World National Parks – Peak District Tourist Information
Without any doubt, the Peak District is one of the most naturally beautiful places in all of the UK. Sited in the north central park of the country, the national park here offers simply breathtaking natural attractions.
The Peak District (or as it is officially known, the Peak District National Park) is a very large region, covering a large part of northern Derbyshire as well as portions of greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.
Peak District Tourism is one of the major employers in the region now so you can rest assured there is no shortage of comprehensive Peak District tourist information available if you know where to look.
There is also an impressive amount of Peak District luxury holiday cottages to rent too , but book early to get the best ones.
Located at a altitude of 636 meters above sea level, the Peak District National Park covers about 550 square miles – the highest point in the Peak District is Kinder Scout. The urban areas which lie within the district are Tideswell and Bakewell, with Derby, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent nearby.
The Peak District is the most heavily visited national park in the country (and reputedly the second most visited in the world), largely because of its location near to major urban centres.
It’s not just the English who love to visit the Peak District; the park attracts visitors from every part of the world each year – this park is a global draw for nature lovers.
There is a lot of available lodging in the area of the park, given its popularity with visitors from across the world. There is a huge amount and variety of accommodations ranging from Peak District B&Bs all the way of to five star Peak District Luxury Hotels.
A lot of barn conversions are available as lodgings for travellers; these are great for families and other larger groups of vacationers. For those who have a romantic getaway in mind, there are plenty of Peak District holiday cottages which are available to let and can be rented for extended stays as well.
The Peak District is not mountainous as the name might suggest, but rather made up of hills and uplands instead.
The Peak District is made of two parts – the northern moor lands, featuring much grit stone which are known as the “Dark Peak”. The other portion is the “White Peak”, the southern region made primarily of limestone.
The Dark Peak is not heavily agricultural, other than its use as grazing lands for sheep. This is due to the Dark Peak having a lot of bog areas. This part of the park does have a lot of game hunting available to the sportsman, however, with grouse being a favourite prey.
By contrast, the White Peak is more agricultural in nature, including large scale dairy farming. Herds of cattle may be observed grazing throughout the southern regions of the Peak District.
Despite the more than 2,000 farms in this area, agriculture is only a small part of the economy in the region – this is due to that most of these farms are smaller family concerns. Tourism is the largest part of the economy in the area, as is the bottling of the famous Buxton and Ashbourne mineral waters.
When planning a trip to the Peak District, be certain to leave a little time in your schedule to pay a visit to nearby Sheffield, the 8th biggest city in England. This city also features more trees per capita than does any other city in Europe! For this reason, Sheffield is known as the city of trees. The city also features numerous cultural attractions – theatres, a vibrant arts scene and more.