As spring gives way to summer and thousands travel to the Peak District, a mass of vehicles jams the roads and pollutes the air. Long-term visitor Ian Packham discusses how to get the most of the beautiful location without a vehicle.
The Peak District, which covers 555 square miles of moorland and valleys, has only one town, Bakewell, although it is well-served by public transit.
A single train or bus may take you from the pudding shops in Bakewell (tarts are also available) to the grandeur of Chatsworth House and David Mellor’s beautiful mid-century designs at the namesake visitor center in Hathersage.
It honors the efforts of the guy who created urban design icons like as my childhood’s Plexiglas ‘Abacus’ bus shelters and the modest traffic signal, which has remained unaltered since its Mellor redesign in 1965.
Of course, such sites always provide parking, but their growing popularity brings a slew of serious traffic difficulties. Visitors arriving by car over the Easter bank holiday weekend caused gridlock on Winnats Pass, one of the country’s most revered roads, in their search for parking spaces amid country lanes and dry-stone walling – and at the same time, motorists produced enough of the pollutant nitrogen dioxide to shame many inner-city A roads.
So, when the light starts to shine through the winter gray, it’s time to replace the one-litre runaround with a 15-litre bus engine (or its electric equivalent). You will seldom have to wait more than an hour for a bus or train.
Even before its present improvement, Northern Rail could bring you down the Hope Valley line from Sheffield to Grindleford (for Padley Gorge and the Longshaw Estate) in less than 15 minutes for £5.10 for a normal single ticket. The route extends as far as Manchester Piccadilly, passing through some of the Peak District’s most recognized scenery.
The David Mellor Visitor Centre at Hathersage, only three minutes down the lines, is joined by the burial site of Robin Hood’s Little John in St Michael’s graveyard, as well as panoramas that inspired Charlotte Bronte when writing Jane Eyre, including Stanage Edge (a two-mile walk away). A magnificent gritstone escarpment, popular with rock climbers and hikers whatever the northern weather is doing (which is sometimes a lot), its natural beauty is greatly enhanced by the vast vistas that stretch over the Dark Peak moorland back into the Hope Valley. Head there early on a weekday, and you’ll likely enjoy its magnificent atmosphere with just a few other waterproof souls scattered over its four-mile length.
The valley and its rail line are named after Hope, a village worth staying in for its numerous cafés serving freshly baked cakes on-site, old-world respectability (not only are there public toilets, but they’re free), and a decent crop of pubs serving regional ales and tempting beer gardens – all the more appealing when you visit without a car.
Should energy levels wane and the train stations at Hope or Edale (the start of the Pennine Way, the UK’s third-longest hiking path at 267 miles) seem too far away, Castleton is the western terminal of the 271/272 bus return to Sheffield. When boarding a double-decker, be sure you go upstairs to continue your view-filled adventure.
The same is true for the 218, which connects Sheffield and Bakewell in an hour via Chatsworth House, if the route’s rather anarchist attitude toward the necessity of schedules does not derail plans; in that case, the 257 accomplishes the job equally well via the ‘plague settlement’ of Eyam.
Meanwhile, the seasonal open-top Peak Sightseer has split into two routes for the first time this year, connecting Chatsworth to either Bakewell and Ashford in the Water or Blue John Cavern (entry £19), one of only two places in the world where the semi-precious mineral of the same name is mined via the Hope Valley.
Services from Manchester are less thorough, however the 58 runs from Macclesfield to Buxton in about 30 minutes, with infrequent buses continuing to Chatsworth. A better alternative is to take the train from Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton, passing via Stockport, the charming tiny town of New Mills, and walking around Whaley Bridge. Buxton’s predilection for health and spa-based resorts, which are around but not inside the national park, is another incentive to avoid rising the heart rate by skipping the hassle of driving.
Where to Stay?
Along with hotels in Sheffield and Manchester, there is plenty of accommodation within Peak District National Park, including the handful of classic en suite rooms at The Scotsman’s Pack Country Inn, Hathersage (from £95, two people sharing); Hope’s dog-friendly Bike & Boot (from £102); and the individually styled boutique bedrooms of Bakewell’s The Ashford Arms (from £100).
How to Do It
The Sheffield-Manchester Hope Valley Line travels hourly and stops at 13 intermediate stations, including Grindleford, Hathersage, Hope, and Edale. It runs beside the Manchester-Buxton line and is operated by Northern. Tickets start at £5.10.
Bakewell is a bus hub, with routes 218 and 257 from Sheffield via Chatsworth House or Eyam; single adult prices are £2 until December 31, 2024. Have your English Heritage membership ready for Castleton’s Peveril Castle (else £8.10).