Introduction
In 1951, the Peak District was the first area to be designated as a national park. By the end of the decade the Lake District, Snowdonia, Dartmoor, Pembrokeshire Coast, North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, Northumberland and Brecon Beacons had all been designated as national parks.
The Peak District National Park covers an area of 555 square miles and reaching into five different counties: Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester with a residential population of 38,000. There are different variations in landscapes across the Peak District with impressive gritstone edges in the Dark Peak, rolling limestone hills and deep sided dales in the White Peak.
The Peak District is steeped in history. From castles and Iron Age hill forts, to caverns and stately homes, to the home of the industrial revolution as well as the dam busters testing grounds over at Ladybower.
An estimated 20 million people live within an hours journey of the Peak District and attracts just over 13 million visitors each year with the most popular activities being walking, climbing, cycling, mountain-biking, caving, angling, photography, nature-watching, gliding and visiting historic place.
The Peak District has 1,600 miles of public rights of way including 64 miles accessible to disabled people and has 65 miles of off-road dedicated cycling and walking trails and also 34 miles of disused railways: High Peak Trail, Tissington Trail and Monsal Trail, with cycle-hire centres at Ashbourne, Parsley Hay, Derwent Valley and Middleton Top.
The Highest point is Kinder Scout at 636 metres (2086 ft) and the Tallest cave, The Titan Shaft in Castleton is 141.5metres (464 ft) and is the largest known shaft of any cave in the British Isles, discovered Jan 1st 1999 by local cavers.
Villages of interest include Castleton famous for caverns, “shivering mountain” of Mam Tor, Winnats Pass and Peveril Castle. Eyam, the plague village. Hathersage with the reputed grave-site of Robin Hood’s side-kick Little John. Tideswell, 14th century “cathedral of the Peak”. Ilam with its Swiss-style architecture. Ashford-in-the-Water a classic English riverside village. Tissington with Tissington Hall & close to Tissington Trail. Great Hucklow for its gliding club & Christmas lights.
The Peak District National Park has around 2,900 listed buildings which include Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, Peveril Castle, Bakewell’s medieval bridge and centuries-old farm-buildings and cottages.
There are more than 450 historic monuments including Nine Ladies Stone Circle (Bronze Age) and Neolithic henge.
Film and TV can’t get enough of the Peak District with filming taking place at Chatsworth (Pride and Prejudice), Haddon Hall (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Moll Flanders), Lyme Hall (Pride and Prejudice), North Lees Hall (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, The Other Boleyn Girl).