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The Peak District National Park doesn't recognise county boundaries and whilst the lion's share is within Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire also get a small share of the area. It's reach is one of the many factors that makes it popular with visitors and there are estimates that 50% of the UK population live within 50 miles of its borders. That's quite a large number of people, not all of whom have ever visited the area of course, but certainly helps to account for it being very busy on some summer weekends when the sun is shining. It is surrounded by large cities and towns: Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Leeds, Halifax, Rochdale, Manchester, Warrington, Stoke, Stafford, Birmingham, Leicester and many others are all within easy reach of the Peak District. It is the UK's first National Park, the highest peak is an accessible 631m above sea level, there's great walking, rock climbing, fishing, cycling, gliding and much more.
If all that sounds exciting, it is, and it makes it a vibrant and a popular place to visit. It is also one of the most beautiful parts of the English landscape with contrasts on a par with the rest of the United Kingdom. Sure, it doesn't have the high mountains of Scotland or the Lake District, but what it doesn't have in height it makes up for in the grandeur and beauty of its dales and valleys. It also has plenty of contrast from the high Dark Peak moorland areas on top of large expanses of millstone grit, some of which is exposed to reveal a strip of rocky edges that traverse the area from north west to east, to the rush of streams and rivers winding their way through the White Peak dales of limestone valleys and gorges.
There are picturesque villages and towns, historic and contemporary arts and crafts, stately and historic houses, old customs and much more of interest. Of course, it's not all a rural idyll and it has its own set of problems, public debate, political intrigue, infighting and businesses and people trying to out-do each other. Right now there is a raging debate about the possible construction of a small wind-farm just outside the Peak National Park boundary, one that is sure to have far reaching implications whichever way the recommendations, decisions and appeals eventually go.
This is the introduction to a series of planned articles that will show the great places of Derbyshire and the Peak District. In this series I intend to show some of the wonderful landscapes and views, but also describe how to find these places, how to get to them and how you can also enjoy them. These places are not for private consumption and I hope you too visit and come away with your own pictures. None of the places featured are of course unique and you will find many pictures all over the internet that show them. What is different here is to share them in such a way you do not have to learn through trying and the many trips I have made, and I hope through sharing this you will be able to make better pictures of the area.
I have a long list of great Derbyshire places that will be revealed as I work through this, but I would also appreciate any feedback or ideas you have on places to include. I cannot promise to include them all, but I can promise to listen and change the order in which they are presented through any feedback. Hope you find this interesting, useful and with a little luck will inspire you to visit and create great pictures of the area. Please let me know what you manage to create. The list is currently as follows (and will be added to as this work progresses):
- Curbar Edge
- Padley Gorge
- Lathkill Dale
- ...
For each place I describe I will cover:
- overview
- what to see and how to enjoy it
- what and how to photograph it
- how to get there
- local amenities
- places nearby
Much of this will be the same for many of Derbyshire's great places so to avoid duplication I list below a number of links, books and other sources of information that will help you, should you need it, plan and enjoy your own visit to this wonderful part of the world. This is just a small selection...
Maps:
- OS Explorer Map OL1 - The Peak District Dark Peak Area
- OS Explorer Map OL24 - The Peak District White Peak Area
- BMC British Mountain Maps Dark Peak XT40
Walking Guides:
- Freedom to Roam Guides 4. Peak District Northern and Western Moors. Roly Smith, Frances Lincoln 2005
- Freedom to Roam Guides 5. Peak District Eastern Moors and the South. Roly Smith, Frances Lincoln 2005
- Day Walks in the Peak District. Norman Taylor and Barry Pope. V-Publishing
- Walk the Peak with Rob Dunn. Scarthin Books 2007
- Collins rambler's guide - peak district. Roly Smith, Harper Collins 2000
- Walking Country - Eastern Peak. Paul Hannon. Hillside Publications 1997
- Walking in Derbyshire, A Rambler's Guide to the Peak County. Edited by James Haworth, Derbyshire Countryside Ltd.
- Best walks in the Peak District. Frank Duerden, A Constable Guide, 1988
Photographic Albums and Guidebooks:
- Peak Panorama. W A Poucher, Chapman and Hall, 1946 (black and white and poor photographic reproduction by today's standards, but a real gem). See my review.
- Peak District Moods. Jerry Rawson, Halsgrove 2003
- Peak Light. Dave Butcher, Dave Butcher Photography 2007
- The Peak District. Fran Halsall, Frances Lincoln 2008. See my review.
Web - Peak District Information:
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