Peak Family Tour

Arrival Day: Arrive Hartington
Arrive at Hartington & stay in either a family run B&B or Hartington Hall – The Peak Districts showcase hostel. Dating to the 17th century the hall features oak panelling, log fires and a bedroom where Bonnie Prince Charlie once slept.

Day 1: Hartington – Winster (14 miles)
Cycle along the superb gorge at Long Dale to Parsley Hay, where you join the Pennine Bridleway Southwards. You may chose to detour the short distance to Arbor Low, a Neolithic Stone Age circle known as ‘Stonehenge of the Peak’. Your journey South is along the flat traffic free bridleway of the High Peak Trail, which takes you to Elton, where you join a quiet country lane to Winster. This ancient village has some fine architecture throughout the village, most notably the Market House, owned by The National Trust. (14 miles – Approx 60% bridleways / 40% quiet country lanes)

Day 2: Winster – Ashbourne (18 miles)
Todays ride is mostly along quiet country lanes with a short section on the bridleway. You will pass green fields & farmland through the quiet hamlet at Aldwark to Longcliffe where you join the Pennine bridleway. Cycle along ‘The Midshires Way’ past Harboro Rocks to the fine viewpoint at Middleton Top, which makes a great place to stop for a break. Continue through Hopton to the banks of Carsington Water. Here you will travel by the banks of the reservoir which has a number of watersports facilities available & sailing, kayaking etc can be booked if desired. Continue along more peaceful roads through farmland to the attractive town of Ashbourne. (18 miles – Approx 30% bridleways / 70% quiet country lanes)

Day 3: Ashbourne – Hartington (13 miles)
Almost all of todays ride is along the traffic free ‘Tissington Trail’. You will have the chance to venture through Ashbourne tunnel if you dare! Tissington village makes a nice place to stop with its imposing hall, fine church, cafe’s & duckpond. If you pass through the village in the month of May you will have chance to see the spectacular folk art to comemorate the ancient festival of welldressing which dates back to 1350, or earlier. A number of fine views open up as you continue along the trail & pass through Biggin to join another bridleway back to Hartington. (13 miles – Approx 90% bridleways / 10% country lanes)

Fantastic Routes

All our routes are along quiet country lanes & tracks (cycling) or Footpaths, tracks, bridleways & country lanes (walking). Routes are designed to take you to the most interesting attractions, picturesque villages & outstanding scenery the Peak District has to offer.

Our detailed maps and route notes ensure easy navigation & take you to the best cafes & pubs. Opening times, telephone numbers & general details are provided for all the places you will pass, allowing you to plan lunch stops, rest stops etc.

Our routes have been designed to keep away from the main roads, avoid killer hills & to take in the nicest & most unspoilt parts of the Peak District.

Accommodation

Most places you will stay are small family run B&B’s, country pubs & guesthouses. If you would like a single room please book early as single rooms are often limited.

Local knowledge is invaluable when choosing good accommodation & all the places you will stay have been carefully selected on grounds of location, character, friendliness of the staff and cleanliness.

All prices are per person based on 2 people sharing either a twin or double room. If you would like to book a single supplement please state this on the booking form & we will contact you to discuss prices & availability.

Local Information

Your are provided with historical information about all the towns & villages you will pass through, interesting facts about the area and all relevant information about the attractions & amenities nearby.

Emergency Backup number

In the unlikely event that you have any problems you have that piece of mind to know that we are always only a phone call away. It doesn’t happen very often but it’s reassuring to know that we will come to rescue you if required.

Luggage Transfer Option

If you chose the luggage transfer option we will pick your bags up in the morning & deliver them to your next overnight stop so that they are waiting for you when you arrive. This allows you to travel light & not worry about carrying all your things with you each day.

Start Location & Dates

All tours depart on any day of the week subject to accommodation availability.

Most tours are designed so that you start from a Location with good rail links and travel by public transport is recommended.

Booking

To book a tour please send a completed booking form and (a) Deposit of £250.00 per person for tours of 7 days or longer or £50.00 for all other tours or (b) The full holiday cost. If only the deposit is paid at time of booking then full payment of the holiday is required no less than 8 weeks before the start of your holiday. No further reminder is sent. If you book your holiday within 8 weeks of the holiday start date, the full holiday cost is required at time of booking.

Cancellation by Us

In the unlikely event that we have to cancel the tour you will be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid or we will move you to a different tour date if you’re able to do so. If the tour is cancelled because the minimum number of people required to operate this tour hasn’t been reached then you will be notified no less than 3 calendar months before the departure date. If the tour is cancelled by us we will not be responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred such as travel expenses, visas etc & no compensation will be paid to cover these expenses.

Cancellation by You

If you have to cancel your holiday then please notify us as soon as possible. We always try to be fair and will always try to move you to different tour date if possible. If you cancel your tour less than 8 weeks before your tour start date then you will lose all monies already paid. It is for this reason that we strongly recommend that you take out adequate travel insurance to cover cover this.

Notice of Cancellation Charge (% of Full Price)

Cooling Off Period

If you decide to cancel your tour after receipt of your booking form you will be entitled to a 14 day cooling off period. During this time you will be entitled to a full refund of any monies paid.

Accommodation

B&B Option – double or twin

If you chose the B&B only option you will stay in a mixture of B&B’s, hotels and country pubs. If you are travelling with a friend then you will be roomed together in a twin or or if you’re with your partner then you will be in a double room (or a twin if you prefer). If you are travelling alone then you will be roomed with another member of the group in a twin room (same sex). The actual stopovers may change from the advertised accommodation providers, if this happens then an equivalent standard of accommodation will be used nearby. The majority of the rooms you stay in will be en-suite however you may stay in a couple of rooms that are not en-suite.

Single Room Option

If you choose the single room option you will have your own room for the duration of the trip. This will be in either a single room or single occupancy of a double room in a mixture of en-suite and non en-suite rooms.

Sole Use of a Double room Option

If you choose this option you will have a guaranteed double room to yourself throughout the tour. You will always have an en-suite each night of your tour. There may be a rare occasion when you have a separate bathroom but this is very unlikely.

YHA (Youth Hostel) Option

This option is only available for the 14 day LEJOG tour. If you chose the YHA option you will stay in a mixture of hostels, hotels & B&B’s staying in single sex dormitory rooms, single rooms, twin rooms & triples.

Support

On tours with 8 people or less in the group then there may only be one tour guide with you who will drive the back up van each day. Tours with 8 – 15 people in the group will have two tour guides with one guide driving the back up van and the other guide cycling with the group or both guides driving a back up van each. Tours with 16+ will have a guide that cycles with the group plus two back up vans do provide support.

Cycle Hire

If you choose the cycle hire option you will be provided with your bike at the start of your tour. The bike comes with everything you need for your trip although some people like you use their own saddle, peddles and/or helmet (just let us know beforehand). At the end of your tour you can simply hand your bike back to us when you finish cycling. Please see the additional cycle hire sheet for details of the bikes we have available.

Minimum Number

If the minimum number of people required to run the trip is not met then we will have to cancel the trip. You will be notified at least 3 calendar months prior to the start date of the trip if the minimum number (usually 8 people) hasn’t been met & you will receive a full refund of all monies paid.

Consumer Protection

In order to comply with EU Travel Regulations 1992 your deposit & final payment will be held in a separate account until your holiday is completed. This is to ensure the financial security of your holiday.

Insurance

It is compulsory that you take out adequate holiday insurance including medical cover, personal accident, loss of belongings & cancellation cover. We cannot be held responsible for your own illness, injury or loss/damage of your bike or belongings while on holiday.

EHIC – European Health Insurance Card (for EU nationals travelling in Europe)

This card entitles you to greatly reduced or free state medical services throughout Europe, including Switzerland. We recommend you send off for one of these before the trip and carry it with you. It’s important to bear in mind that these cards are not a substitute for travel insurance and adequate travel insurance is compulsory for this tour. This link will give you all the information you need about the EHIC. www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC

Safety

Cycling is a potentially dangerous activity & the risks involved should be considered before undertaking such a trip. We will be cycling mostly on quiet back roads however there will be times when we cycle on busier roads where traffic density is higher. All persons undertaking this tour do so at their own risk & Peak Tours cannot be held responsible for any accidents that may occur whilst on the trip. For further details please see our risk acknowledgement statement here which forms part of these conditions.

Data Protection

Please ensure you have permission from all people involved in the booking to give us their contact details. We take all reasonable precautions to ensure our customer’s data is kept safe and secure and only use the contact details we have to send information connected the booking and the occasional email newsletter. You can update your communication preferences with us at any time, please see our full privacy policy here.

Contract

By signing your booking form you agree to the booking conditions as outlined above. Peak tours will carry out our obligations as detailed in the tour itinerary & any information supplied to you.