Marsden through hard millstone grit. Visitors can take canal boat trips through the Standedge Tunnel from the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre in Marsden.
