Lea Gardens, Long Lane, Lea, Matlock DE4 5GH

You can while away a very happy couple of hours at these beautiful rhododendron gardens, covering approximately three and a half acres. It’s the nearest paying attraction to Cotton House and costs £6 for admission to the gardens. Entrance to the very popular teashop is free.

The site is popular with all ages: cleverly concealed play areas keep the kids amused while the older members of the party admire the amazing and exotic sight of over 500 varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmias and other plants.

Parking is free, and well-behaved dogs (on a lead) are welcome in the garden.

The flowering season is relatively short and the gardens are only open to the public in spring and early summer.

Crich Tramway Village, Crich, Matlock DE4 5DP

The Tramway Village is about 10 minutes’ drive from Cotton House. This dog-friendly attraction offers a great day out for all the family and parking is free. It owes its existence to the indefatigable work of local volunteers and enthusiasts working alongside paid staff.

A piece of trivia: the opening sequence of Ken Russell’s 1969 film Women in Love was filmed on a tram here. The site makes a perfect film location and was used as a base for filming the popular drama series Peak Practice.

You can ride on the vintage trams, soak up the atmosphere in a period street, visit the lovingly recreated shops and take refreshments in the tearooms and pub.

Carsington Water, Ashbourne DE6 1ST

One of the best local trips out for the family is to be had at Carsington Water, a man-made reservoir run by Severn Water.

Here you can hire bikes to cycle the many trails, walk, do water sports and visit the excellent visitors centre. Various special events are organised through the year, including Easter trails and outdoor film nights.

Chatsworth, Bakewell DE45 1PP

Chatsworth House is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The garden, farmyard, car parks, shops and restaurants are currently all open. All tickets must be booked online.

Hardwick Hall (Doe Lea, Chesterfield S44 5QJ) is an Elizabethan gem owned by the National Trust. The hall, park, gardens, restaurant, shop and toilets at Hardwick are currently open. This summer it is hosting outdoor theatre events and The Great British Food Festival from 31 July to 2 August.

During weekdays, it is not essential to book a ticket, but booking is recommended during busier times such as weekends and bank holidays.

In July 2021, Haddon Hall (Bakewell DE45 1LA), which is “the most perfect house to survive from the Middle Ages” according to Simon Jenkins, former chair of the National Trust, opened its doors again after 18 months of closure. It is showcasing its newly-restored medieval park. The hall organises events throughout the year including photography days and its Mercatum artisan markets.

With our own recent experience of a pandemic, it has never been more relevant to visit Eyam and its museum (Hawkhill Road, Eyam S32 5QP).

When the plague spread to Eyam from London 350 years ago, Mompesson the priest and Stanley, rector of Eyam, persuaded the villagers to voluntarily quarantine themselves to prevent the infection spreading to the surrounding towns and villages. The museum tells their story of selfless sacrifice.

Peak Rail (Matlock Platform 2: DE4 3NA; Darley Dale station: DE4 2EQ; Rowsley South station: DE4 2LF) offers steam train rides over approximately 4 miles of track between Rowsley South station and Matlock Platform 2. As well as the normal train journeys, luxury dining is available on the Palatine Restaurant Car which offers Sunday lunches, Christmas lunches, afternoon or cream teas and operates on various days during the year. Other special events take place throughout the year, aimed at families an enthusiasts. The line forms part of the old Midland Railway line between Manchester Central and London St Pancras, which was closed in 1968.

Matlock Farm Park (Jaggers Lane, near Two Dales, Matlock DE4 5LH) aims to offer farmyard fun for all ages, all year round, in the fresh air and tranquillity of the countryside. Children can meet, feed and cuddle animals, have fun in an indoor play barn and ride go-karts. There’s also a shop and café. The riding school is also open all year round and offers lessons or hacking for all abilities as well as short pony rides.

Well dressings are a local tradition involving the creation of intricate mosaics using natural materials such as leaves, moss, flower petals and even coffee beans, on a bed of rich, moist clay.

This ancient tradition is believed to have been brought to the area by the Romans or the Celts, to give thanks for the county’s freshwater springs.

Well dressing is unique to the area, and more than 80 towns and villages (notably Tissington) display their floral masterpieces next to wells and water features throughout the Peak District and Derbyshire between the months of May and September.

The Blue John Cavern (Mam Tor, Castleton, Hope Valley S33 8WA) is home to eight of the fourteen known varieties of Blue John stone, a beautiful and ornamental fluorspar. The mineral has been mined here for centuries and mining still continues in the winter months.

Old mining equipment is on view inside the Blue John Cavern. Guided tours are conducted throughout the cave system at short regular intervals allowing visitors to see a series of spectacular, natural water-worn caverns. Blue John can be seen in its natural state along with stalactites and stalagmites.

The National Stone Centre (Porter Lane, Wirksworth DE4 4LS) is run by a small group of volunteers and set within six former limestone quarries. It’s a 40 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), due to its geological formations, offering outdoor and indoor activities for all.

These include outdoor fossil trails, visitor centre with shop, café and “Building Britain” Exhibition, geo walks and picnic areas and a children’s play area.

Popular courses in dry stone walling and stone carving are also held.

Wirksworth holds a popular festival every year in September, Covid-19 permitting, when this attractive market town full of lovely old pubs and independent cafés, grocers, bakeries and delis is transformed into a gallery and performance venue.

Events include an Art & Architecture Trail Weekend when you can visit artists in their homes and buy affordable art – and a designer-makers’ showcase.

During the festival, you can enjoy street entertainment and live music, workshops and family activities. You’ll also find a great range of street food on offer.

If you’re a fan of steam-driven machinery, Derbyshire hosts numerous steam fairs through the year.

On Boxing Day every year, the Matlock Sub Aqua club organises a Raft Race down the Derwent from Matlock to Cromford Meadows. Once upon a time, Matlock staged a summer raft race too. This featured a mass of drunken students drifting down the river on precariously assembled inner tubes.

Last but not least…

Matlock Bath

In its more genteel past, Matlock Bath was developed as a spa during the late 17th and 18th century. Its dramatic scenery was as much an attraction as its waters. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the town became a popular summer resort. Notable visitors included Byron, who compared Matlock Bath to Switzerland.

Nowadays, it resembles an inland seaside resort. Mods and rockers used to gather here in the 1960s and it’s still a mecca for bikers, who flock here from over the Pennines and beyond. In the evening, the valley echoes with the sound of their departing bikes as they disappear up the A6. Every September and October the town is lit up by the annual Illuminations, a fun-packed family event based at Derwent Gardens and featuring a spectacular parade of illuminated and decorated boats along the River Derwent.

Matlock Bath offers some good walking on the hills around and a few attractions of its own:

You can take a cable car up to the dog-friendly Heights of Abraham. The heights occupy a 60 acre site, and your cable car ticket gives you a free right of way over the hilltop park including magnificent views, adventure playgrounds, woodland trails and more.

Lead mining was a major industry in Derbyshire and unwary walkers can still tumble into old lead mines in certain areas.

You can take a tour of a real 1920s lead and fluorspar mine at the Peak District Mining Museum (South Parade, Matlock Bath DE4 3NR). It has something for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

The Matlock Bath Aquarium and Exhibitions are located at 110, North Parade, Matlock Bath DE4 3NS, a Victorian building in the centre of Matlock Bath.

The aquarium houses over 50 species of fish and other curiosities that can’t be too dissimilar from the kind of thing that amazed Victorian visitors. They include a thermal pool housing a carp collection, the only remaining petrifying well in Matlock Bath, a gemstone and fossil display, one of the largest public displays of holograms in Europe and a ‘Past Times in Matlock Bath’ exhibition. The aquarium also offers a fish sales and re-homing service.