Peak District National Park. The home of Wheeldon Trees Cottages
Earl Sterndale sits in the Upper Dove Valley near the River Dove, five miles south of Buxton, and eight miles west of Bakewell. Wheeldon is set in 12 acres of the most stunning parts of the National Park. We’re very popular with walkers as we lie in the foothills of the distinctive Parkhouse and Chrome Hills.
Peak District National Park
Here are a few things you may not know about our beautiful park:
The Peak District was the first of Britain’s 15 national parks, designated on 17 April 1951. It covers 555 square miles (1,438km) in the heart of England, which is around the size of Greater London.
Five counties
The Peak District reaches into five counties: Derbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
There are 1,600 miles of public rights of way (footpaths, bridleways, and tracks) including 64 miles accessible to disabled people. In addition, there are 65 miles of off-road dedicated cycling and walking trails. The Park also owns 34 miles of disused railways: High Peak Trail, Tissington Trail and Monsal Trail, with cycle-hire centres at Ashbourne, Parsley Hay, Derwent Valley and Middleton Top.
High point
The highest point of the park is Kinder Scout, which measures 636 metres (2086 ft). The tallest cave is Titan Shaft in Castleton, which is 141.5 metres (464 ft) tall. This is taller than the London Eye and it’s the largest known shaft of any cave in the British Isles, discovered on Jan 1 1999 by local cavers.
Explore directly from your cottage door
So now you know a bit more about our gorgeous surroundings, why not explore a few walks from our cottages? Remember to take care when crossing fields – some of the cows can be very inquisitive, particularly if you have a dog with you.
Walk 1 – Low(ish) Road to Earl Sterndale – 1.25 hours
No stiles on this walk. Can be very, very muddy as you go through Underhill. The steep climb after Under t’hill can also be quite slippery.
Walk – 2 High Wheeldon – 30-40 minutes
No stiles on this walk but it is steep and can be slippery. Fun for children as it’s short and you can look for fossils halfway up around the old limestone kiln. There’s a fantastic view at the top.
Walk 3 – Longnor – 1.75 hours
No stiles on this walk. If you want to avoid walking on the road between Crowdecote and Longnor, you could walk to Longnor via Beggar’s Bridge and then retrace your steps on the way home. Longnor is on the 442 bus route, so it’s possible just to walk one way.
Walk 4 – High Peak Trail & Royal Oak – 1.25 hours
No stiles on this walk if you go all the way to the Royal Oak; if you do the shorter version, there’s some stone steps and a bit of scramble up the embankment to get onto the trail.
A good part of this walk is on the High Peak Trail and a wide gravel park, where dogs (under control) can be let off the lead. Buggy friendliest of our walks if you do the full version.
Walk 5 – High Road to Earl Sterndale – 1.25 hours
There’s a low stone stile and a wooden stile on this walk. The path above the quarry can be full of nettles and thistles in the summer, so best not to wear shorts. The views down are spectacular.
Walk 6 – Crowdecote Circular – 1.5 hours
There are a couple of stiles towards the end of this walk. There’s a short, steep section on the narrow road as you leave Crowdecote, so take extra care.
Walk 7 – Parkhouse & Chrome Hills – 2.5 hours
Almost stile-free – just one near the end. Can be very muddy as you go through Underhill. You can easily add another two to this walk by climbing both of the hills – not recommended if you suffer from vertigo.
Walk 8 – 45-minute circuit
Just the one low stone stile – which we’re hoping will be replaced one of these days – then it’s gates all the way. The areas around the gates can get very muddy, as the cows seem to like congregating there.
Walk 9 – High Needham Circuit – 1 hour
Be prepared for a couple of quite steep and awkward stiles.
