One Day in the Peak District
On our journey from Wales to Yorkshire, we rented a car and headed north. We spent one night in Ludlow and one night in Shrewsbury, then headed out for a day in the Peak District. This is definitely an area we want to return to for a month long stay, as it is an outdoor lovers paradise! We weren’t able to get any hikes in since we were short on time, but we did have a fabulous day driving through the small villages and exploring Chatsworth House.
Quite a backyard!
Chatsworth House, now a charitable foundation, was the home of the Devonshires for seventeen generations over five centuries. You can buy tickets to tour the house, the gardens, or both. We chose to focus on the gardens, since it was a beautiful day in June! There are 105 acres of maintained gardens within the 1800 acre estate. We were there on Father’s Day and it was packed! You can come to the estate and enjoy the parklands without purchasing a ticket and we saw many families out on the broader lawns picnicking and walking.
We were also there on Jane Austen weekend, and there were costumes available for rent. It was so fun seeing people dressed in period costumes strolling the lawn.
There are paths throughout the gardens to take you to different areas. There is a hedge maze, a rockery, formal gardens, and wildflower gardens.
This reflecting pool and Emperor Fountain were built in 1844 to celebrate a planned visit by Czar Nicholas of Russia. It was designed to be the tallest fountain in Europe. Ironically, the Czar never visited! Today it serves as an ideal spot for picnic!
Looking at the east facade of Chatsworth House
We really enjoyed our time at Chatsworth House and would highly recommend a visit if you are in the Peak District. Driving your own car is the easiest way to visit. But there is also public transportation options available. The Peak Sightseer is a Hop On/Hop Off bus in the Peak District. There are several routes, but both stop at Chatsworth. If we come back to visit we’ll definitely take advantage of this to see more of the area!
After leaving Chatsworth House, we drove a short 15 miles to our hotel for the night: The George in Hathersage. We loved this pub/hotel. The decor is fresh and stylish, and the food was great. We had dinner and drinks there that night, and breakfast was included the following morning. There are several sister properties in the Peak District that also look fabulous.
The George, Hathersage
Hathersage is a small village with several pubs and shops. We took a wander through the town and came across a very fun and interesting gravesite!
We only had a small taste of the Peak District, but it is definitely an area we will return to. It is a hiking and cycling paradise, and full of small villages with quaint pubs and inns. If you are in the area, definitely check out Chatsworth House!