Set in an enviable location on the banks of the River Wye, in the heart of the Peak District, is the picturesque old market town of Bakewell. Since 1951, the administrative centre for the Peak District National Park.

Visitors flock to Bakewell in the summer, to shop and explore its many nooks and cranies, to admire its fine buildings, or just relax and feed the ducks by the lovely, clear, sparkling waters of the River Wye. There is more space in the winter, but on a sunny day even, that is limited.

BAKEWELL PUDDING

It was at the Rutland Arms, in about 1860, where the hotel cook misunderstood her instructions and produced the world famous Bakewell Pudding not ‘tart’, as some mistakenly call it nowadays. Instead of stirring the egg mixture into the pastry, she spread it on top of the jam, which has to this day proved to be a stroke of genius in creating name awareness for the town. Today you can sample this wonderful delicacy at the Bakewell Pudding Shop.

Millers Dale is a tiny hamlet, set in the heart of the Peak District, sharing its name with the dale in which it lies. It was once a major junction on the Midland Railway Line, and Millers Dale was one of the largest stations on the line.

The scenery in this part of the Wye Valley is magnificent, with the impressive Ravenstor Cliff only a short distance down the road, on the route to the once infamous Litton Mill. The richness of flora and fauna along the dale sides has resulted in the area being designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has several nature reserves in the area

The popular trail follows a disused railway line that has been converted into a track for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.  It runs for eight and a half miles from Coombs Road Viaduct, one mile southeast of Bakewell to the head of Chee Dale, about three miles east of Buxton.

The route follows the deep limestone valley of the River Wye through breathtaking countryside. But not without diversions, to avoid tunnels, one of which occurs on the way from Great Longstone to Monsal Head, where there is a magnificent viewpoint.

HADDON HALL

Perhaps the most perfect example of a medieval manor house in the country. The gardens are a delight and believed to be the most romantic in Britain, being the setting for the elopement of Dorothy Vernon and John Manners.

It has been the location for several major feature films and TV dramas over the years.  In recent times the hall was used as Mr Rochester's home, Thornfield, in the BBC's adaptation of Jane Eyre.