Peak District Castle Named One of UK’s Best by Outdoor Expert

A six-mile Peak District castle hike has been named one of the UK’s best by outdoor expert Blacks.

Blacks have put together a list of their favourite summer hikes across the UK to complete this summer. And, a route around the village of Castleton has made the outdoor company’s list.

Castleton Hike

The Castleton hike is a six-mile trail in the Peak District that offers stunning views, challenging climbs, and plenty of historical interest. It’s a great hike for anyone looking for a full-day adventure in the outdoors.

The hike begins in Edale, at the foot of Mam Tor. From there, you’ll cross fields and streams, before ascending Mam Tor itself. The climb to the top of Mam Tor is steep, but the views from the top are worth it. On a clear day, you can see for miles across the Peak District.

Once you’ve reached the top of Mam Tor, you’ll follow the ridge to the trig point. From here, you can take a detour to the edge of the Winnats Pass, for stunning views of the valley below.

Cave Dale

After the Winnats Pass, you’ll descend into Cave Dale, also known as the Secret Valley. This is a long, narrow valley with steep rocky slopes on either side. There are also several caves in the valley, which are perfect for exploring.

At the end of Cave Dale, you’ll reach the village of Castleton. Here, you can relax in one of the many pubs or visit the ruins of Peveril Castle.

The Castleton hike is a challenging but rewarding hike. It’s a great way to see some of the best that the Peak District has to offer.

You can follow the route here.

Wheeldon Trees – the perfect location for walkers

Wheeldon Trees Cottages offers the perfect base for walkers. We have 10 stunning cottages set in 12 acres of Peak District National Park. You can walk the Peaks directly from your cottage’s front door. What’s more, we enjoy some of the best views in the Peaks.

Alongside luxury cottages, our rural retreat offers free EV charging and an honesty shop packed to the brim with goodies. In addition, we have a fantastic games room where you can play pool, air hockey or ping pong. We also have two 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 2020. 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.