Days out in the Peaks – July 2023

If you’re planning days out in the Peaks in July 2023, here are a couple of ideas to inspire you.

Buxton International Festival

The Buxton International Festival 2023 is a 17-day festival of opera, music, and books taking place from 6-23 July 2023 in Buxton. In total, there are more than 120 events taking place across six venues in our beautiful spa town.

Here are some of the highlights:

Opera: Three new opera productions: Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Mozart’s Il re pastore, and Handel’s Orlando.

Musical: A brand-new musical based on the early life of Buxton’s Vera Brittain with music by Ivor Novello entitled The Land of Might-Have-Been.

Concerts: A wide range of concerts, including Nicola Benedetti performing with The English Concert; award-winning author Isabella Tree and Sir David Hare in conversation; and a jazz line-up with Wynton Marsalis, Tom Seals and Shez Raja.

Talks: A series of book talks and discussions, including Alastair Campbell, Laura Freeman and Polly Toynbee.

The festival also features a number of other events, including dance, theatre, comedy, and family activities.

For more information, please visit the Buxton International Festival website.

Interactive Exotic Animal Day at Matlock Farm

On 2 July 2023, Matlock Farm will allow children to get up close with snakes, frogs, tarantulas, giant millipedes and more to learn all about the animals’ features, needs and behaviours. The fun starts at 10.30 am and you can book tickets in advance or on arrival.

Great British Car Journey

The Great British Car Journey is hosting several events at their museum in Derbyshire during July.

MG Centenary Day is on Sunday, July 23rd. This event will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the MG car company. There will be a display of MG cars from all eras, as well as talks and demonstrations from MG experts.

Triumph Day is on Sunday, July 16th. This event will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Triumph car company. There will be a display of Triumph cars from all eras, as well as talks and demonstrations from Triumph experts.

The Great British Car Journey tells the story of the British motor industry. It opened on May 22, 2021. The museum’s exhibits consist of over 130 cars that illustrate the history of British car design and production between 1922 and the present day.

Find out more.

Sketchbooking Masterclass at Chatsworth

Join artist Sue Nichol for a Sketchbooking masterclass, taking inspiration from the Chatsworth Garden.

The Sketchbooking Masterclass at Chatsworth on 20 July 2023 is a day-long workshop led by acclaimed artist Sue Nichol. The workshop will explore how to keep a sketchbook journal using pens, pencils, ink, paint and a variety of mediums. You will also produce a larger piece of work using watercolour paper, using the techniques explored in your sketchbook.

The workshop is suitable for both beginners and more experienced artists looking for ways to loosen their style. You will learn how to observe your surroundings, capture your impressions, and develop your own unique style.

The workshop will take place in the Chatsworth Gardens, which provides a wealth of inspiration for artists. You will have the opportunity to sketch the gardens, the house, and the surrounding countryside.

The day includes tea, coffee and a delicious, locally sourced graze box lunch from the Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop. All other materials will be provided.

The workshop costs £125 per person, which includes garden entry and lunch.

To book your place, please visit the Chatsworth website.

Book an award-winning cottage

Our award-winning luxury Derbyshire retreat has everything you need for your break away. We offer free EV charging, an honesty shop packed to the brim with goodies, a fantastic games room where you can play pool, air hockey or ping pong and a range of new electric bikes for you to borrow to explore the local area.

In 2023 five of our cottages were rated 5-Star Gold by VisitEngland. The Farmhouse retained its 5-Star Gold rating from 2002 and now Priestley Cottage, Ollerenshaw Cottage, Nadin Cottage and Mycock Cottage join it with top marks. The remaining five cottages – Sheldon, Walker’s Rest, Critchlow, Elliott and Lomas were all rated 4-Star Gold. In addition, TripAdvisor recently named Wheeldon Trees in the top 10% of places to stay in the world. Thanks to our visitors’ amazing reviews, we were delighted to be awarded the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2022. To complete the hat trick, we were also the runner-up in best self-catering accommodation at this year’s Visit Peak District and Derbyshire Tourism Awards.

You can view our availability and pick your perfect cottage by following this link – view our availability.