We recently moved to the peak district from London after working there for our adult lives to this point, now 41. London is fine until you want more, at which point you realise its been sold and housing is so cheap up north if you can work out how to pay for it.
Weve been exploring the Peaks every weekend for a year on and off since we moved. But is there a secret drive you take near yours? The UK is so beautiful, but many of its popular spots are played out.
This thread has started sounding like a conversation between hobbits on their favourite places in the shire and I love it.
The Peak District is right on my doorstep (I’m near Manchester). Monsal Dale, near Little Longstone, is lovely. It was a regular place ofr my family to visit when I was a kid, and I still go up there sometimes. The walk along the river from there to Millers Dale is lovely. And there’s a pub at Monsal dale viaduct (or at least, there was, not sure if it’s still open).
More locally, I like the area around Uppermill, Diggle and Delph (north-east of Oldham). There’s a great little riverside cafe caled the Lime Kiln, just north of Uppermill. It gets busy at weekends though.
A couple of weeks ago I went up to the Northumbria coast for a holiday. Warkworth, Alnwick, Bamburgh, Holy Island… it’s all beautiful around there.
I almost don’t want to post this (but hey this is fediverse not a place with 60m subs.) But Shropshire hills is amazing a quiet, it doesn’t get the masses like Brecon beacons, peak District, lakes or Snowdonia.
We we found it almost by accident as just found some cheap accomodation in Midlands
But the area church stretton, craven arms and to the west to lydham, up to stipperstones then over long mynd to carding mill valley (very steep drops off the mynd and one lane so not for faint hearted.)
My grandfather was from the Staffordshire Moorlands so I know bits of the area well.
I can highly recommend a jaunt out to The Roaches - it’s easy enough to scramble up and you have fine views from the top (including my ggg-grandparents’ grave).
If you pop over Buxton way Mam Tor and the Blur John Cavern are worth a look.
Further afield, I’d recommend a wander around the northern parts of the Lake District - it feels a lot more remote and less touristy.
Or head NE to the Whitby, Staithes, Saltburn area - I’ve spent many a happy day pottering about on the beach looking for fossils or climbing Roseberry Topping.
I also had a driving holiday that went up the M6 along Hadrian’s Wall (well parallel to it) and then pottering around places like Holy Island, Seahouses, Bamburgh and Berwick.
I went to the isle of Mull and drove the whole way there and around it. It was breath taking. Definately a good move. I think the isle of sky has a bridge so even more driving.
Northumberland. It’s big and beautiful with some amazing beaches, wild country and a really big forest. Been there a lot and it’s amazing.
I was travelling through the Peaks very recently. We just by chance went to High Peak Bookstore and Cafe on the way there and back. Have you been?
I was in Hope the other day, drove through High Peak but will definitely have a look next time
Ah, it’s a proper gem I would say!
This route is not a million miles away from the Peak District. It goes through North Wales to Harlech and it’s such a lovely drive on a sunny day. I think a lot of it is not too busy (it’s the route I would take if the A55 was busy on a bank holiday). There are average speed cameras on the moors but it’s windy enough that I don’t think you’d want to go much faster.
I start in Mold, I take the A451 to Denbigh, I then head towards Bylchau on the A543 and keep on it until it reaches the A5. Then take the B4407 past Ysbyty Ifan to Ffestiniog (not Blanau Ffestiniog). Then join the A496 to Harlech.
You can mix it up on the way back and go via Ruthin or Corwen instead on Denbigh.
