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Slow Lane Magazine, May 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • favourite (but oft-forgotten) festivals
  • Nepal's secret valley
  • boutique beauty in Drôme Provençale
  • carving out a future in southern Italy
  • Inntravellers' Tales – our new writing competition
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Chatsworth & the Peak District

Hathersage & Castleton
 
Explore the dramatic beauty of Britain's first National Park on this self-guided walking holiday, with luggage transported. Stay in two typical Peak District towns, enjoy panoramic views across the moorland, and visit Chatsworth House and its beautiful gardens.
Chatsworth & the Peak District. 4 nights
Chatsworth & the Peak District. 4 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Peak District

The Peak District was Britain’s first National Park and is, arguably, still the best, worthy of its status as the most popular. Within its boundaries lies a varied landscape where grand country houses and neat villages occupy lush valleys, while craggy edges mark the beginning of open heather moorland.
Linking two market towns typical of the area, this walk provides plentiful opportunities for you to discover the contrasting landscapes of ‘the Peak’, while enjoying warm hospitality at our hand-picked guesthouses.
Beginning in Hathersage, our route follows the River Derwent before rising to the summit of Win Hill, which rewards with spectacular views over the Upper Derwent Valley and Ladybower Reservoir. You then head off to your final destination in Castleton, taking in more stunning views from the hills as you make your way to the geological gems of Mam Tor and the Blue John Mines.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    The weather in the Peak District can be unpredictable, so pack for all weathers.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 6 6 9 12 15 19 20 20 18 14 9 7
    mm 71 57 62 59 58 58 52 62 58 60 70 73
  • Arrival in Hathersage
    Night 1: at The Plough Inn (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Circular walk from Hathersage: 16.5km (10 miles), 5.5 hrs
    For your first day, we provide a transfer to the Chatsworth Estate, from where you walk back to Hathersage. You are taken to the pretty estate village of Edensor, where each house is built in a different style – when the village was re-sited, the busy Duke of Devonshire simply ordered ‘one of each’ when it came to choosing the design of the houses! Take your time to explore before setting off towards the neat, landscaped parkland of Chatsworth House itself, seat of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Dating from the late 17th century, Chatsworth is one of Britain’s best-loved country estates and now houses famous works of art, a working farmyard and a spectacular cascade, as well as shops and places to eat. We thoroughly recommend you visit the house (pay locally).
    Your route back to Hathersage continues through the deer park along the banks of the River Derwent to the small town of Baslow. Here, you climb through bracken to reach the first of the gritstone ‘edges’ that characterise this region, enjoying an easy walk along Baslow, Curbar and Froggatt Edges with rewarding views over heather moorland on your right and the wooded river valley on your left. A direct descent through woodland takes you to the village of Grindleford where you rejoin the Derwent to follow its banks to Leadmill Bridge on the outskirts of Hathersage.
    Chatsworth House
  • Hathersage to Castleton: 15km (9.5 miles), 5hrs
    From Hathersage you have a gentle stroll through farmland and woods beside the River Derwent to the village of Shatton. Leaving the river behind, you rise to the summit of Win Hill which rewards with spectacular views over the Upper Derwent Valley and Ladybower Reservoir which was famously used by Lancaster bomber pilots while training for the Dam-buster raid – the film was also shot here in 1954. From Win Hill, you drop down to then ascend Lose Hill. The day ends with a descent into the town of Castleton for two nights at Dunscar Farm.
    On the route from Hathersage to Castleton
  • Circular walk from Castleton: 10km (6 miles), 3hrs
    For your final day we suggest a walk which enables you to complete the horseshoe of hills which surround Castleton. The walking is on well-trodden, clearly marked paths and affords the opportunity to visit one or two of the the famous Blue John caves en-route (named after the blue and yellow, or bleu-jaune, mineral discovered here) and Peveril Castle, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, at the end of the walk.
    Peveril Castle
 

Accommodation

Each of your bases offer a warm welcome and comfortable accommodation.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
Currency converter

We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.

Please enter an amount Please enter a valid amount British Pound Sterling (GBP)
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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 4 nights: 01 April - 31 October 2019

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 30 April £385 £145
    1 May - 30 September £398 £150
    1 - 27 October £385 £145
    3rd & 4th person discount -£35
    Single traveller supplement £35

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Please note: this holiday is not available to children under 12 years, nor are dogs permitted on Inntravel holidays

    Add £18pn in a single room if staying in Castleton Friday or Saturday

    Included travel: transfer Castleton-Hathersage (if driving)

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    The Plough Inn
    Deluxe suite: 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £25

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    The Plough Inn (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £82 £127
    Dunscar Farm (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 31 Oct 2019 £53 £76
    Add £18pn in a single room if staying in Castleton Friday or Saturday
  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - via Chesterfield

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Chesterfield station to hotel (1h) £14 flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Chesterfield station (1h) £20 flexible

    Connecting travel options - via Sheffield

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Sheffield station to hotel (0h50) £12 flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Sheffield station (0h50) £16 flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 2 picnics
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • transfer back to first accommodation to pick up car
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 6 reviews
  • Judy from Victoria, BC
    04 October 2018

    We did this trip as a bit of a family reunion of 5 sisters in our 50s and 60s and a niece in her 20s.  The hotels were excellent and the staff very friendly.  The walking notes are detailed and accurate.  The routes are beautiful and there is enough variety to be interesting and enough climbing to be a bit of a challenge.  We happened be at Chatsworth for a visit from Princess Anne.   The staff at Dunscar farm drove us into town for dinner and picked us up after.  The pick ups and luggage transfers all happened seamlessly.  I would recommend this route and this company.

  • Anon
    23 April 2018

    The views across the moors when the sun came out were the highlight for me. We discovered the heated outdoor pool in Hathersage,  did experience all weathers, including 2 sharp hailstorms on the ridges, and due to the heavy rain some of the downhill paths became small streams so the going was often slow and slippery. Due to the wet we abandoned the third walk, explored Castleton instead, and took the bus to Bakewell which was a sightseeing tour in itself. We were rather surprised to find many businesses closed on a Thursday. This may be due to the low season, or may well be a local custom as market day is Monday. 

  • Mr A Fallaize
    Guernsey
    07 August 2017

    We had the best time ever!! Never been on a walking holiday but we are hooked Inntravel were fantastic. Thank you will be booking again soon.

  • Anon
    20 May 2017

    This was a fantastic short break, and we were so lucky to have had perfect walking weather. The transfer to Chatsworth on the morning of the first day meant we arrived over an hour before it opened, and so we decided to return to Chatsworth on our day home when we had more time to enjoy it. Fitting in a visit to Chatsworth plus a long walk seemed a little ambitious for us. The next day's walk from Hathersage to Castleton, whilst slightly shorter than the previous day, took us much longer with two hills to conquer and the countryside to admire. We were glad therefore of the shorter walk planned for the following day.

    Both the Plough Inn and Dunscar Farm were good with very friendly hosts and excellent breakfasts. Dinner at the Plough Inn was excellent both nights and there were some good pubs in Castleton for the other nights - bring a torch if you want to walk back to the Farm afterwards.

    Derbyshire is stunning and excellent for walking.

  • Mrs M Pickford
    Dunmow
    26 April 2017

    We had a very nice break, thank you.

  • JM, Hampshire
    13 April 2017

    The highlights for us were the variety of walks in beautiful country, along river banks and high up on the ridges; and the excellent food provided by the award-winning Plough Inn at Hathersage. A four-night, 3-day walking package in April was the perfect break.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 7/17/2019 9:44:57 AM