Days out with children in the Peak District

We often get asked to recommend days out with children in the Peak District, so here are a few ideas to get you started.

Explore the National Park

Obviously one of the reasons you’ve chosen Wheeldon Trees is for our location. The Peak District National Park is a great place to introduce children to nature. You can go hiking along the numerous trails, have a picnic in picturesque spots, and enjoy the breathtaking views of hills, valleys, and rivers.

You don’t need a car to enjoy the Peaks from Wheeldon. We have lots of short walks directly from your cottage door. Inside your cottage welcome book, you’ll find 10 walks for all abilities to try during your stay.

Visit Chatsworth

There’s plenty to keep younger visitors happy at Chatsworth. The large woodland Adventure Playground has a rope park, climbing frames, a trampoline, slides, swings, a zip wire, and water and sand play. There are toilets within the Adventure Playground, as well as a refreshments kiosk and First Aid station.

The beautiful Farmyard at Chatsworth has been the family’s favourite day out since 1973.  Here children can get up close and personal with the farm animals, including horses, donkeys, pigs, cows, sheep and goats. There’s also a large Guinea Pig Village where children can pet the inhabitants and regular animal handling sessions, animal care talks and demonstrations, and trailer rides through the surrounding landscape.

Say hello to the animals at Matlock Farm Park

There are several farm parks in the area, including the award-winning Matlock Farm Park Children can feed and pet farm animals, enjoy tractor rides, and even learn about milking cows.

Fun for water babies

If your children enjoy water-based activities, head to Carsington Water. You can hire boats, try sailing or windsurfing, or simply enjoy a walk along the reservoir’s shores. There are also play areas and a visitor centre with interactive exhibits.

Visit Matlock Bath

Matlock Bath is a popular family destination with attractions such as Gulliver’s Kingdom, a theme park with rides and entertainment for children of all ages. You can also enjoy the cable car ride to the Heights of Abraham, offering stunning views and a hilltop park with adventure play areas.

Go Cycling

The Peak District offers a variety of cycling routes suitable for families. You can rent bikes and explore the traffic-free Monsal Trail or the Tissington Trail, which are former railway lines transformed into scenic cycling paths.

Discover Caves

The Peak District is famous for its limestone caves. Take your children on a guided tour of caves such as Poole’s Cavern in Buxton or Speedwell Cavern in Castleton. They can learn about geology, see fascinating rock formations, and experience the underground world

Enjoy precious family time in one of our award-winning cottages

The Wheeldon Trees Cottages luxury Derbyshire retreat has everything you need for your break away – 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. For children we have an outdoor play area and toys, book and puzzles galore.

The best thing about Wheeldon Trees Cottages is our 10 award-winning properties. Five are rated 5-Star Gold by VisitEngland and the retreat is also the winner of a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award – won by just 10% of the world’s self-catering properties.

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