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Attractions near Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Attractions in and around Dannah Cottages, in a beautiful area of the Derbyshire Peak District

Dannah Cottages are situated in Kirk Ireton, Ashbourne, a village full of character and history at the foot of the Peak District. A very popular location with tourists and locals alike, Ashbourne is known as the gateway to the Peak District. The area is steeped in history and tradition, with frequent attractions and festivals, including the Well Dressings (popular around this area), Fairs, Fetes, Festivals, and more. With the southern Peak District on its doorstep and Dovedale just a few minutes away, there is plenty to see and do.

Premier Cottages Peak District Privilege Card

As members of Premier Cottages, we are able to offer our guests the use of our fantastic Premier Cottages Peak District Privilege card. Offering great deals on a range of local attractions. Please follow the link below to view the current offers.

PC Privilege Card

There is one card in each cottage. Please remember to return the card when you check out.

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Tourist Information
Ashbourne01335 343 666Bakewell01629 816 558
Belper01773 880 474Buxton01298 251 06
Chesterfield01246 345 777Derby01332 643 411
Matlock01629 761 103Matlock Bath01629 583 834

Stately Homes and Historic Houses

If you’re looking for tradition, history, and culture, then a trip to any of the areas’ Stately Homes is well worth doing. Chatsworth House is nearby, as is Kedleston Hall, Osmaston Hall and Park, and many more. These areas have excellent walks and cafes, and parts of the House are open throughout the year. There are also numerous events, so please check the events page of their relevant websites.

The “Palace of the Peak”, Home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Chatsworth is one of Britain’s best loved historic houses and estates. It offers something for everyone to enjoy, from famous works of art and the spectacular fountains in the garden, to the finest shopping, food and drink, and many miles of free walks. The house, garden, farmyard, gift shops and restaurant are open every day from end of March until the New Year. The 1000 acre park and the farmshop and its restaurant are open all year round.

www.chatsworth.org

Haddon hall is a fortified medieval manor house dating from the 12th century. Described as “the most perfect house to survive from the middle ages”. The house, situated in the Peak District is open to visitors from April to October, with a number of special events being staged throughout the season. Haddon is a very romantic and atmospheric house and the rose garden is stunning in June and July.

www.haddonhall.co.uk

Calke Abbey was originally the site of a former Augustinian Monastery. The property was acquired by the National Trust in 1985. Although they have carried out essential repairs the building has been preserved to illustrate the decline of the English country house. The house is surrounded by historic parkland with deer and Portland sheep. The grounds include a recently restored orangery, walled garden, an early 19th century church and pleasure grounds. (Look out for the spectacular bed hangings)!

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke-abbey

This magnificent Neo-Classical Georgian house, set within 820 acres of Italian classical landscape, lies just four miles from the centre of Derby. The hall, garden, park and church are open to the public Saturday to Wednesday between April and October each year.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kedleston-hall

Hardwick Hall in Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Derbyshire is one of the most significant Elizabethan country houses in England.The house is surrounded by superb gardens, divided into large walled courtyards.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick-hall

Bolsover Castle is a semi-ruined 17th century mansion set high on a wooded hilltop, looking west towards the heights of the Peak District.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/bolsover-castle

The Peak District has something for everyone, from thrill seekers to nature lovers

No matter your age or your interests, the Peak District has something to offer everyone. This includes everything from theme parks, Hang Gliding or Paragliding taster days, and endless walking routes scattered across the valleys and Hills, to something more sedate such as sightseeing, theatres, parks and museums.

Kinder Scout is the highest mountain in the Peak District, at just over 600 metres. You’ll find an array of walking routes in and around the hill, and the ‘must-sees’ are places such as Mam Tor or Winnats Pass. Around this area, you’ll also find the Blue John Mines and numerous Reservoirs.

Further south, the White Peak has areas including Tissington, Bakewell, and Dovedale. All are worth a visit if possible.

Alton Towers is one of the worlds leading theme parks! With a host of rides and attractions spread over 500 acres of countryside, truly a fantastic day out for the whole family. Really clean and well kept, though it can get very very busy, so to get the most out of your admission fee it is well worth trying to get there early.

www.altontowers.com

Carsington Water offers a wide range of activities for the whole family, such as bird watching, canoeing, coarse fishing, game fishing, cycling, horse riding, sailing, walking and water skiing. There are numerous shops on site that cater for everybody, selling a wide variety of food, gifts, souvenirs, books, clothing and much more. Carsington is set in a lovely area with wonderful views.

www.carsingtonwater.com

Gulliver’s Matlock Bath is nestled in a stunning hillside where much of the magic comes from the amazing scenery and views.You can get away from it all and enter a world of wonder and fantasy, where anything is possible and your imagination is inspired. Especially suitable for younger guests.

www.gulliversfun.co.uk/matlock-bath

Crich Tramway Village offers a superb family day out in the relaxing atmosphere of a bygone era. Explore the recreated period street with its genuine buildings and features, fascinating exhibitions and most importantly, its trams. Plus shops, tea-rooms, play areas, Red Lion Pub, workshop viewing gallery , woodland walk and sculpture trail. Extremely well done and well worth a visit even if trams are not your thing!

www.tramway.co.uk

The Ecclesbourne Valley is a beautiful, unspoilt valley, stretching from Wirksworth to Derby. Passenger services are run on selected dates, using heritage diesel railcars. Steam hauled services are run too between Wirksworth and Ravebstor and for a really special day footplate experiences are available to book.

www.e-r-v.com

Since opening to the public in 1780 people have travelled from all over the world to the Heights of Abraham to explore its underground caverns, wander the woodland paths and enjoy the breathtaking views. Since 1984 visitors have arrived using the country’s first ever alpine style cable car system.

www.heightsofabraham.com

Underground wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites, rocks and fossils. Home of Blue John stone.The Castleton Caverns comprise The Blue John Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and the great Peak Cavern.

A few hidden Gems. Some interesting little places that are worth a visit

And, of course there are many many more places waiting to be discovered in this wonderful county!!

Built in 1903 and designed by Frank Matcham one of Britain’s finest theatre architects. An intimate theatre with spectacular decorations. Each summer the Opera House is home to the Buxton Festival, which has developed into one of Britain’s largest opera-based festivals.

buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

Birthplace of the factory system. Sir Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mill was the world’s first waterpowered cotton spinning mill. The mills at Cromford with their use of machinery power, a large workforce and factory village became models for similar schemes worldwide.

www.cromfordmills.org.uk

Strutt’s North Mill, Belper is the forerunner of the modern skyscraper and is part of Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The historic North Mill on the River Derwent at Belper, Derbyshire, is one of the oldest surviving examples of industrialised water powered cotton spinning mills in the world.

www.belpernorthmill.org

This historic grade 11 listed historic flour mill is powered by water from the river Wye. The mill normally runs daily and there are numerous displays, descriptions and hands-on models throughout the mill. The mill shop sells over 25 types of flour and the bread we make at Dannah for you is made with flour from Caudwells mill. (If you do visit make sure to buy some of their pastry flour – it is unbeatable!) There are several craft shops on the site too, along with an excellent cafe. The glass artwork in Heather Cottage is from Greenhalgh glass, and their workshop and showroom can be found in the courtyard.

www.caudwellsmill.co.uk

Established in 1935 by John Marsden-Smedley, Lea Gardens has a truly spectacular display of rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmia from March onwards. The gardens cover an area in excess of four acres, with over a mile of pathways and over 500 varieties of plants. Lea Gardens are at their peak in April and May, there is a very good tea shop and plants are on sale year round with many rare Rhododendron, Azaelias and Alpines.

www.leagarden.co.uk

A completely unspoilt and unbelievably pretty village, it has been managed by the Fitzherbert family since the reign of Elizabeth 1. The entrance to the village is off the Ashbourne to Buxton road, through large rusticated lodge gates and along an avenue of 200 lime trees. An elegant Jacobean manor is the home of the Fitzherbert family and it is situated on the Main Street. Famous for its well dressings, visitors come from around the world to witness the annual ceremony which takes place in Tissington on Ascension Day. It is thought that the tradition of well dressings may date from before the Romans. The Tissington Trail, surrounded by beautiful countryside, runs along a 13 mile route from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay. Bikes can be hired and it is perfect for walkers and cyclists.

www.tissingtonhall.co.uk

This is the most important prehistoric site of the East Midlands. It is a Neolithic henge monument, a circle of around 50 fallen white limestone slabs around a central stone cove.

This was one of the first acquisitions by the National Trust in Derbyshire. With spectacular views, Alport is over 1,000 ft and from its summit it is possible to see as far as five counties on a clear day. Sometimes known as Alport Stone because of the conspicuous pillar of quarried gritstone, some 20 foot high, near the summit.

Completed in 1794, the canal is 14.5 miles long, has a wealth of industrial heritage and lies in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. The canal can be explored from the towpath, a distance of just over 5 miles, between Cromford Wharf and Ambergate – perfect for walkers, it has a rich and diverse wildlife and part of it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserve.

Fancy a little retail therapy?

Derby and Nottingham with their city centre shopping are our closest large towns with good shopping, particularly in Nottingham, and all the usual department stores. Derby is approx 20 minutes fromthe cottages, whilst Nottingham takes around 45 minutes. If you are looking for a state of the art Shopping Mall, Meadowhall is a 45 minute drive, whilst the smaller and more intimate McArthur Glen and Peak Village are worth a visit.

Small interesting market towns abound in this area of Derbyshire. The most famous are arguably Bakewell, Ashbourne and Matlock. Chesterfield is popular for its outdoor market and Matlock Bath for its river walks and ‘seaside feel’. These small local towns offer an interesting alternative to shopping in the large cities, as many of the shops are still family owned and individual.

This area is quite famous for its factory shopping – John Smedley, Denby Pottery, Masson Mill and David Nieper to name but a few. Perfect for those who like to take back both something that is a little different and also a bargain!