The Womble from Wimbledon visiting Chatsworth House!
Shortly after arriving in the UK the whole country went in lockdown, shattering our dreams of a summer with all kinds of hiking and biking and discovering the glorious UK outdoors.
By the time it got to July we were both in desperate need of some “outside” time. Now, we knew we wanted to go somewhere pretty rural, somewhere where we could stroll around the gorgeous English countryside, but also head back to a cozy bed with a hot brew… and biscuits in hand, naturally ? And of course with plenty of photo opportunities for Sonja.
And for us, the Peak District seemed to be just that. It has that lovely mix of tiny little villages, stunning countryside, and the freedom to escape from the crowds on the miles of footpaths, bridleways and cycle trails. So we headed out to the Peak District for a mini-honeymoon for our 39th wedding anniversary.
Stunning views from Baslow Edge
The beauty of the Peak District National Park has been an inspiration to writers, poets, and artists and its awesome landscapes have also featured in many a movie and television series.
Charlotte Bronte’s ‘Jane Eyre’ is based in and around Hathersage, and a number of scenes from Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ are set in the Peak District. Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Peveril of the Peak’ is set in Castleton. William Wordsworth was a frequent visitor to the Peak District and wrote a sonnet to Chatsworth House (“… where new-born waters glide through fields…”).
Chatsworth House and Lyme Park have both featured in adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. Haddon Hall has made starring appearances in two different versions of ‘Jane Eyre’, as well as ‘Elizabeth’, ‘The Princess Bride’ and ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’.
The dams at Ladybower Reservoir were famously the inspiration for the Dambusters raids in Germany in 1943, and the 1954 film of the same name was filmed here.
Beautiful house in Baslow – Devonshire, near Chatsworth House
So we started out how we usually start one of our trips: look for a “pet friendly” cottage all to ourselves. And found one in Darley Dale, right at the edge of the Peak District National Park, England’s oldest national park!
The timing was a bit unfortunate of course as we have our anniversary on July 31 and it seemed the majority of the population of greater Manchester and Sheffield and their kids flocked to any puddle of water in a 50 mile radius. So our dreams of a photo-shoot at the Middle Black Clough Falls were shattered by the arrival of the pink, noisy, furloughed hordes, the kids and the coolers filled with beer, less than an hour after us and plonking themselves down slam bang in the middle of the falls.
Am I cute or am I cute 
– Highland cows
– Been looking for these cuddly giants for some time and during this trip we were lucky enough to stumble upon a fold when we were hiking near Baslow Edge in the Peak District. Although they are super friendly Sonja was scared witless and didn’t dare to approach them too close 
but there was not a moo-dy cow in sight and she managed a few (not so good) shots anyway.
Same for the romantic picknick we had planned at Chatsworth house. Too many people all over the place.
We’ll have to return there in the fall or during spring next year. It’s an appointment !
But luckily for us 95 % of the tourists going to the Peak District don’t seem to wander more than about half a mile from their Vauxhall Astras and Peugeot’s. So we did manage to have our (almost) alone time and were able to shoot the glorious landscapes of the Peak without having to photoshop flipflop wearing tourists out of the shot.
The visit to the crash-site of the US B29 Superfortress was one of those memory-making moments. You’ll find more about that experience in another post HERE
Stanage Edge near Bamford was also just awesome and a must see. We wanted to shoot the famous millstones of the Peak and the spectacular rocky cliffs and superb views of the Derwent & Hope Valleys and it was mission accomplished ! You can read more about that hike HERE.
And every night after a long day of exploring the Peak District we went to one of those many local pubs and we ordered some proper British pub grub! We did have plenty of sunset photography plans but as the “golden hour” in July only starts after 9 PM and after our pub visit…well let’s say we didn’t have the energy and the surefootedness any more to venture out on the trails again after dark.
And if you are in the neighborhood : one place we would really recommend : The Royal Oak.
in Hurdlow! Dog friendly, cozy and serving delicious food! What more can a tired traveler and his dog want?
Last year we visited the Yorkshire Dales with very dear friends of us and to us the Dales were just that little bit more impressive and wild than the Peak.
Perhaps one should visit the Peak District first and head over to the Yorkshire Dales afterwards in order to avoid the effect of eating a spicy dish first and not tasting the less spicy one after that.
Once again though, this has been absolutely brilliant and we can’t wait to head out again into the British Countryside and do it all over again! ?
