Autumn in the Peak District
How to spend 3 days in the Peak District, without a car!
View of Edensor Village
3-Day Itinerary:
Day 1: Spend the Day at Chatsworth House & Edensor
Day 2: Hike from Baslow to Ashford-in-the-Water and end the day in Bakewell
Day 3: Visit Haddon Hall and Matlock Bath
It’s been 4 years since I moved to the UK and there are a few places I had ashamedly not yet been to, one of them being the Peak District.
Whilst I don’t mind public transportation (and the notorious reliability!), the Peak District is known for its fantastic hiking trails so this was the perfect opportunity to walk most places. You can find some really great walks here and here.I heavily relied on the 170, Trans-Peak (TP), and the Sixes (6.1) bus services, using Chesterfield as a base to begin the adventures. Where I Stayed:
I stayed at the Premier Inn in Chesterfield, perfectly adequate with good transportation links. This is not to be confused with Chesterfield West, however. For ease of access, you can book here. Chesterfield itself is an interesting little town with good pubs, interesting history, and surprisingly busy nightlife! Plus, the Parish Church is renowned for it's crooked spire, which you absolutely have to check out. It would have probably been best to stay in Bakewell or Matlock, but as I was last minute, a lot of the coziest looking B&Bs were already booked for the weekend (for reference, I planned all this a week in advance!). Alternative Recommendations:
Peak Edge Hotel - Chesterfield (you’ll need a car for this one)
Day 1: Chatsworth House to Edensor
Ever since I first saw the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I knew one day I’d see Chatsworth House for myself, the setting for Mr. Darcy’s fictional Pemberley estate.In fact, I had a vague itinerary for my autumnal weekend and realized at some point that my trip was heavily Pride and Prejudice inspired. I took the 170 bus from Chesterfield, which conveniently drops you right at Chatsworth House. When I went to scan my ticket, I was offered a free guidebook as I showed proof of receipt of having arrived via public transportation. In an effort to crack down on the amount of car traffic, a lot of these properties offer incentives if you arrive by alternative methods.
While I know Christmas is a special time of year at Chatsworth, I chose to visit before the decorations to soak in the autumn beauty before winter sets in. The guides also mentioned that the special Christmas route means you miss some of the stunning rooms. I couldn’t wait to see the iconic Painted Hall, where Lizzy Bennett and the Gardiners pass through on their way to tour the rest of the house. It was intentionally designed to provide a sense of awe to any guest visiting the Dukes of Devonshire. But something I had no idea about before my visit was just how stunning the chapel is!
Built in the late 1600s, this is apparently “the least changed room at Chatsworth.” The center piece is made from local marble and quarried stone. On display is one of Damien Hirst’s sculptures of St. Bartholomew titled "Exquisite Pain." Another copy can be found in the oldest parish church in London- St. Bartholomew the Great.I made my way upstairs to tour the guest rooms, which had an exhibition on the latest collection by Erdem, inspired by Deborah, the previous Duchess of Devonshire. The Spring/Summer 2024 collection took inspiration from the fabrics and textiles kept in the Chatsworth collection.
Then it was time to make my way to the sculpture collection, where I almost passed the Veiled Vestal Virgin because I was so eager to see her! She is as stunning in real life as you can imagine. In the movie, they brought the sculpture out into the gallery itself, but her home is usually in the alcove before you enter. 
Some tips for visiting Chatsworth:
- Try to visit on a weekday as the weekends do get pretty crowded
- There are a few buses you can take that drop you right off at the front (the 160 & 170, the 6.1, and the Peak Sightseer open top buses)
-They give you a free guide book if you show proof of arriving via public transportation. I’m unsure if they offer discounted ticket for the same reason, but my tickets were pre-bought.
- You can walk from Baslow! Day 2: Baslow to Ashford in the Water & Bakewell
Another ride on the 170 brought me to Baslow, a charming village with scenic paths leading to Chatsworth. Start early for a 2-hour walk to Ashford in the Water (I even lingered longer than expected here), then strolled to Bakewell (45 mins), known for their classic Bakewell pudding, by the River Wye.
View of Baslow at the Old Bridge
While Ashford-in-the-Water and Bakewell are pretty well known, Baslow was a stop I kept passing through on my journeys the previous day, so I decided to check it out and begin there. Baslow has just a few cafes and pubs, like The Prince of Wales, best as a rest stop for hiking days. I arrived to church bells and a gentle autumnal breeze permeating through the trees and leaves around the River Derwent. It was then a two hour trek to Ashford-in-the-Water, which I did by a combo of footpaths via my Google Maps and literally walking on the road.
Ashford-in-the-Water is a little village close to Bakewell. I later found that it’s best known for quarrying some of the Peak District’s distinct dark limestone. From Ashord-in-the-Water to Bakewell will take you about 45 minutes.I got caught in the rain on this portion of the day, and discovered my rain jacket- which I considered to be a right of passage in this country when I first bought it not long before this trip- was not actually waterproof! It was alright though, as I found myself amongst the little mallards by the Sheepwash Bridge. 
Ashford in the Water by the Sheepwash Bridge
Bakewell is a cute and charming market town in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales, but just a heads up that it can get super busy!! I’m not the biggest pastry fan, but I did want to try their famous Bakewell Pudding. It’s actually surprisingly sweet and I really enjoyed it. I walked along the River Wye admiring the gorgeous autumnal scene whilst I ate. 
Day 3: Haddon Hall, Matlock & Matlock Bath
After returning to Bakewell the following day, I took the 6.1 bus to Haddon Hall. Lucky for me again, the bus stops right out front of Haddon Hall. After I ate lunch, I got the TP bus service to Matlock Bath, from where I walked to Matlock town centre so I could begin the journey home. 
Haddon Hall from the River Wye
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall is one of the most complete and best preserved manors from the middle ages, offering a peek inside what early English noble life was like in the Tudor period. Even though I love the dreamy, aesthetic places like Chatsworth House and similar, I found myself completely captivated by this little gem in the Derbyshire Dales. 
There has been a fortified manor house of some sort at this location in the valley of the River Wye for centuries, beginning in the Norman period. At the time when Edwardian and Victorian fashionable society were modernizing to the latest styles, Haddon Hall’s preservation is credited to the fact that it remained empty for nearly two whole centuries! simply because the family, the Manners family at that point, left it unoccupied for about 200 years. That isn’t to say it was abandoned, they kept some servants behind and the furniture covered.The hall has been used as a film location for three Jane Eyre film adaptations (1996, 2006, and 2011) as well as the setting for the inn Elizabeth and the Gardiner’s stay in the fictional town of Lambton in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. It is the perfect location for Thornfield, Mr. Rochester’s residence and an even better representation for what a standard coach inn might have been like.
I took the Sixes bus from Bakewell just a short journey down the road, but it’s an easy 45 minute walk. If you provide proof of transportation receipt, there will be a small discount on your ticket (if purchased at the property).
Matlock Bath
As I explained earlier, I’m a huge fan of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film. I feel like I know every line and location—real and fictional! One highlight was visiting Matlock, mentioned during an awkward exchange with Mr. Darcy: “Tomorrow, we go to Matlock.” I hopped on a bus to see this charming town for myself.
View of the Jubilee Bridge from the Lovers Walk
Down the valley from Matlock town centre and along the river Derwent, Matlock Bath is a charming little town tucked in the Derbyshire Dales. Known for its warm springs discovered in the 1600s, and nicknamed Little Switzerland by Lord Byron, it became a fashionable destination after Queen Victoria's visit..
Some very popular attractions include:
-Heights of Abraham: A historic cable car ride to a hilltop park with mines and caverns.-Matlock Bath Aquarium: Houses the thermal pool and even a petrifying well, -Derwent Riverside Gardens: A peaceful escape with play areas and beautiful nighttime illuminations.Getting around is easy with a train station connecting Matlock Bath to the town center and servicing EMR trains. However, it’s not a bad walk up to the town centre, only taking around 45 minutes! 
As I said above, keep in mind that a number of these sites, like Chatsworth and Haddon Hall, offer discounted ticket prices or free guide books with proof of public transport. It’s not so bad doing it this way! Whilst the autumn scenes are spectacular, I would like to return in the summertime when the days are longer. I hope to return soon to complete the Pride and Prejudice journey in the Hope Valley region to Stanage Edge.