Heaton House Farm

When pottering around the Peak District, don’t miss the postcard-pretty villages. Leek (10 minutes’ drive) is a first-rate spot to kick off explores – as its nickname 'Queen of the Staffordshire Moorlands' suggests. Wander along the cobbled market square and scan the buildings for detailing from the Arts and Crafts design era. When it’s time to fuel up on food, peruse the menus at independent pubs and restaurants or grab grub to go from one of the stalls in the restored Victorian Butter Market. Buxton (30 minutes) is another fine place for foodies and also appeals to history buffs with its genteel Georgian spa town architecture. Craving the countryside? Get your fix at the Victorian garden in the National Trust’s Biddulph Grange Country Park (15 minutes). Planted with horticultural specimens from all around the world, it’s a fascinating spot for a stroll. For nature that’s a little less manicured, dawdle across the Dovedale stepping stones in a valley that leads up to Thorpe Cloud hill (40 minutes’ drive). After taking in the views across the bumpy landscape, trot off for 20 minutes over to Ilam, a tiny village with a tiptop country estate for ambles beside the clear river in 158 acres of parkland before rounding off the trip with treats at the tearoom.