The Peak District National Park
was the 1st National Park to be set up in Britain
in 1951 and encompasses 542 square miles of
protected land. The Peak District can be roughly
divided into the High or Dark Peak & the
White Peak. The White Peak of
the south encompasses steep sided, wooded limestone
gorges & bright green fields criss-crossed
by dry stone walls. There are also many unspoilt
& idyllic villages which provide excellent
lunch stops en-route. In contrast the Millstone
grit of the High Peak provides
a much more rugged & remote destination
to explore with many reservoirs & lakes
which punctuate the landscape. Much of the region
was converted into a hunting ground by the Normans,
when the Royal Forest of the Peak was governed
from Peveril Castle, above Castleton. Wealth
generated from sheep farming & mining is
reflected in the many fine historic buildings
such as Haddon Hall, Chatsworth house, Eyam
Hall & the Crescent at Buxton.
I know very little about
the Peak District, please tell me more!
Recently I arranged a tour for my friend Pat,
from New York. Pat commented that most people
who aren’t from Great Britain don’t
know a great deal about the Peak District and
kindly wrote the following piece for me, which
helps to describe the Peak District to someone
who isn’t familiar with the area.
The Peak District is an oval-shaped oasis of
lush hills and mountains just 15 miles east
of Manchester. In 1951 this region of the Pennine
Mountains was designated as England’s
first national park, and it now offers some
of the country’s finest cycling and hiking
opportunities.
Its scenery is striking for its beauty and
variety, while its settlements are memorable
for their traditional appearance. The rolling
terrain, streams, forests and moors recall sections
of West Virginia and Vermont, while the stone
cottages in the hamlets as well as the nearby
sheep meadows enclosed by low stone walls maintain
a picturesque English landscape largely ravaged
elsewhere over the past two centuries. A few
sites within the area were chosen by nobility
in the Baroque or Victorian era to house their
gracious chateaus and gardens.
Whether cycling or hiking or combining the
two, Peak Tours will put you on quiet and beautiful
pathways suited to your needs for reflection,
relaxation, ambling, or physical challenge,
far from the frenzy of urbanized England yet
always comfortably close to a pub with a genial
atmosphere, great beers, and a fine, diverse
menu.
