Beech Croft Farm

Beech Croft Farm is a great place to start discovering the Peak District. The Pennine Bridleway passes the entrance to the site, and a short distance away it links to the Monsal Trail, a former railway line alongside the river Wye with tunnels and viaducts to explore (cycle hire is available on the Trail). Other nearby walking and cycle routes include the Limestone Way and the High Peak Trail; also recommended is the picturesque Goyt Valley, which offers horse riding, and sailing and fishing on its reservoirs. The towns that surround Beech Croft Farm are lovely: riverside Bakewell, famous for its markets, puddings and tarts; Buxton, a charming spa town that’s just as popular today as it was with the Victorians; Matlock Bath, home to various attractions, including cable cars and show caves at the Heights of Abraham; and Castleton, where there are four more impressive caverns to explore, plus a Norman castle. For those who like to see how the other half lived, Chatsworth House is an imposing stately home, with lovely gardens, and an animal farm park and woodland adventure playground for the little ones. If the little monkeys need wearing out, the treetop fun at Go Ape is ideal.