Read on to discover some of the attractions you can explore and enjoy whilst staying at our cottages in Derbyshire. At the southern tip of England's Pennine 'backbone' lies the Peak District, an upland area of Derbyshire wedged between the great conurbations of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Within just a few square miles, it offers perhaps the greatest variety of landscape in England ranging from rolling farmland and limestone dales to gritstone moorland.
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Travelling north through the county, visitors first encounter the limestone plateau, where hedges and fields give way to dry-stone walls and deep river valleys dotted with typical Derbyshire cottages - this is the White Peak. Continuing north, the Edges loom - high gritstone moors capping the limestone. This is the Dark Peak - a wild and barren landscape punctuated by weathered tors towering over heather. It is a starkly beautiful area which changes dramatically, according to local weather and light conditions.
Due to the proximity of this wilderness, when staying in one of our Derbyshire holiday cottages natural attractions are close to hand. These include some of England's finest climbing, caving, walking and cycling country within Britain's first designated National Park. The Peak District is also steeped in history and has a fascinating cultural heritage. Cromford is regarded by some as the birthplace of the modern factory system. Here, water was first harnessed to power the large-scale manufacture of cotton at Sir Richard Arkwright's Cromford Mill. The mill now lies at the heart of a World Heritage Site stretching 15 miles down the Derwent Valley, comprising a complex of historic industrial sites. There is so much to see and do on the doorstep; a holiday in one of our Derbyshire cottages would be incomplete without visiting Chatsworth House - seat of the Dukes of Devonshire and among Britain's finest stately homes. Other notable houses include the medieval Haddon Hall, seat of the Dukes of Rutland, and Hardwick Hall. Renishaw Hall is a beautiful 300-acre park within which lie some of the most important Italianate gardens in England; the house itself oozes treasures collected over many centuries by the renowned Sitwell family.
When staying at our Derbyshire holiday cottages, be sure to explore the many bustling Derbyshire market towns and villages, such as the spas of Buxton and Matlock, Bakewell with its 13th century five-arched bridge, the 14th century church in the village of Tideswell (the 'Cathedral of the Peak'), the picturesque village of Castleton overshadowed by the Norman Peveril Castle and the village of Eyam, one of the best-preserved locally and renowned for its self-imposed quarantine during the Plague of 1666. There are gems to be discovered, also, underground at the famous Blue John caves.
Derbyshire partners some of its neighbouring counties in an ambitious environmental project aiming to establish a new National Forest in the heart of England. More than 200 square miles of countryside, across parts of Leicestershire and Staffordshire as well as Derbyshire, more are being transformed, blending ancient woodland with new saplings and in just ten years, seven million trees have been planted. In this ever-changing landscape, as the woodland cover spreads, one thing is guaranteed - there will always be something new to see whilst enjoying a break at one of our many Derbyshire holiday cottages in the Forest. So, why not browse our selection of holiday cottages in Derbyshire to find something that catches your eye?Cottages close to Derbyshire
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