Shielded within a grove of oak and beechlined woodland, lies the North Lees Peak District National Park campsite. An idyllic sounding setting in its own right, but add to that the looming slopes of Northern England’s largest cliff above the distant treeline and the site’s babbling brook and what you get is just about as near a state of natural perfection as you’re likely to find.
The site itself is pretty no frills. There’s no play area for the kids, but they’ll find natural entertainment enough frolicking within the plentiful woodlands; home to Pied flycatchers, bats and a blanket of bluebells in spring. Set across four fields, North Lees feels deceptively smaller than its actual size, with the trees and dry-stone walls acting to shield each field from the other. The whole site sits on a gentle slope as the ground around begins its ascent up to the moor’s peak at Stanage Edge.
At North Lees you’re deep in the heart of the setting for Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. So, whilst you’re here, why not recreate the iconic shot from the 2005 film version and stand atop The Edge, looking out over the swathes of Derbyshire? You can walk up the slopes to Stanage Edge easily from a track at the back of the site. ‘The Edge’ stretches for six miles with its cliff of gritstone reaching a height of 25 metres in some places. The tall face of the cliff is a Mecca for climbers, ascending the boulder-strewn ridge-line that juts out of the ground.
The site’s proximity to Stanage means it’s a regular hang-out for the climbing conscious, but, no fear, there’s no ‘us and them’ atmosphere. Everyone’s content just to kick back and soak up some of Mother Nature’s ambience. Ascending The Edge needn’t be done at the end of a rope, though. You can wander on up and find your own route to take in the expansive views. From up here you’ll wonder at the patchwork quilt of colours, from verdant green to carpets of rich purple heather in late summer and autumn, home to red grouse.
The Peak District draws in 13 million day-visitors a year and given the landscape and its historical houses it’s no surprise. But at North Lees you could feel like you’re amongst the only few people in the park, protected behind the walls of this secluded woodland.
