Camping and Caravanning in the Peak District
Aug 20th, 2008 by Peak District Tourist Guide
Two of the preferred options for many people visiting the Peak District for a holiday are camping and caravanning.
This is a part of England which truly lends itself to the benefits of this type of holiday and it is of no surprise that camping and caravanning in the Peak District has not just maintained its popularity, but increased it.
The Peak District, Britain’s first National Park, is situated right in the heart of England, ideally located for people to drive to. With the A6 and A623 able to get you into the heart of the Peak District from the M1 to the east or the M6 to the west, the 500 square miles is accessible from all over the country.
Many people like to bring their caravans or tents to the Peak District, set up their base for a few days and then wander off on foot or bicycle and explore everything the area has to offer – and that is a substantial variety of things.
One of the great delights of camping and caravanning in the Peak District is that your base can be right in the heart of the very countryside you’ve come to admire.
The stunning and incredibly diverse beauty of the area can be yours as soon as you open your eyes in the morning and you can go outside your tent or your caravan and breathe in the pure, clean air and then go off and explore in your own good time.
Because of the popularity of camping and caravanning in the Peak District, there is an astounding variety of places for travelers to choose from. There are, for example, large campsites offering a range of amenities that prove that camping doesn’t have to be synonymous with ‘roughing it’.
Take a camp such as the Rivendale Caravan and Leisure Park at Alsop-en-la-Dale, for instance. This has 200 sites available and offers top-of-the-range facilities for holidaymakers whilst also being surrounded by dramatic scenery and close to all the paths, trails, footpaths and tourist attractions of the area.
If you want something smaller then the Broadholme Lane Caravan Park near Belper has room for just 15 caravans, but still has good hard standing pitches, electrical points and a pub only 5 minutes’ walk away!
The Star Camping and Caravan Park is just over a mile away from Alton Towers, 200 yards from a good pub and close to all the attractions of the Peak District. It also has the benefit of a really good children’s play area.
If organized parks such as this are not quite what you’re looking for, then the Peak District is full of little farmhouses and country cottages that offer site facilities for just one or two caravans or tents.
Take Shallow Grange Farm near Buxton as an example. This little working farm has holiday accommodation in the Grange itself but also a quiet caravan park where tents are more than welcome.
You can get up in the morning and you’re minutes away from the moors, the valleys or the delightful Peak District villages and towns.
If this kind of ‘back to nature’ holiday experience is what you’re searching for, then camping and caravanning in the Peak District is sure to provide you with an unforgettable adventure.
As a long-time fan of the Lake District, I was grudgingly persuaded to visit the Peak District and was very impressed. The two National Parks are both special in their own different ways.
The Peak District is so accessible for most people. An hours drive from Nottingham saw me at Rivendale enjoying far-reaching views over rolling Derbyshire hills from the Mongolian Yurt on site.
Whilst the cliffs and mountains of the Lake district are certainly bigger, the Peak District offers some truly spectacular scenery with greater variation between the limestone of the White Peak area and the gritstone of the Dark Peak.
From Rivendale we walked just 200 metres directly from the site before descending into Cold Eaton Dale. As we walked down the dale the scenery got increasingly dramatic as the sides of the dale got steeper with limestone outcrops and we arrived at Mill Dale under the cliffs of Iron Tor. Turning right up Mill Dale, we crossed the Dove and struggled up a steep bank to the top of Drabber Tor - from where there are fantastic views of Wolfscote Dale & Biggin dale. We were lucky in having superb weather that day, the other days the weather was mixed. But this is where the Peak District really scores - with loads of stately homes (including Chatsworth), Alton Towers, the Derwent Valley World heritage site, National Tram Museum, Gullivers Kingdom, Heights of Abraham and so on all providing something of interest for every age group - and all of it within about 30 minutes drive.
Rivendale is apparently more than 1000 feet above sea level - hence the wood-burning stove inside the Yurt. We just used it for cooking breakfast but it certainly proved itself capable of heating the Yurt. We will be back this winter.