Mam Tor
This 2-hour, medium difficulty walk is ideal for a day trip to this area of the peak district. After parking at a national trust carpark, we hiked up to the summit of the Tor and over to Hollins cross. From there, we took a footpath down the hill, along a broken road and back around to the carpark via the entrance to the Blue John caves. If you wanted to make a day of it, you could stop at the cavern entrance. There you will find a cafe, a shop and a tour of the (very impressive) caves – they are the only location in the UK where the Blue John mineral is found. An easy to follow guide for the walk can be found here.
Ladybower Reservoir.
A short drive from Mam Tor through Castleton and Bamford will take you to the Ladybower reservoir. Perhaps one of the most Instagrammed locations in the peak district, and I can see why. The large expanse of water bordered by beautiful shades of green and impressive bridges and aqueducts make this the perfect place for a pit stop. We only stopped here for a hot chocolate and to take a photo, but there are lots of opportunities for hikes here too.
Parking by the water is limited to along the roadside, in a lay-by with a food truck that is signposted as ‘Ladybower cafe’, or further up the road towards Derwent reservoir. Derwent reservoir is so close that actually, it’s easy to assume that it’s the same body of water as Ladybower. However, the Derwent is its own thing. It’s famous for being the location of an underwater lost village that had to be flooded to create the reservoir back in the 1940s. On rare occasions, the water drops so low that you can see the remnants of the village! You could drive all the way to the information centre for better parking, information and walking routes.
Touring the White Peak area.
Finally, over the weekend we also made some quick stops at a few of my favourite places in the white peak. All are around the Bakewell area, so naturally, we had to stop for a Bakewell pudding!
Having spent many hours of my childhood and adult life exploring the peaks, I still can never tire of it. There’s so much to explore, and now I have some new OS maps, I’m itching to get back out there!
