Trying to decide where to visit in England outside of London often comes with the suggestion of the Cotswolds. I wanted to see if Derbyshire was a better place to visit the English countryside. This is not an ultimate guide to the peak district, nor a guide of the ten best places to see in Derbyshire. Instead it is a taster, a glimpse into what a 2 or 3 day visit might look like.
For more information about Derbyshire you can read my review of The Peacock at Rowsley, listen to my podcast on English Breakfasts, and read my article on Derbyshire: The Best of England in one County
Derbyshire tends to sit in the shadow of the Cotswolds and the Lake District when people plan a trip to England. It should not. Few counties pack in this much: grand stately homes, wild Peak District scenery, a proper spa town, and villages that were building England’s postcard image long before the Cotswolds claimed it.
In this video I spend a few days working through the county, starting at Chatsworth House, one of the biggest houses in England and home to the Duke of Devonshire, before moving on to Haddon Hall, a medieval and Tudor manor house that has doubled as a film set for Jane Eyre and Wolf Hall. From there it’s Bakewell, Ashford-in-the-Water, the Monsal Trail, Winnats Pass and the Blue John seams at Treak Cliff, the industrial heritage of New Mills, the spa town of Buxton, and Castleton and Mam Tor to finish.