The Peak District contains a wealth of towns and villages, each with their own unique character. Lead mining and agriculture were once the principal sources of income. Corn, flour and cotton milling also provided employment here and there. Tourism has perhaps taken over from the mining and milling but agriculture still supports many local inhabitants. One popular custom that attracts visitors to Peak District towns and villages is the well dressing.

Visit Peak District Towns

Getting to these Peak District towns is most easily accomplished by car but is not impossible by public transport. The Peak District is served by buses from East Midlands Airport.  The nearest main line train station is Derby. National Express and Megabus terminals are also in Derby. From Derby, the bus takes about 40 minutes (bus timetable index here) to reach the southern fringes of the Peak Park. It’s just over an hour to Bakewell and about 90 minutes to reach Buxton. Leaflets and brochures, plus local advice, accommodation booking and more can be obtained from the official tourist information centres.



Alport – peaceful and clean village with a toxic history.
Ashford-in-the-Water – a village that was well known in the past for its decorative marble.
Ashover – Amber valley village with a big history, home of the first Liquorice Allsort®!
Ashbourne – Bonnie Prince Charlie and the famous Shrovetide football match.
Bakewell – a fine market town with Saxon carvings at the church, the Bakewell Pudding and ducks galore to feed.
Bamford – A brilliant centre for outdoors enthusiasts, situated on the side of moorland with extensive views of the hills surrounding the Hope and Edale valleys.
Baslow – occupied since the Bronze Age and convenient for Chatsworth House.
Belper – information about one of the key locations of the Derwent Valley World Heritage site. Not actually in the Peak District but is not far away!
Beeley – close to Chatsworth Park with a history that goes back to the Bronze Age.
Birchover – continuous occupation of the village site since Saxon times, nearby stone circles, a great eating pub and plenty of walks makes Birchover well worth a visit.
Bonsall – A centre of ancient industry, with magnificent views of the surrounding hills.
Buxton – an elegant Georgian & Victorian spa town in the High Peak of Derbyshire.
Cromford – Inventor Richard Arkwright’s mill town, the birth of the Factory system in the UK.
Castleton – big holes in the ground, a 12th century castle and a shivering mountain (Mam Tor).
Dovedale – OK, not really a town. A popular destination with tourists since Victorian times. Spectacular limestone cliffs and a crystal clear river teeming with trout.
Darley Dale – a linear settlement in the Derwent valley.
Edale – a group of five hamlets and the start of the Pennine Way.
Elton – a peaceful bit nevertheless thriving community in the White Peak of Derbyshire.
Eyam – a grisly history with 350 deaths in 2 years plus a fascinating church with a Saxon cross and Eyam Hall.
Glossop – Old and new.
Hathersage – busy town favoured by walkers, climbers and outdoors enthusiasts.
Hartington – home of Stilton Cheese and fine ales from a Derbyshire microbrewery.
Hope – centre of the 13th century ‘Royal Forest of the Peak’
Hope Valley – wide, fertile and with a high concentration of caves at its head.
Ilam – Peak District ‘model’ village
Lathkill Dale – mining, fishing, walking and rare flowers.
Longnor – quiet former market town.
Monyash – quiet village at the head of Lathkill Dale.
Rowsley – the village that the railway passed by, home to the Peak Village factory outlet retail park
Stanton-in-Peak – Giving its name to the local moor, Stanton is a delightful village perched high above the surrounding valleys
Tissington – Saxon village associated with well dressings.
Wensley – situated above the Derbyshire Wensleydale with a garden full of stone mushrooms
Winster – mining, murder, suicides and Morris Men but no soap opera (yet)!
Wirksworth – 2000 years of continuous occupation, lead mining and a brilliant heritage centre to show it all off.
Youlgrave – market town with a mining history and ‘The Fountain’

Accommodation

Based on Bakewell as that is a very popular centre. All booking is handley securely online by booking.com, I never see any of your details, financial or otherwise.



Booking.com

External sites …

For images of past times in Derbyshire and the rest of the North East Midlands, visit the Picture the Past project. Local Derbyshire and Peak District towns and villages websites (hope they are still active) …

  • AshbourneAshbourne Shrovetide Football Match
  • Cromford – a comprehensive and well put together web site about this important Derbyshire Village.
  • Hartshorne
  • Monyash village web site
  • Old Glossop – Ivan Bell’s brilliant web site about Old Glossop.
  • Whaley Bridge – is an attractive small town in the High Peak. We call ourselves the Gateway to the Goyt Valley, the area of outstanding natural beauty which is a magnet for walkers, tourists and those seeking adventure.