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In the Peak District
The Peak District National Park is the original, and arguably the best, national park in Britain. It was designated on the 17th of April 1951, and it is now estimated that over 13 million people visit each year. Visitors come to
the Peak District National Park to enjoy walking, climbing, cycling, mountain biking, caving, angling, nature-watching, photography, gliding, visiting historic houses, country pubs and tearooms. The Peak District covers a great
deal of variety over its 555 square miles. This beautiful region is known for its wild moors, dramatic edges, and awe-inspiring peaks, but it also guards plenty of other secrets just waiting to be discovered. From beautiful
underground caverns filled with rare minerals and precarious stalactites, to quaint villages, and great spots to eat, there’s no shortage of incredible places to visit in the Peak District. Whether you come to make use of our
holiday lodges with hot tubs, static caravans with hot tubs, glamping pods or touring park, our delightful holiday hideaway in easy reach of Bakewell and Buxton (20-minute drive) is the perfect base to discover some of the amazing sites that the
Peak District has to offer.
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The Dragon's Back range of peaks are often cited as the only true peaks in the Peak District; a line of pinnacles said to resemble the ridges along the spine of a Dragon. Otherwise called Parkhouse Hill and Chrome Hill, the views from the top of the Dragons Back are especially breath-taking! Chrome Hill and the slightly smaller Parkhouse Hill are limestone reef knolls, former coral reefs which formed around 340 million years ago. Unsurprisingly, the ancient hills of the Dragons Back make for a magnificent Peak District walk and there are several brilliant routes to take including a longer one from Longnor Wood. You can see the top of Chrome Hill from the bottom of our 4-acre dog walk and it makes a great dog walk in the Peak District.
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Dovedale is known for the River Dove and it’s impressive limestone ravines, but the most iconic part of a trip to Dovedale has to be the picturesque stepping stones over the River Dove. There is a National Trust car park here which is just a short walk to the stones and usually a trailer in the car park providing refreshment. The main site filling the skyline of Dovedale is Thorpe Cloud, an old reef knoll, which sits between the villages of Ilam and Thorpe and lies right on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The highest point of Thorpe Cloud has an elevation of 287 metres, which is quite a quick and steep ascent, but one with lots of hike-worthy views across the Staffordshire and Derbyshire countryside once you’re at the top. It’s a great dog friendly walk in the Peak District. It's about a 30-minute drive to Dovedale Nature Reserve.
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Kinder Scout is the highest point of the Peak District at 2,086ft (636 metres) above sea level and boasts unforgettable views, unique moorland and even a waterfall. Kinder Scout offers some of the most challenging but rewarding walks in the Peak District, where you’ll encounter gentle streams, dark gritstone, steep rocks to scramble up, unique peat and the glorious Kinder Downfall. Kinder Scout is one of the most significant areas in the National Park as the site of the 1932 Mass Trespass; this was a key event in the campaign for open access to moorland in Britain which eventually led to the formation of Britain's National Parks. It's about an hour's drive to start the summit of Kinder Scout.
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Mam Tor, meaning ‘Mother Hill’, is a 517-metre-high hill near Castleton and is one of the most famous places in the Peak District. It well and truly deserves a place on your Peak District bucket list! Mam Tor can be easily reached from the National Trust car park at Mam Nick (this does fill up quite early though) or you can do it as part of the Great Ridge walk, which is one of the most-loved ridge walks in the Peak District. There are great views over the Edale valley and Kinder Scout, and on a clear day you can even see as far as the city of Manchester. This is a fantastic place to go if you want to get up early and watch the sunrise, or if you are lucky with the conditions, maybe even a cloud inversion. Mam Tor is around a 35-minute drive from Longnor Wood.
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The name Winnats comes from ‘Windy Gates’ as one of the windier entrances into Castleton and the Hope Valley. This limestone valley was once under a tropical sea - the limestone is full of fossils of sea creatures which lived here over 350 million years ago. This makes Winnats Pass a protected site, by law, known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Winnats Pass is riddled with caves and old mineshafts. Lead mining was a busy industry around Castleton in the 18th century, and it is one of the few places in the world that the stone Blue John is available. There are many options of caves to visit here. There are spectacular views here and Winnats Pass is very popular with photographers. Winnats Pass is around 35-minutes by car from Longnor Wood.
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Located above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir, The Roaches is a Peak District gem. The Roaches is loved by hikers and climbers alike. The impressively rugged and steep gritstone ridge is home to a beautiful pool and 15 metre natural gritstone clefts, so this is far more than your average countryside walk in the Peak District. It groups together two main gritstone outcrops, 'Ramshaw Rocks' famous for the 'Winking Man' rock formation and 'Hen Cloud' offering stunning panoramic views. On top is Doxey Pool, legend states that is inhabited by a mermaid, or ‘Blue Nymph’ hiding under the surface waiting to pull people in. Luckily, we haven’t seen her! The Roaches parking are accessible within 15 minutes from Longnor Wood.
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Lud’s Church is a deep, moss-covered chasm full of history, myths and dark green wherever you look; and to walk down its stone steps deep into the cleft is to escape into another world. An 18-metre-deep chasm created in the gritstone caused by a giant landslip, which over the ages has been covered from top to bottom in vibrant moss. It is an eerily, beautiful place to walk. There is a myth that the chasm was created by the devil’s fingernail as he scraped back parts of the earth. It can be combined with a walk on the Roaches, or you can come up to it from the car park at Gradbach. Lud's Church is about 20 minutes by car from Longnor Wood Holiday Park.
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In World War II, the topographical similarity between the Upper Derwent Valley and the Ruhr Valley of Germany led to the Derwent dams being used for practice runs for the Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron (the Dam Busters) before their attack on the Ruhr dams. The world-famous Dam Busters film was subsequently filmed here, and the Derwent Dam has seen various commemorative flypasts by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The left tower of the Derwent Dam used to house a small museum, which hopefully will return in the future. It is also a great location for hiking and nature watching. Derwent Dam is located on the Derwent Reservoir, an hour's drive from Longnor Wood Holiday Hideaways.
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Ladybower Reservoir is a large Y-shaped reservoir in the Upper Derwent Valley, in the heart of the Peak District National Park. The reservoir was built between 1935 and 1943 and was officially opened by King George VI on 24th September 1945. Work began on the reservoir in 1935 and during construction, the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were flooded. The inhabitants of the two villages were relocated to Yorkshire Bridge estate, just downstream of Ladybower Dam. Lady Bower is also well known for its ‘plug holes’, 2 24M wide bell mouth overflows. It really is a site to behold to see them in full flow. The famous Yorkshire Bride Inn at Bamford is just a short stroll from here in case you need refreshment. Ladybower Reservoir can be reached in 45 minutes by car from Longnor Wood Holiday Park.
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Monsal Dale is a wonderful example of charming Derbyshire countryside - a place where you can walk along the river, take in the landscape, sit by the weir and have a picnic. Monsal Head, directly above Monsal Dale, is one of the most famous and photographed viewpoints in Derbyshire. The combination of the winding River Wye at the bottom of the steep dale and the famous Headstone viaduct cutting through the landscape really is a sight to behold. This Monsal Head railway viaduct, also known as Headstone Viaduct, was opened in 1863, despite being faced with criticism at the time. It was used for 100 years and has now become a much-loved addition to the Derbyshire landscape and forms part of the Monsal Trail. Monsal Head is 13 miles from Longnor Wood.
You'd be hard pushed to find a more magical spot than Padley Gorge. With gently flowing streams and tumbling waterfalls in a woodland setting near the Longshaw Estate and Grindleford. Padley Gorge is photogenic and full of character. Unsurprisingly, Padley Gorge is also surrounded by great walks and is a popular spot for picnics and paddling. Padley Gorge is just 1/2 mile from the National Trust's beautiful Longshaw Estate, so it is easy to visit both on a single trip. Whilst Padley Gorge is a great place to visit anytime of the year, personally it is my favourite spot in the Peak District in Autumn. Padley Gorge can be reached by car in less than 40 minutes from Longnor Wood.