Places of Interest for Your Holiday

The Peak National Park

The Peak became the first British National Park in 1951. It is completely surrounded by the great industrial cities of the North and Midlands. It covers 555 square miles and part of six different counties and approximately 38,000 people live and work within its boundaries. It is run by a joint board of representatives of all the local authorities and other members nominated by Government.

There are really two Peak Districts; the White Peak in the centre and south, with the pearly grey limestone outcrops, and the Dark Peak, where sombre millstone grit forms the underlying rock of the high moorlands, in the north and to the east and west.

Walking is the number one activity for visitors to the Peak National Park and with around 1600 square miles of public footpaths and over eighty square miles of open access country, and there is plenty of scope. The gritstone edges and limestone dales are favourite haunts for rock climbers, while the White Peak also attracts cavers who explore the underground world.

Staffordshire Moorlands Wildlife

Visit the Blackbrook World of Birds, Winkhill near Leek. A lovely moorland setting in which to see many unusual species of birds, including storks, owls, cranes and waterfowl. Or just walk the Manifold Valley where you will see the indigenous grey wagtail and dippers. The valley starts with gently sloping fields later becoming impressive and dramatic. The river Manifold disappears underground through a porous bed.

There is the Staffordshire Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre situated in the beautiful Cherwell valley near Cheadle. There are wildlife study courses, art and photography and daily educational and guided tours. Finally, visit the Moorlands Farm Park of British Rare Birds at Ipstones Edge. There are forty different breeds including cattle, ancient Soay sheep and Tamworth pigs.

Cheadle Flint Mill

Two miles south of Leek. Flint which is used in the pottery industry was brought from The English Channel and ground down here before being transported down the Caldon canal to Stoke. Not only are the two low breast water wheels and the grinding equipment on display but the museum also has a Robey steam engine, a model Newcomen engine, a restored narrow boat and Haystack boiler.

Also visit Brindley Mill in Leek. Originally used as a corn mill it was restored in the seventies and the machinery put back in working order. The James Brindley Museum gives information on Millwrighting and the life and times of Brindley.

Biddulph Grange Garden

Off the A527 at the northern edge of Biddulph. A unique fifteen acre Victorian garden restored by the National Trust. A garden full of secrets and delights; rich both in history and magic.

Of special interest are gardens inspired by China, Egypt, a rocky glen, Italy and America: formal terraces, avenues, unusual plants, pools and fascinating buildings ranging from a Chinese temple and Joss House to a Cheshire cottage.

Carsington Water

Recently constructed by Severn Trent Water it represents Britains newest reservoir and is an ideal place for a day out in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. The visitor centre is open every day except Christmas Day and contains an award winning exhibition on the importance of water, shops and restaurant facilities.

Out of door activities can include the hire of canoes, sail boards, bicycles and of course trout fishing. There is an adventure playground on site for children and guided walks where you can view the spectacular scenery and local wildlife.

Castleton Caves

Castleton was founded by William Peveril, an illegitimate son of William the Conqueror, shortly after the conquest. Peveril Castle, the finest mediaeval landmark in the Peak, dates from 1176. Castleton is the Peaks underground the place where thousands of visitors every year experience yet another unseen aspect of the landscape.

Show caverns, some discovered by prospecting lead miners reveal the subterranean wonderland created by centuries of dripping water percolating through the permeable limestone. These caves are also the only place in the world where the semi precious mineral Blue John is found. The spectacular Winnats (Wind Gates) Pass to the west of Castleton is thought to be the remains of a collapsed cave system.

Alton Towers

This was once the house of the Earl of Shrewsbury; it contains beautiful rock and rose gardens tree lined valley slopes, rhododendron walks, woodland walks, follies, a pagoda and conservatories. Out of sight of all this reality is another world The Theme Park where wonders never cease. Here is the famous Corkscrew a terrifying double loop and the even more frightening Thunder Looper which catapults out of its station and reaches 60mph in 2.8 seconds.

In addition there is a Grand Canyon rapids ride and a sky ride where you can pass from one aspect of Alton Towers to the other far above for a birds eye view. At Alton Towers you only pay once. Admission price includes all the rides and attractions for you to enjoy as many times as you like during the day. All rides and attractions are open for seven days a week from mid March to early November.

National Tramway Museum

Crich is world renowned for its collection of historic trams. This attraction is a delightfully different venue, where children are just as enthusiastic as their elders, for the tram has novelty appeal as well as the nostalgia factor.

There are a wide variety of trams to see and travel on through the beautifully restored street scene and then along to give spectacular views of the countryside. There is also an indoor exhibition hall which houses impressive displays.

Cromford Mill

At Cromford in 1771 Sir Richard Arkwright built the first water powered cotton mill in England driven by the outflow from the Bonsall Stream and the Cromford Slough which drained the lead mines at Wirksworth. It was the first factory in the world in which a major source of power (water) was utilised. It thus became one of the cradles of the Industrial Revolution which has since changed the face and living standards of the world.

Richard Arkwright built Willersley Castle by the river together with its church in which he was buried. Nearby is a fine fifteenth century bridge across the Derwent which has pointed arches on one side and rounded on the other. A tiny fishing temple with the dedication Piscatoribus Sacrum stands close to the bridge: it is similar to Cottons fishing temple in Beresford Dale.

Lead Mining

Lead has been mined in Derbyshire for many centuries as early as the Roman occupation. This industry was focused around Wirksworth. Lead mining reached its climax in the county in the mid sixteenth century, with most of the major veins having been worked out down to the water table before the end of the century. The deep sided dales provided miners with easy access to the lead veins and the rivers a means of power to pump out the water.

Everywhere you look in the White Peak there is evidence of previous industrial activity from the mysterious bumps and hollows which scar many fields and mark the old lead workings, to the long lines of tree lined rakes which show where the major veins were excavated. The most impressive remains are at the Magpie Mine, near Sheldon, which was worked continuously for over two centuries from the 1740s. The engine house, built to a Cornish design is now in ruins and the Peak District Mines Historical Society now use the agents house and blacksmiths shop as a field centre. Magpie Mine remains the finest lead mining relic in Britain.

Well Dressings

One of the Peak Districts most beautiful and endearing traditions is that of well dressing which takes place in about twenty villages each summer. It has become a Christian ceremony today, but probably originated as

Ancient Sites

The earliest traces of man in Derbyshire have been found at Cresswell Craggs, two miles east of Clowne off the A616. Over twenty caves and rock structures have been found in the sides of the gorge, containing the remains of late prehistoric man who lived over 70,000 years ago.

Cresswell Craggs has been immortalised by George Stubbs, the well known artist, who painted pictures of horses here in the 1760s. Arbor Low may have been built as early as 2500 BC. It is known as the Stonehenge of the Peak and is situated two miles south of Monyash. It is one of the best examples of a Neolithic henge monument in the country. It consists of two entrances, ditch, bank and a stone circle. The stones lie flat and it is a controversial point as to whether they were ever standing.

A large Bronze Age round barrow, Gib Hill, lies nearby to the south and was probably built around 1500 BC. A few miles to the east you move off the limestone to the gritstone moorland of Stanton. The northern half of Stanton contains a Bronze Age stone circle known as Nine Ladies. The moorland is littered with burial mounds of the Beaker People who in early Bronze Age times brought the first knowledge of metallurgy to Britain.