Peak District Tourism

Camping, staying in a Peak District b&b or even one of the local Peak District luxury hotels? Does it really matter when you are visiting one of the worlds most popular National Parks? As long as you are well placed to see everything the Peak district has to offer and you leave no stone unturned so to speak, your choice of accommodation will not affect what you do during your visit.

Quite often though visitors to the area do tend to focus on the park itself and tend to forget about visiting the local towns that have history as well.

One of the towns in the area is Bakewell in Derbyshire and it is right in the heart of the Peak District, is a small and extremely beautiful market town. The town is situated on the River Wye and from the historical point of view the five arched bridge which dates back to the 13th century is still open to traffic. Due to increase in traffic over the centuries it was widened in the 19th century.

There is a lot of history to Bakewell that a lot of people don’t know about, the town its self has even been mentioned in the Domeday book as having two priests a church which signified importance all those centuries ago.

The local grammar school was founded in 1637 by the marriage between Sir George Manners and Grace Pierrepont and the school is known as Lady Manners School. The local church, All Saints Parish of which the majority stands now, dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, with fragments of Norman and Saxon stonework, again like the bridge considerable restoration work took place in the 19th century. The church is low and broad with an octagonal tower giving grace to the beautiful spire.

There used to be in the centre of Bakewell the White Horse Inn, which has been replaced by The Rutland Arms Hotel, with some other various buildings being demolished in 1805, to form Rutland Square.

Centuries ago, these would of catered for coach travellers who passed through the town, and it has always been reputed for the connection to Jane Austin, who was reported to have stayed at this hotel, whilst writing Pride and Predudice, and that Lambton in the book has been identified as Bakewell.

Another truly great invention happened by accident at the hotel, and that is the famous Bakewell pudding known throughout all of the UK. The story is told, that when the cook misinterpreted the baking instructions, and pored the egg mixture over the jam instead of adding to the pastry what should have been a tart had now become a pudding.

There are numerous shops in the town centre where these puddings can be purchased.

The old house museum is interesting to visit. Bakewell Historical Society restored this in 1955, the museum has fourteen beamed rooms which offers the chance to view, a Victorian Kitchen, drapers shop, a wheelwright, a smithy, and many other various rooms. There are many other rooms containing, china, toys, lace, and photographs. Visiting the museum gives you the chance to learn more about Bakewell’s history.

Bakewell in the peak district is at the southern end of the Pennines in Central England, there are thousands of people who visit this beautiful area every year, probably making it the second most popular National Park in England. There are some really beautiful and interesting places to visit in and around Bakewell.

Accomodation in and around the area, offers something for everyone, whether you want a hotel, or a guest house, there are plenty to choose from, who all offer good food and accomodation. On visiting this beautiful small town it is a must to try the famous Bakewell Pudding and get the recipe.

There is a lot of history in the area so if you are visiting on a Peak District holidays adventure make sure you leave enough time to explore some of the local towns and villages as well.

Tags: Bakewell, Peak District, PeakDistrict Tourism