Bell tents in Derbyshire

Derbyshire’s largest city offers a range of accommodation options and facilities for campers, although most traditional camping options are in Derby’s hinterland, in semi-rural areas. Partly because of the climate—which is cold in winter, with snow common at higher elevations around Derby—many caravan parks offer cabin and glamping pod accommodations, although tent and caravan camping is a good option in summer.

In southern Derbyshire, this river valley has been damaged by industrialisation, agriculture, and extraction, but the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is working towards restoring the important wetlands and bird habitats. Spot birds and animals such as otters and bitterns at the Willington Wetlands, Hilton Willow Pit, and Witch’s Oak Water nature reserves. Campers wanting to visit the Trent Valley can stay around Derby, around Nottingham or Loughborough.

Large swathes of the Midlands, including Derbyshire, were damaged by mining, heavy industry, and deforestation over the centuries. The National Forest project aims to restore large-scale forests throughout this part of the country—the first in around 1,000 years. Now it’s 200 square miles of mixed habitat forest that acts as a green lung for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire. Campers can stay at campsites, caravan parks, lodges,  and glamping sites across the National Forest area.

Camping is a great way to holiday with kids, and family-friendly campsites in Derbyshire are easy to come by. It’s our experience that children make the great outdoors their playground, and campsite life gives them the freedom to do that. Camping sites where cars are parked away from the tents are especially good for families with younger children, and places with noise curfews can be a blessing when it comes to bedtime. We know lots of families bring along four-legged friends too, so dog-friendly campsites are also available.

Both in and around Peak District National Park are villages worth visiting. Bakewell is the park’s sole town within its boundaries, and its legendary puddings, shops, and setting on the River Wye are magnets to visitors. As a result, excellent camping sites can be found near Bakewell, serving as convenient base camps for any Peak District explorer who doesn’t fancy straying too far from civilisation. But if you prefer to be nearer to a footpath than a food outlet, you might want to head for a campsite out in the countryside. For a base with easy access to the rugged north part of the park, try the villages of Edale and Hathersage or the Hope Valley. In the southern part of the park, Dovedale offers excellent walking and the famous stepping stones on the River Dove.

Historically one of the most popular spots in Derbyshire, Buxton is surrounded by the national park but outside its boundaries. Made popular as a spa resort in the 18th century, Buxton has a genteel feel with Georgian architecture and neatly manicured Pavilion Gardens. A campsite near Buxton can make a convenient base, as the town is well connected. Also outside the park, the market towns of Ashbourne and Matlock are considered its southern gateways. Both offer easy access from The Midlands and the South, and each is a destination in its own right. Matlock offers the Heights of Abraham county park and a station on the scenic Peak Rail heritage railway. Ashbourne is smaller and quieter, home to eateries and antique shops within hiking distance of Dovedale. Between Ashbourne and Matlock is Carsington Water, a reservoir with watersports and an RSPB reserve.

• Whether it’s walking, cycling, horseriding, climbing, caving, sightseeing, or just the joy of camping that’s brought you here, the Peak District National Park visitor centres are good places to start. Located in the tourist hubs of Bakewell, Castleton, Edale, and Upper Derwent, each centre can share up-to-date information on park conditions.
• When it comes to the best walking routes, we recommend the hikes up Mam Tor, across Kinder Scout, along Stanage Edge, and around Dovedale. If you’re in the mood for a longer walk, how about stepping out on the Pennine Way, which starts in Edale? Okay, so the 267-mile route along “England’s backbone” probably isn’t the one to set out on unprepared, but you could follow a section of the route for starters. The Peak District has a few family-friendly, traffic-free routes suitable for walking, cycling, or horseriding too.
• Perhaps the best-known tourist attraction in Derbyshire is Chatsworth House, seat of the Duke of Devonshire and part of a huge country estate. Many other Derbyshire homes are also open to the public, including the medieval Haddon Hall on the outskirts of Bakewell.
• Many visitors make a point to visit the Blue John Cavern or Speedwell Cavern near Edale.
• Campers can learn about industry underground at The Peak District Lead Mining Museum in Matlock. This market town is also close to the Heights of Abraham Country Park and Gulliver’s Kingdom theme park, which should keep younger kids amused.