In the south west corner of the Peak District and owned by the National Trust, this is one of Britain's most unusual gardens, with a series of connected compartments such as the Chinese garden, Egyptian court Italian garden & Scottish Glen.

Alton Towers is the biggest theme park in the UK, with an unrivalled selection of high-adrenalin rides – such as Oblivion, Nemesis and Air

With more than 40 rides & attractions – including Gully Mouse, Dora the Explorer, Diego and ‘The Lost World’ - Gulliver's Kingdom is a popular family attraction. 

One of the most impressive houses in England, Hardwick Hall (‘more glass than wall’) is a statement of the wealth and status of one woman – the renowned Elizabeth Shrewsbury – commonly known nowadays as ‘Bess of Hardwick’. 

In the days when old houses were ripped apart, rebuilt and refurbished, Haddon Hall luckily survived.  For over two hundred years it sat untouched and unloved, until its owner the 9^thDuke of Rutland came to the rescue.

Calke Abbey, ‘the house the time’ forgot’ is unlike any other National Trust house.  Indeed some visitors, expecting pristine paintwork, well planned rooms and faultless taste, are a little confused and surprised at Calke.  The owners of this splendid house were the eccentric  Harper Crewe family who amassed a vast collection of hidden treasures, never ‘decluttered’ and when one room filled up he simply moved on into the next.

‘Britain’s best loved stately home’ is just one of the many accolades heaped on Chatsworth, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and described in guidebooks as the ‘Palace of the Peak’.  

With its lofty position, stone keep and turrets, Bolsover Castle has a fairytale castle atmosphere,   despite having been built for elegant living rather than defence. 

A magnificent Neo-classical mansion dating from the 1760s  Kedleston was built for lavish entertaining and displaying the Curzon family’s extensive collection of paintings, sculpture and original furnishing

Sudbury’s lovely red brick facade is a surprise if you have already visited the other stately homes in the area, sitting as it does on the ‘dividing line’ between the stone architecture of the Peak District to the north and the brick buildings of the Midlands. 

Peveril Castle perches on a rocky crag on the edge of Castleton village in the Hope Valley. A short walk up to the top of the hill is rewarded with a birds-eye view down the valley as well as across to Mam Tor (‘the Shivering Mountain’) and the ridge running along to Losehill. 

Lyme Park stands in parkland on the eastern edge of the Peak District, with views of Cheshire and, on a clear day , across to Wales. 

Renishaw Hall is the home of the Sitwell family and is well known for its lovely Italianate gardens, laid out in 1895 by Sir George Sitwell. 

Derby’s new shopping centre has transformed the city’s shopping  scene  to now rival any major city.

Belper has a number of factory shopping outlets, including the De Bradlei Mill shop, a clearing house for designer labels, with good discounts.

This rural shopping village is situated on the main road between Bakewell and Matlock, not far from both Chatsworth and Haddon Hall.  

Trentham Shopping Village, near Stoke on Trent and 5 minutes from the M6 motorway, has a wide range of shops – including fashion, ceramics, homeware and gifts – adjacent to a large garden centre. 

Rudyard Lake is a romantic, serene stretch of water in an attractive corner of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

This quiet backwater was amazingly once Britain’s biggest inland port, the terminus of the Peak Forest Canal.

The serene waters of Carsington Water are set in the rolling countryside of the Derbyshire Dales, surrounded by attractive villages and footpaths.

The wild, harsh beauty of the Longdendale Valley offers a sense of isolation – although it is in fact easy to reach from both Sheffield and Manchester on the A628 road which runs through the valley, passing a string of reservoirs that collect rainfall from the surrounding moors.

Set in the Staffordshire Moorlands countryside just north of Leek,  Tittesworth collects water from the Upper Churnet Valley and provides drinking water to towns such as Stoke on Trent.

Situated within a former steelworks this enormous science adventure centre has four gadget-packed pavilions themed around the elements – air, water, fire and earth.

The Churnet Valley is a hidden gem set deep in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

This free museum and art gallery hosts an eclectic mix of Egyptian mummies, Derby porcelain, paintings, archaeology and other displays relating to the history, culture and natural environment of Derby and its region.

The Millennium Gallery is Sheffield’s contemporary gallery for art, craft and design.  Here you can see some of Sheffield’s unique heritage, including the metalwork which made the city world famous, alongside contemporary art and design exhibitions.

For an exhilarating time in the outdoors try this woodland adventure park, situated adjacent to Poole’s Cavern in Buxton.

Situated just near the house and car park is Chatsworth’s main attraction for children, a popular farmyard and superb woodland  adventure playground.

Discover the world of Barbary macaques at Monkey Forest, where 140 of these amazing creatures roam free.

Right at the heart of the National Forest (and only 5 miles from the M42) is Conkers, an imaginative discovery centre with interactive exhibits (including a simulated tree top walk), art gallery and shops, all surrounded by 120 acres of woodland and paths.

Denby Visitor Centre in Amber Valley is next to the 200 year old working pottery and has cookery, garden and gift shops, a cookery demonstration theatre 

Home to the national collection of vintage trams, Crich Tramway Village is a restored village from a bygone age. 

The Chestnut Centre, a conservation park set in 50 acres of landscaped grounds, is home to a unique collection of wildlife, in particular otters and owls.

Derby is well known as a centre of engineering excellence, especially for railways and engines.

Starting with a spectacular cable car ride across the Derwent Valley (not for those with a fear of heights!) this unique hilltop park has over 60 acres of park and woodland to explore.

Situated on the A6 between Cromford and Matlock Bath lies Masson Mills, the impressive red brick exterior still proclaiming the name of its creator - Sir Richard Arkwright – who built it in 1783.

Planted on a wooded hillside on the edge of the Peak District, Lea Gardens specialises in colourful rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmias, plus other hardy shrubs and trees which thrive in this location at 700 feet above sea level.

A limestone gorge honeycombed with caves, Creswell Crags was among the most northerly places on earth to have been visited by our ancient ancestors.

This 2 million year-old limestone cave, with natural crystal sculptures, cascading water and large stalactite and stalagmite formations is one of the most impressive caverns in the country open to the public.  Newly installed LED lighting has made the cavern even more accessible. 

On the edge of Castleton village is this underground cavern with large stalactites and stalagmites, rocks, minerals and fossils.