The Hope Valley to Eyam and Edensor

 Lets start the tour at the Old Toll House in Ringinglow an octagonal building at the crossroads, built in 1795 to collect the fee due to use the Eccleshall to Hathersage turnpike. Toll paid we head west to Hathersage a village associted with Charlotte Bronte's novel "Jane Eyre" with Moor House located nearby.

Millstone Edge a disused quarry just outside the town is littered with discarded millstones and to the East is Carl Wark an Iron Age hill fort. Robin Hood's right hand man "Little John" was from Hathersage, the head and foot stones of his grave in the church yard are 7 feet apart.

Continuing up the valley to the pleasant village of Hope and Castleton where Peveril Castle towers over the busy village, built in the 11th Century and had a keep added by Henry II in 1176 it was immortalised  in the novel Peveril of the Peak by Sir Walter Scott. The Devil's Hole under the castle extends 2,000 ft below, where guided tours are available through a maze.

The majestic Winnats Pass and Mam Tor are on a short circular route to the west of Castleton where the enterances to the caverns are, Speedwell Cavern is flooded and is toured by boat. Blue John is the only source of the mineral of the same name, having been worked by the Romans 2,000 years ago it was rediscovered 300 years back by local miners.

Driving south from Castleton through Little & Great Hucklow to Eyam, where in 1665 the inhabitants who had contracted the plague decided to seal the village and rather than running and spreading the infection which resulted in only one in six surviving.

Mompesson's Well named after the rector who lead this heroic gesture to the remaining locality is located at the edge of the village, this was the point that food was left left for collection leaving coins for payment that had been washed in the well.

Through Froggatt down the Derwent Valley and up to Curbar Gap which on a clear day offers distant views to the west. Skirting Bakewell through Baslow to Edensor and Chatsworth House the home of the Dukes of Devonshire.

  Chatsworth House