8 Best Places To Visit In Derbyshire
Whether you’re visiting Derbyshire for the first time or you’re coming back for more, here at Pitchup we’ve done the hard work and put together a list of sights not to be missed. The county is best known for being home to a large part of the Peak District National Park, but there’s so much more to explore here. With Elizabethan country houses, heritage sites from the Industrial Revolution and great outdoor activities, Derbyshire’s attractions will appeal to everyone from history buffs to families with young kids.
Book Pitchup’s Derbyshire campsites
Bolsover Castle
A fairytale castle in Derbyshire
Overseen by English Heritage and opened after restoration in 2014, turreted 17th-century Bolsover Castle sits on a hilltop and has breathtaking views of the Vale of Scarsdale from the Wall Walk that encircles the formal Fountain Garden. There are sumptuous apartments with monumental carved fireplaces to explore in the Little Castle, an original Georgian-era riding school to inspect and a family-friendly multimedia tour that digs deep into the castle’s history.
There are lots of events for kids all year around, and a tea room with tempting cakes too.
Buxton
The highest market town in England
Buxton is 300 metres above sea level, making it the highest market town in England. This handsome stone-built town is also a well-known spa equally notable for its Georgian and Victorian architecture, its three prestigious thermal spas and its cultural life with exhibitions in several arts centres and music, drama or pantomime at the Opera House. If younger kids are a bit resistant to culture, let them loose on the play areas in Buxton Pavillion Gardens, where there are also a couple of cafés for emergency pitstops, or take them to see St Anne’s Well, from which the famed namesake mineral water is soured and bottled.
Carsington Water
Reservoir with watersports, hiking and biking
Looking to go for a bike ride, a family stroll or a day out on the water? Carsington Water has two bike trails (one of three and another of eight miles) with views of the reservoir and conveniently there’s bike hire available on site. You’ve got three walking trails to choose from too, and the open waters and shoreline are habitats for a range of birdlife so there’s always something to spot – lapwings, buzzards and kingfishers are frequent visitors. While you’re there, you can also rent boats, go trout fishing or try windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding
Chatsworth House
An art-filled neo-classical mansion
Construction started on the present incarnation of Chatsworth House in 1687; it has been in the family of the Dukes of Devonshire since that time. The mansion itself is open for tours of lavishly furnished and decorated suites of rooms full of priceless art treasures from Egyptian sculpture to modern paintings – most opulent is the grand Painted Hall, awash with giant paintings, sculptures and marble. Outside, there are acres of formal gardens and parkland to walk (dogs are welcome), a farmyard and play area for kids, plus a gift shop, restaurants and cafés; there’s also a full schedule of events from horse trials to Halloween themed- nights and a Christmas market, so have a look to see if there’s anything going on while you’re in the area.
Derby
A lively city packed with museums and restaurants
Derbyshire’s biggest urban centre sits at the southern end of the Derwent Valley – regarded as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution – and wears its heritage with pride. Learn more about textile production at the fascinating Museum of Making, or head to the Derby Museum and Art Gallery to explore its fine collections of fossils, porcelain and military memorabilia as well as works by local landscape artist Joseph Wright. And don’t forget that the city is the gateway to both the Derbyshire Dales and Peak District National Park.
Derwent Valley Mills
Insights into the industrial heritage of the region
A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site next to the River Derwent, Derwent Valley Mills are a series of 18th- and 19th-century cotton mills that give glimpses into life in the area during the Industrial Revolution. Along the 15-mile trail, you can take a guided tour of Cromford Mill, surrounded by some of the first purpose-built housing in the world; other highlights include the mill complex at Belper, a lively post-industrial town set in magnificent Derwent Valley countryside, and the riverside village of Darley Abbey, where you can explore a well-preserved 18th-century textile mill.
Hardwick Hall
A country house built by a Tudor-era feminist
The National Trust manages Hardwick Hall, a vast Renaissance-style mansion dating from Tudor times and built by Bess of Hardwick, one of the richest and most powerful women in 16th-century England. There are Elizabethan tapestries on the walls and a fine collection of decorative arts to discover – look out for Bess’s portrait, which hangs in the Long Gallery – as well as kitchens set out in period style. The gardens are especially pretty in summer, and there are woodland walks as well as family-themed play trails through the trees. Dogs are welcome in the park but must be kept on a lead.
Peak District National Park
The UK’s oldest national park
Derbyshire’s national park was established in 1951 and is chock-full of things to do and adventures to be had. Frankly, you could spend weeks exploring this spectacular region, so if you’re staying around for a while, check out Pitchup’s detailed guides to the Peak District National Park, where you can find expert ideas for family-friendly things to do, cycling routes and wildlife watching among many other Derbyshire days out.
Places to stay in Derbyshire
If you’re visiting Derbyshire and the Peak District, staying outdoors at a campsite can make a budget-friendly holiday – and you will be inspired by the county’s spectacular countryside and pretty villages to get out exploring in the fresh air. Outdoor accommodation available on Pitchup ranges from no-frills pitches in farm fields (with prices starting at £15 per night) to high-end glamping pods with private hot tubs or family-friendly holiday parks with indoor pools.
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