Nine Things We Did In The Peak District

Over August Bank Holiday weekend me and Luke headed to the Peak District and had a fab time.

We had four days to explore the beautiful area, although I’m keen to go back and see more. The cottage we stayed in was in Buxton and everywhere we went was within thirty minutes drive of there

Here are nine of the things we did that you need to do if you’re heading to the Peak District area.

Goyt valley walk

Goyt Valley lies within the Peak District National Park and there are a lot of different walk options. So regardless of whether you want a short stroll in nature or a long hike you’ll be sorted.

When we initially set out we planned to do a full on four hour walk. But as the weather wasn’t great, meaning the floor was a bit slippery we opted for a shorter one. So I’m really keen to go back and tick off our abandoned walk next time.

The whole walk was beautiful, although it is quite hilly so be warned.

Another Peak District walk: The Tissington Trail

If you wanted an easier walk then head to the Tissington Trail. It runs for 13 miles and was originally an old railway line which ran between Buxton and Ashbourne. The line first opened in 1899 and ran for 70 years before it closed and the Peak District National Park bought the route in 1971. It’s a traffic free trail for walkers and cyclists.

The trail itself is a line, and because we’d driven we needed a circular walk. So we did about about half of the walk in the country getting to a point of the trail so we could then walk along back to near where we’d parked.

The Devil’s Arse aka Peak Cavern

There are quite a few caverns in the Peak District, but of course we had to go to one with the nickname the devil’s arse.

You can book a tour of the cavern which goes through the history of the Peak Cavern rope makers. The history is pretty fascinating and you find out why the cave got it’s unusual name which I won’t spoil in case you go yourself.

You get to go through quite a bit of the cavern including a part where you need to really duck down to move through.

Stately homes in the Peak District: Chatsworth house

I’d seen photos of Chatsworth House and knew it was a must view when we headed to the Peak District. The beautiful manor house is home to the Devonshire family and has been passed down through 17 generations.

There’s over 25 rooms to explore in the house with lots of art and displays to view. And there’s a 105-acre garden that you can explore with all manor of things from ponds to a maze. We were a bit gutted that we didn’t have time to find the maze as I’d have loved to see if I could get through it.

A great roast dinner at Sutton Hall

No trip is complete without some great foodie options.

We knew we wanted to head out for a roast dinner and Sutton Hall was a great choice. We both opted for the roast beef and it came with all the trimmings you’d want including duck fat roast potatoes, veggies, a Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

Yummy Italian food in the Peak District at St Moritz

On our first night we didn’t want to head out far but there are so many restaurants in Buxton itself. And we made a great decision with St Moritz serving all the Italian food you could desire.

Every dish from our three-course meal was great, particularly my pasta bake main. The restaurant can seat quite a few people across the two floors, but it felt quite small and cosy which was nice.

Breakfast of champions at Noonology

If you’re after a really nice breakfast then head to Noonology in Buxton, although they’re also open through to 6pm.

Luke had a breakfast waffle which was so good, the right mixture of sweet and savory. But I had to have the waffle benedict. It was essentially eggs benedict but with waffles instead of a French muffin.

It’s quite a small space so I’d suggest booking if you’re able to. And the restaurant is dog friendly .

Ice cream at Pomeroy Farm in the Peak District

On our way up to Buxton we stopped at Pomeroy Farm for a few different reasons.

It started with a video about the fresh milk machine (as pictured above). You can buy the bottles and tokens from the little shop, or you can take your own bottle. We paid £1.50 for a massive bottle of milk and we did add some chocolate syrup as well.

We also headed there to get some of their freshly made ice cream which was incredible. I had mint chocolate chip and chocolate which were both top tier ice creams.

And you can see some of the farm animals as well. We got to meet some pigs, goats, sheep, huge bunnies and guinea pigs. A really great pit stop on the drive, and great if you’ve got kids.

Shopping at High Peak Bookshop

We had some time to kill before we could check in and I just so happened to find a bookshop just up the road from the farm. And it ended up being a hidden gem in our trip.

It’s both a bookshop and cafe so you can stop for food and drinks. There’s a huge selection of books, with various non-fiction sections alongside Young Adult, Fantasy, Crime and so much more in the fiction. But it’s the prices of the books which is the stand out. Most paperbacks were between £2.99 and £3.99 which was insane. I picked up three books for under £11!

Have you ever been to the Peak District? What were your standouts of the trip?