Holiday Cottages Peak District

Here's what you can see and do when staying at one of our Peak District cottages.

The Peak District, Britain's first National Park, is an area of great natural beauty with rugged, peat-covered moorlands and magnificent limestone dales at the southern tip of the Pennine chain, taking in parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Yorkshire. In the south lies the White Peak, a limestone plateau cut by verdant river valleys and dales dotted with typical Peak District cottages and criss-crossed by drystone walls. Continuing north brings you to the Edges - the start of high gritstone moorland which sits in an arc across the top of the limestone. This is the Dark Peak - a wild and barren landscape punctuated by weathered tors towering over heather moorland. It is an area which changes dramatically with local weather and light conditions, but one which has a powerful, stark beauty and is great location for walking and cycling.

The Peak District has several outstanding stately homes. If you are staying at any of our Peak District holiday cottages a visit to the most famous, Chatsworth House, is recommended. This magnificent house is set in a landscaped park and is the home of the Dukes of Devonshire. Everything is on a massive scale, opulent and designed to impress. Hardwick Hall is one of Britain's finest and most unchanged Elizabethan houses. Whilst Haddon Hall, set on a rocky outcrop overlooking the River Wye, is probably the best example of a medieval manor house in existence in England. Plus, if you are the green-fingered type, you'll love the Peak District's excellent range of gardens, from the formality of stately home parks to small, specialist gardens.

Cromford Mill is regarded by some as the birthplace of the modern factory system and is at the heart of a World Heritage Site stretching 15 miles down the Derwent Valley from Matlock Bath to Derby, comprising a fascinating series of historic mill complexes.

The Peak District is dotted with bustling market towns and picturesque villages. Explore the streets, sights and shops of towns such as Ashbourne, Matlock Bath, and Buxton, with its beautiful Opera House and renowned as the site of pure, volcanic mineral water since Roman times.

Castleton is an outstandingly pretty village situated at the head of the lovely Hope Valley in the heart of the National Park between the Dark and the White Peak areas of the Peak District. The village is surrounded on three sides by steep hills including the mighty Mam Tor and the ancient Peveril Castle, a ruined Norman fortress, dominates Castleton. Not surprisingly to some it is known as the 'Gem of the Peaks' and is a popular tourist attraction thanks to its wonderful scenery and fantastic location. Why not browse our selection of Peak District holiday cottages to find something that catches your eye?

For Peak District cottages please search under the following counties:
Derbyshire cottages
Staffordshire cottages
Cheshire cottages