The Peak District: Britain's First National Park, History & the Best Walks

The Peak District lies at the southern end of the Pennines, mostly in Derbyshire, between Manchester and Sheffield. It has two faces: the Dark Peak of brooding gritstone moors and edges in the north, and the White Peak of green limestone dales, dry-stone walls and stone villages in the south.

Why The Peak District Is Special

The Peak District was the first National Park in the United Kingdom, designated on 17 April 1951, and it holds a special place in the story of the British countryside: it was here that ordinary walkers fought for the right to roam.

It is also wonderfully varied. In a single day you can climb a windswept edge, picnic by a river in a wooded dale, explore a show cave and visit one of the greatest country houses in England.

The History of The Peak District

On 24 April 1932 hundreds of walkers set out on the Kinder Trespass, a mass trespass onto the moorland plateau of Kinder Scout, which was then closed to the public. It became a landmark in the campaign for open access to moorland in Britain and eventually led to the creation of the National Parks.

Above Castleton, Mam Tor, 517 metres high, is crowned by an Iron Age hill fort. It is known as the Shivering Mountain because its layers of shale keep slipping, and the landslips eventually closed the main road beneath it. From its summit the Great Ridge runs east to Lose Hill, one of the finest ridge walks in England.

In the south, the River Dove runs through the limestone gorge of Dovedale, where generations of visitors have crossed its famous stepping stones. Across the park, villages still keep the old custom of well dressing, decorating their wells each summer with pictures made of flower petals pressed into clay.

Stanage Edge, the long gritstone escarpment above the Hope Valley, is beloved by climbers and walkers, and it is where Keira Knightley's Elizabeth Bennet stands on the edge of the rock in Pride & Prejudice (2005).

What to See & the Best Walks at The Peak District

Walk the Great Ridge from Mam Tor to Lose Hill above Castleton, then explore Castleton itself, with Peveril Castle and its show caves. Cross the stepping stones in Dovedale and walk up the dale past its limestone pinnacles.

Visit Chatsworth, the great house of the Dukes of Devonshire, and its garden, and buy a Bakewell pudding in Bakewell. Walk along Stanage Edge at sunset for views over the Hope Valley.

Wildlife at The Peak District

Red grouse, curlews and golden plovers breed on the moors of the Dark Peak, and mountain hares, which turn white in winter, live on the high plateaux. In the limestone dales, look for dippers on the rivers and wild orchids in the meadows in early summer.

Gardens, Countryside & Antiques near The Peak District

See the Peak District National Park listing for visitor centres. Antiques lovers will find Rutland Arms Antiques Centre in Bakewell, Cromford Mill Antique Centre at Cromford and Ashbourne Antiques Centre at the southern gateway.

Gardeners can visit Fairways Garden Centre Ashbourne, and the long-distance Pennine Way begins in Edale, at the foot of Kinder Scout.

The Peak District Through the Seasons

Spring brings lambs and the first well dressings. Summer is the season of well dressings and carnivals across the villages. In August the moors turn purple with heather, and autumn colours the wooded dales. Winter can bring snow to the high moors, so check the weather before you set out.

Getting to The Peak District

The Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield stops at Edale, Hope and Hathersage, right in the park. Buses link Bakewell, Matlock and Buxton.

The Peak District: Questions & Answers

Which was the first National Park in Britain?

The Peak District, designated on 17 April 1951.

What was the Kinder Trespass?

A mass trespass on 24 April 1932 onto Kinder Scout, then closed to walkers. It became a landmark in the campaign for access to the countryside.

Our Advice

Our advice: Take the train to Edale, walk the Great Ridge to Castleton and catch the train home from Hope: one of the great car-free days out in England.