The Peak District is a fantastic family holiday destination; often overshadowed by The Lakes but undeservedly so. It is no less spectacular. It was the first designated national park in England and Wales. Although officially one national park, it has two very different personalities that locals refer to all the time. The ‘Dark Peak’, in the north is more wild with wide open spaces and outcrops of black granite. And the ‘White Peak’ in the south where the landscape’s a little softer with rolling hills, lush green valleys and iconic mill towns. The Peaks provides a bounteous array of activities for all the family so here’s our best things to do in the Peak District with kids. We packed these into a busy weekend half term getaway. {This is a guest post by Globalmouse writer Fiona}.
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1. Bouldering at Stanage Edge
Climbing has experienced an explosion in numbers since the advent of bouldering, which uses many of the same skills but with no ropes.
We got ourselves kitted out with climbing shoes and helmets and headed up with nervous excitement.
The four mile long Stanage Edge escarpment is a stunning backdrop and provides innumerable options for climbers of all abilities. A little lower down lies the huge boulders of all shapes and sizes that are perfect for beginners.
Joe, our very knowledgeable guide, was extremely patient with us all. By the end of our three hour family lesson, we had learnt basic handholds and other climbing techniques.
Our three girls (aged seven-to 11) were soon climbing 15 feet vertical boulders like Spider-Man.
This was a tremendously rewarding experience for all the family. No previous climbing experience was necessary and everything was provided including large portable crash mats.
Find out more here.
2. Cycling the Monsal Trail
If the thought of cycling in the Peak District elicits thoughts of steep hill climbs and moaning children, think again.
The Monsal Trail is a picturesque traffic free cycle route right in the heart of the Peak District running along the former Midland Railway line.
The trail starts just north of Bakewell and extends around 8.5 miles to Blackwell Mill.
The route is completely flat and runs along some absolutely stunning scenery. With wide open dales, steep valleys, impossibly high bridges, and a few long tunnels where the air temperature drops dramatically around you as you cycle through.
We hired bikes from the very popular Monsal Trail Cycle Hire at Hassop Station. They have loads of bikes to choose from, including electric versions, and the shop backs directly onto the trail.
It’s a ‘there-and-back’ trail and we managed around six miles to the newly re-opened Millers Dale cafe, where we stopped for a well earned lunch.
The cafe has been refurbished in a vintage-style, and is adorned with genuine local artifacts from the bygone railway era.
There are tables inside and out and they serve drinks, snacks as well as a great lunch menu for both adults and kids.
We’d all re-fuelled amply but the enormous ‘Choc-o-tastic Freak-Shake’ proved irresistible and took all five of us to polish off.
Find out more here.
3. Emma Bridgwater Pottery Factory – best things to do in the Peak District with kids
Although not strictly in the Peak District, the Emma Bridgewater Factory in Stoke-on-Trent is a very worthy short diversion.
The factory itself is steeped in ceramic history dating back to 1883. Unlike much of British industry, Emma Bridgewater is bucking the trend and is a great British success story, producing over 1.7 million pieces a year.
We opted for “Family Experience Day” which starts with a behind the scenes tour of the factory.
It is fascinating to see how the whole process works with the clay pumped in via huge hose pipes filling the iconic Bridgewater moulds.
You can watch as they delicately remove each piece from its mould before drying. And even more fascinating is the painting studio where each piece is painstakingly painted by hand with sponges or brushes with such precision.
Even after the final glazing and firing, each and every piece of pottery is checked for the slightest imperfection before making it onto the shelves.
We had lunch in the factory cafe. An afternoon tea served on the ubiquitous Bridgewater crockery.
Sandwiches, cakes, puddings and scones with cream and jam to finish off.
After lunch we had a session in the studio to make our own Bridgewater masterpieces.
The Bridgewater-designed sponges make it super easy to produce finished pieces to be proud of. These are a far cry from the brown smudged hand print pottery that has often ‘graced’ our kitchen table.
It takes a couple of weeks for the items to be fired and shipped out but it’s like Christmas come early when the red Bridgewater parcel arrives to be eagerly unwrapped. This excursion was a real highlight for everyone.
4. Make a Bakewell Pudding one of the best things to do in the Peak District with kids
Bakewell is a pretty market town packed with independent cafes, and bookshops. While you’re here you have to sample this iconic confection but even better, why not have a go at making it yourself.
The fascinating history of the ‘accidental cake’ is infamous but even more impressive is that they’ve been made on the same premises since the seventeenth century. The Old Original Pudding Shop, and are still making the same puddings and sending them all over the world.
We donned our aprons and joined them in their kitchens to learn how to make the puddings. And while they were in the oven we went upstairs for the most delicious Peak breakfast of eggs, local bacon and sausages .
By the time we were ready to pick up the finished puddings, there were already queues out the door.
Find out more here.
5. Walking the Peaks and Dales
The Peak District is probably best known for its fantastic walking, offering a spectacular variety of scenery and routes. From the gentle dales in the south, to the dramatic high peaks and moorlands in the north.
There are so many paths that it’s so easy to find a route that’s right for you.
At Dovestone Reservoir in the north we found a stunning 2.5 mile loop around the lake that was super easy yet breathtakingly beautiful.
High craggy mountains with peregrine falcons and picture-postcard dales strewn with sheep and lambs.
In the south we found the ‘perfect walk’. The four-mile Ilam Park to Stepping Stones and back walk.
Beautiful scenery, a bit of adventure, long enough to wear out the dog while still catering for little legs.
Top tip – add in the extra hill climb to the top of the flat-topped Thorpe Cloud hill.
Any grumbling you may experience on the way up will quickly fade at the summit, guaranteed.
We hope you enjoy our round up of the best things to do in the Peak District with kids and are ready to start your adventure too. Don’t forget to check out our best places to stay in the Peak District with kids for lots more inspiration.
It seems like there are loads of activities to keep children entertained. Mine would like the cycling.
I would definitely like to visit the Emma Bridgewater factory. It looks like your kids had lots of fun. I would be up for making a Bakewell pudding too – yum!
I really want to visit the Peak District and do some of the beautiful walks. The Emma Bridgewater factory looks interesting too
I’d love to go to the Emma Bridgewater factory, it looks so interesting. Some great things to do with (or without) kids x
There are some fab ideas here. We love the Peak district for sure – fab place xx
What fabulous suggestions! I know my kids and I would love to try baking a bakewell tart as we love eating them! We also have been to Emma Bridgewater and can’t recommend the place enough
This is a fantastic list… and useful as we want to visit the peak district at some point in 2020. Thanks for sharing these ideas. I am sure Sylvia would love to climb boulders too.
I would love to visit the peaks as a family as it is or too far away from where we live. Cycling the Monsal trail is a lot better than running it in my opinion! But making a Bakewell tart for me is a classic activity to try
We plan on visiting at the end of summer and excited to check out the pottery class and bakewell