The Peak District National Park is extensive and diverse and can be divided into sections known as The Dark Peak, The White Peak, The Staffordshire Moorlands and the Derbyshire Dales. The cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Derby are excluded from the National Park, its largest village being Bakewell.

 

Some of the villages in the peaks are steeped in history, their names familiar and appearing in many of the guide books, such as Chatsworth, Eyam, Dove Dale,and Castleton.

 

Running down the eastern flank of the Peak District are glacially formed Edges or escarpments, often featuring huge unusual shaped gritstone boulders with strange names. Some of these Edges take the name of the village above which they tower such as Curbar Edge and Froggatt Edge.

 

The White Peak was named after the mile upon mile of limestone dry walls which divide it, with none more evident than those surrounding Flagg, Chelmorton, Newhaven and Sheldon.

 

The Peak District contains several rivers that started life as rain falling on the high land and moors, the most important being the River Derwent which has three dams in succession within the first few miles of its source. After cascading over Derwent, Howden and Ladybower, the river flows down the valley passing Bamford, Hathersage, Grindleford, Calver, Baslow, Rowsley, Matlock, Matlock Bath, and Cromford. The River Wye flows through dramatic scenery on its route east from Buxton, including Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Ashford-In-The-Water, Bakewell and Rowsley where it unites with the Derwent just after powering the waterwheel at Rowsley Mill.

 

The rivers Lathkill and Bradford are said to be amongst the purest in the country and flow through nature reserves, overlooked by the villages of Monyash, Over Haddon, Youlgreave and Alport. But one of the most famous of Peak District rivers is of course our wonderful Dove, the drama queen of the dales which entices the most visitors to walk along its banks. Only the little hamlets of Crowdecote, Milldale and Mappleton can boast to be sited by its side, but Hartington, Alstonefield, Thorpe, Longnor and Sheen are but a mere footpath away.

 

Some villages in the peaks are so special that they are named twice! Middleton-by-Youlgreave is a short distance from Youlgreave and Middleton-by-Wirksworth can be found a mile or so from Wirksworth. Then there's the villages of Little Longstone and Great Longstone, Little Hucklow and Great Hucklow not to mention Stanton-in-the-Peak and Stanton Lees.

 

Chatsworth House is the jewel in the Peak District crown, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Also owned by the estate are several villages in the Peaks including Beeley, Pilsley and Edensor.

 

Customs and traditions abound in the villages in the Peak, many having an annual well dressing ceremony where wells which provided valuable water before the onset of the mains supply are blessed by a pictorial floral arrangement. Amongst the villages taking part are Bonsall, Brassington, Foolow, Litton, Longnor, Parwich, Stoney Middleton, Taddington and Wormhill. Winster has a shrove tide pancake race down the village street and Castleton has an annual garland ceremony.