Not just a pretty landscape

The Peak District is famous for its wild landscape, but you don't have to be an adventure sports fan to enjoy it.  It's also possible to go for gentle walks on the hills and to stroll around some of the attractive villages and towns such as Castleton.

Look back 3000 years

Mam Tor, or 'Mother Hill' in modern English, looks out over Castleton and the surrounding valley.  3000 years ago Celtic tribespeople lived in a wooden fort on the hilltop.  Today it's easier to visit; we can take the fifteen minute walk from the car park to the summit, admire the view and imagine what life was like in ancient times. Mam Tor is owned and maintained by the National Trust.

Why visit a medieval castle?

Peveril Castle is a short walk up the hillside from Castleton.  We visit it because there is a strong sense of history - it's easy to imagine how people used to live and work there.  Peveril Castle is owned and maintained by English Heritage.

Go down a mine

The mines in and around Castleton once produced lead and fluorospar.  Now they are tourist attractions where people can go underground on guided tours and see the amazing caverns and rock formations.  The Speedwell Cavern is flooded, so visitors ride boats through the tunnels once used to carry lead out of the mine.  At the Blue John Cavern a guide takes visitors on a walk down steps, through passageways and into caves more than 300 hundred feet under the hillside. Blue John stone is still mined in small quantities during the winter months.  It's used in jewellery which is on sale in local shops.

Something for everyone

If going down a mine or up the hill is still too tiring, there are plenty of cafés and tea shops where you can sit and relax.

There are lots of other things to see in the Peak District, including stately homes such as Lyme Hall and Chatsworth and attractive towns such as Buxton, Bakewell and Matlock.