The Derbyshire Peak District - Local Attractions.

The surrounding area has lots to offer the visitor and the cottage has a good collection of leaflets of local attractions. Regardless of the weather there is plenty to see and do.  The local market towns of Matlock, Ashbourne and Wirksworth are all within 8 miles. A little further afield is Bakewell which hosts a huge market every Monday that takes over half of the town. There are also the factory outlet centres at Masson Mill, Cromford and the Peak Village at Rowsley. Small craft centres are plentiful and there is a good selection of interesting shops selling locally made goods.

Derbyshire is also great for getting out and walking in. There are hundreds of well marked paths from gentle strolls to all day hikes and the cottage has a good selection of literature about many of them. From the High  Peak and Tissington Trails to Dove Dale and Thorpe Cloud, Derbyshire has something for everyone whatever their taste.

Carsington Water	Chatsworth House	Dove Dale
Local attractions are Kedleston Hall (4mls), Sudbury, Chatsworth, Haddon Halls and Alton Towers are within easy reach. Carsington Water with water sports, cycling and fishing is (5 mls). The cottage is located in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales and is an easy drive to Dove Dale, the Manifold valley and the Tissington trail.

Listed below is a selection of our family's favourite local days out:

• Carsington Water - we love to go there with a picnic, stroll around the visitor centre and across the dam and back. Visit the bird hide and walk around the standing stones. There is enough here for a full day out if you want to try everything that is on offer. 

• Kedleston Hall - this property is owned by the National Trust and it houses the famous Indian collection bought back from India by Lord Curzon (whose family home it once was) at the end of his duty as Viceroy.

• Ashbourne - after a visit to one of the plentiful cafes in the town there is nothing more relaxing (or self indulgent) than a morning or a day spent poking about the town and visiting all the shops.  Saturdays and Thursdays are good because you can visit the market too!

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• The White Peak	A Summers Day	Haddon Hall

• Haddon Hall - a visit to this house, owned by the Cavendish family is a real step back in time. The house is very old and you enter the grounds over an old pack horse bridge above the river Wye. As you cross the bridge you can let yourself drift back through time and enjoy the peace and tranquillity that this lovely building offers to its visitors.

• Arbor Low - built hundreds of years earlier, this place still has a very wild feel about it. You can see for miles.

• The High Peak Trail - you can travel this trail by bike or on foot, I prefer by foot but both are good. From Parsley Hay to Middleton Top you enjoy wide sweeping, open views across the surrounding countryside, feeling as if you are on the top of the world. A fantastic place on a fine day and one that certainly puts you in touch with the elements when it isn't!

• Tissington - this is a very pretty village with a good cafe, a great gift shop and lovely buildings. Visit the village when the Well Dressings are on and throw a coin or two into the wells for good luck. Explore the alleys and lanes around the village and feed the ducks in the village pond. A very pleasant place to while away a few hours.

Arbor Low	Well Dressing at Tissington	High Peak Trail at Middleton Top

Have a great day out in the Peak District.

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