How to get to the Peak District
Train
Major rail stations:
The cities neighbouring the Peak District – Manchester, Sheffield, Derby, Stoke on Trent – . From these cities, it’s easy to make onward journeys into the Peak District by train. You can catch:
- The Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield stopping on the way at villages in the beautiful Derwent, Hope and Edale valleys
- The Derwent Valley Line from Derby to Matlock
- The Manchester to Buxton line
- The Manchester to Glossop line.
Local rail stations:
If you fancy something different, why not hop on a Glossop or Hope Valley line Folk Train? Hear live folk music on board, then stop at a country pub before the return journey. Trains operate from Manchester and Sheffield.
For more on Peak District train and bus travel see
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/peakconnections
Bus
National Express service 440 runs from London to Manchester, stopping in Matlock, Bakewell and Buxton.
National Express and Megabus also run services to towns and cities around the edge of the Peak District, from where easy local connections are available.
Local buses
From Derby, Nottingham and Manchester catch the TransPeak bus service, which runs right through the heart of the Peak District.
www.trentbarton.co.uk/transpeak
For a copy of the Peak District bus timetable, order online at
www.nationalparks.gov.uk/bustimetable
Cycle
The Peak District National Park has 58 miles of off-road cycling trails and hundreds more quiet country routes so is the ideal place for new or occasional cyclists. For ideas see
For experienced riders, the Pennine Cycleway, which runs from Derby to Berwick-upon-Tweed, passes through the Peak District.
The first (or last) section of the route is an 80-mile stretch from Derby to Holmfirth via Ashbourne and Buxton. It includes the popular traffic-free Tissington and Longdendale Trails and links to and includes part of the High Peak Trail (starting in Cromford).
www.sustrans.org.uk/pennine-cycleway-peak-district
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/whitepeak-trails
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/hptisstrails
Bike hire
The Peak District National Park Authority currently operates three cycle hire centres at Ashbourne, Derwent and Parsley Hay where trained staff can provide a range of cycles to suit all ages and abilities.
ASHBOURNE
Mapleton Lane, Ashbourne
01335 343156
Email: ashbourne.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
DERWENT
Fairholmes Car Park, Derwent, Bamford, Hope Valley
01433 651261
Email: derwent.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
PARSLEY HAY
Parsley Hay, Buxton
01298 84493
Email: parsleyhay.cyclehire@peakdistrict.gov.uk
More information
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/cyclehire
Walking
Pennine Way - This 268-mile national trail passes through the Peak District crossing Kinder Scout, the highest point in the park at 636m (2,087 ft)
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay
Trans-Pennine Way - This is a 215-mile waymarked coast to coast route between Southport and Hornsea which passes through the park
Derwent Valley Heritage Trail - This 55-mile weaves through some of the park's richest industrial heritage and natural landscapes
www.nationalheritagecorridor.org.uk
Many more walks offer easy access for wheelchairs and buggies. Try the Upper Derwent, Macclesfield Forest and Goyt Valley areas
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/visiting/getactivegetactive
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/access4all
For walking festivals see
www.visitpeakdistrict.com/walking-festivals
Boat
Sailing clubs operate on many of the reservoirs in and around the Peak District in stunning surroundings including at
- Carsington
- Rudyard
- Combs
- Errwood
- Dovestone
- Torside
There is canoeing in some of the reservoirs, rivers and canals around the Peak District including
- Carsington Water
- Tittesworth Reservoir
- River Derwent at Matlock
- Peak Forest canal
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/watersports
www.yorkshirewater.com/recreation
Information centres
Visitor and Tourist Information Line: 01629 816558
There are National Park visitor centres at
Old Market Hall, Bakewell
01629 816558
Buxton Road, Castleton, Hope Valley
01629 816572
The Moorland Centre, Fieldhead, Edale, Hope Valley
01433 670207
Upper Derwent, Fairholmes, Bamford, Hope Valley
01433 650953
www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visitorcentres
Tourist Information Centres
Ashbourne Tourist Information Centre
01335 343666
Email: ashbourneinfo@derbyshiredales.gov.uk
Buxton Tourist Information Centre
01298 25106
Email: tourism@highpeak.gov.uk
Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre
01246 345777
Email: tourism@chesterfield.gov.uk
Derby Tourist Information Centre
01332 255802
Email: tourism@derby.gov.uk
Leek Tourist Information Centre
01538 483741
Email: tourism.services@staffsmoorlands.gov.uk
Manifold Valley Visitor Centre
01298 84679
Email: tourism.services@staffsmoorlands.gov.uk
Matlock Tourist Information Centre
01629 583388
Email: matlockinfo@derbyshiredales.gov.uk
Saddleworth Tourist Information Centre
01457 870336
Email: ecs.saddleworthtic@oldham.gov.uk
Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre
01283 222848
Email: tic@sharpespotterymuseum.org.uk
More info / useful links
www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/whatson
Go car-free in Hope and Hathersage
Two new leaflets have been developed to introduce visitors to car-free days out in the Hope Valley.
PDFs of the leaflets, centred on Hope and Hathersage, are available by clicking the link below:
