The Peak District became the United Kingdom's first national park in 1951. It lies between Manchester, Sheffield and Derby, in the heart of England, and is divided into two very different landscapes: the Dark Peak in the north, with wild moorland and peat bogs on dark gritstone, and the White Peak in the south, with limestone dales, clear rivers and pale stone villages. Millions of people live less than an hour away, and the park is loved by walkers, climbers and families.
History
The Peak District has been inhabited for thousands of years, as shown by stone circles such as Arbor Low and Iron Age hillforts such as the one on Mam Tor. In the Middle Ages and later centuries the hills were worked for lead and quarried, while great aristocratic families built houses here such as Chatsworth and Haddon Hall.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries the moors were private grouse moors, closed to the public. On 24 April 1932 hundreds of young workers from Manchester and Sheffield staged the Mass Trespass, a peaceful invasion of the Kinder Scout plateau to claim the right to walk in the hills. Some were arrested, but the protest helped bring about national parks and public footpaths. In 1965 the Pennine Way, Britain's first national trail, opened from Edale.
- c. 2500 BCThe Arbor Low stone circle is built
- 1932The Kinder Scout Mass Trespass
- 1951The United Kingdom's first national park is created
- 1965The Pennine Way opens from Edale
What to see
Mam Tor and Edale
Mam Tor, the "shivering mountain", owes its name to the landslips on its eastern face. From the summit, a short climb from the car park, you can follow the ridge to Hollins Cross and Lose Hill, with a splendid view over the Vale of Edale. From Edale you can also climb to Kinder Scout, the highest point in the park.
Castleton and the caves
The village of Castleton, below the Norman Peveril Castle, is surrounded by caves: Peak Cavern, with its gigantic entrance, Speedwell Cavern, visited by boat along an old mine tunnel, and the Blue John mines, home of a rare purple and yellow stone found only here.
The White Peak
In the south, Dovedale is a narrow valley with the River Dove, crossed by famous stepping stones. The town of Bakewell is known for its pudding, and nearby are Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall. Old railways have become cycle trails, such as the Monsal Trail and the Tissington Trail.
Stanage Edge
Stanage Edge, a long gritstone escarpment, is one of the most famous climbing spots in Britain and a location in the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice.
Getting there
- By train: from Manchester or Sheffield to Edale in under an hour, on the Hope Valley line.
- By car: from Sheffield or Derby in about 30 to 45 minutes.
- By air: Manchester Airport is about an hour away.
Nearby
- Chatsworth House and Bakewell.
- Sheffield and Manchester.
- The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, further north.
Tips
- How long: two or three days.
- When to go: May to October; in August the heather turns the moors purple.
- A tip: arrive at Edale by train, walk up to Mam Tor along the ridge and come back down for lunch in the village pub.