For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
It may be within easy reach of Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, but you could spend a lifetime exploring its footpaths, caverns and pretty villages such as Tissington or Wirksworth, and there’d still be a ridge you hadn’t scaled or a real ale you hadn’t supped. The White Peak, Dark Peak, Southern Dales and Western Moors aren’t purely about tremendous walking, mountain biking, climbing and caving: Buxton is as elegant and cultured a spa town as any in Europe, and the Chatsworth Estate is a paragon among stately homes. Still, the real soul of the Peak – the untamed National Park – is its natural beauty, both abundant and magnificent.
Speedwell Cavern, half a mile west of Castleton on treacherous Winnats Pass, is among former lead-mining caves that are now open to the public. Its ‘Bottomless Pit’ can only be reached by boat – you approach the immense, cathedral-like cavern along a flooded tunnel as part of a guided tour (+44 (0)1433 620512; www.speedwellcavern.co.uk).
… going for a proper hike, even if it’s raining. Get all kagouled and OS-mapped up, then stop for a pub lunch. The lower the clouds, the more grateful you’ll be that you booked a table in advance.
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Peak District
There are visual flashes around the Peacock at Rowsley hotel in Derbyshire that seem to indicate, as you arrive, that time has stood still in the village.
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
April/May The two-week Peak District Walking Festival crams in dozens of walks (www.visitpeakdistrict.com). May The Holmfirth Festival of Folk is the only place to watch Barnsley’s samba collective, Ukrainian calypso and a spoons masterclass (www.holmfirthfestivaloffolk.co.uk). July Buxton Festival and Fringe, the opera, classical and literature festival that’s heaven for Radio 3 and 4 types (www.buxtonfestival.co.uk). August Dovedale Sheepdog Trials – come by! (+44 (0)7989 150889) September Chatsworth Country Fair, three days of ballooning, massed brass bands, ferret racing, vintage cars and a traditional funfair (www.chatsworth.org).
Pronounced ‘Ensor’, the Chatsworth village of Edensor is among the prettiest on the estate. Inside its post office and shop, you’ll find soups and cream teas with ingredients that have never been anything but ‘locally sourced’.
Japp Lane, Edensor, Derbyshire DE45 1PH
If there are many tearooms on this planet with windows for cow-watching, we want to know about them! This is an unbeatable family destination, with farm tours, a pets paddock and renowned kitchens (www.bassettwoodfarm.co.uk).
Tissington, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1RD
A pretty, traditional tearoom serving fine sandwiches, home-made cakes and good coffee, in the gateway village for Mam Tor, Speedwell Caves and Peveril Castle.
Cross Street, Castleton, Derbyshire S33 8WH
Does exactly what it says on the sign above the door… see www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk if you still don’t get it.
The Square, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1BT
A restaurant with rooms of unimpeachable quality, where you might eat Arctic char with crab risotto or first-class beef fillet with snails. The dining room is formal, the sitting room classily comfortable, and the bar a malt-whisky fan’s nemesis.
Bakewell Road, Rowsley, Derbyshire DE4 2EB
Super-swank country-house restaurant with a ‘no jeans or trainers’ policy and elements such as ‘chef’s surprise savoury’ at dinner. Lunch here is a bargain, at between £20 and £24 a head, but there's also there’s an excellent six-course Prestige Menu of tasting dishes for dinner. Reservations advisable.
Calver Road, Baslow, Derbyshire DE45 1RR
Lots of space in this high-perched turnpike inn on Eyam Edge, with country paraphernalia and views over five counties, makes it a good stop for Sunday lunch with children, or a pint of bitter by the fire (www.thebarrelinn.co.uk).
Bretton, Eyam, Derbyshire S32 5QD
The vegetarian choice at this Chatsworth Estate village pub was particularly good when we visited, with dishes such as mushroom crumble, stilton and walnut salad, and slow-roasted vegetable risotto. There's also a sweet little brasserie and a bar.
Devonshire Square, Beeley, near Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 2NR
Ghost stories, black beams from an Armada ship, and antique settles and pews make this ivy-covered inn near Carsington Water irresistibly atmospheric. Food such as clam chowder and cajun-spiced chicken betray the landlady’s Connecticut origins.
Well Street, Brassington, Derbyshire DE4 4HJ
A three-roomed drover’s inn up on a ridge with sweeping views. The good food includes Thai fishcakes and steak, the beers are from Hydes Brewery in Manchester. It gets busy, so if you’re out walking, ring ahead for a table if you want to eat there.
Meg Lane, Higher Sutton, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 0NG
Excellent brasserie food is served in the contemporary-styled dining rooms at this stone inn at the edge of Saddleworth Moor: perhaps terrine of ham shank followed by haddock in beer batter. Well-kept beer, and some 15 wines by the glass.
Stockport Road, Lydgate, Lancashire OL4 4JJ
Emphatically a food pub – try pig’s trotter and crab patties with chorizo basil oil – this 16th-century inn has a garden rolling down to the River Derwent. Log fires and some 30 whiskies and brandies add warmth in wintertime.
Leadmill Bridge, Hathersage, Derbyshire S32 1BA
The good food at this busy pub includes super sausage and mash, calf’s liver and tandoori-chicken salad: book to get a table in the country-cottage interior or the ‘secret’ garden (www.chequers-froggatt.com). Reservations advisable.
Froggatt Edge, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S23 3ZJ
A tiny, friendly pub, all beams and uneven stone flags, with rabbit casserole and good steak ’n’ kidney pie on its menu. The beers on tap include seasonal offerings from local microbreweries.
Main Street, Litton, nr Tideswell, Derbyshire SK17 8QU
Could this be the best ‘old man’s pub’ in the world? With home-made food served on plates from the pottery next door, Brimstone and ruddy strong Black Lurcher on tap, and dogs snoozing by the fire, we think so. All’s right with the world over a pint in this pub.
Wardlow Mires, Tideswell, Derbyshire SK17 8RW
Open fires, grandfather clocks and talking parrots are among the attractions in this popular but unpretentious dining pub. Book a table to eat pork and black-pudding sausages or monkfish tails in Thai curry sauce. If you're lucky, you'll approach the pub from Jackass Lane, giving your 'lunch at the Bear' recollections a little extra mileage.
Alderwasley, Belper, Derbyshire DE56 2RD
A walkers’ pub with its very own book of walks, £3, the Ship Inn is worth booking in advance for its home-made gnocchi or lamb shank in red wine.
Barlow Hill, Wincle, Congleton, Cheshire SK11 0QE
This own-brew moorside pub is rife with eccentricities, such as its menagerie of rabbits, geese, horses, dogs and rescued cats, an annual gurning championship, and Thursday night morris dancing. The dozen real ales are a big draw; the bar food is great value.
Church Lane, Uppermill, Oldham, Lancashire OL3 6LW
A creeper-clad, child-friendly pub near the Nine Ladies stone circle, with a terrace and garden seats – perfect for enjoying a leisurely Sunday lunch.
Main Street, Birchover, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 2BL
This former coaching inn in a pretty village near the banks of the River Wye has an acclaimed menu and remarkable puddings.
Church Street, Ashford-in-the-Water, Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1QB
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