Derbyshire and the Peak District are home to a number of unique attractions – making them perfect places to visit if you’re searching for something out of the ordinary.
24 of the county’s best hidden gems are listed below – will you be visiting any of them during 2025?
9. Explore the ‘plague village’
Eyam certainly has a unique place in history. It is known as the plague village, after residents quarantined themselves to stop the spread of a plague outbreak in the 17th century. If you want to learn more about the Black Death, Eyam is the perfect place to start - and it won’t cost you anything to wander the village and delve into the area’s past. Photo: Jason Chadwick
10. Derbyshire’s flooded villages
The fascinating tale of Derbyshire’s flooded villages was something I knew very little about until moving here. When water levels at Ladybower Reservoir are low, walkers may be able to catch a glimpse of Derwent - a village that was flooded as part of the creation of the reservoir. Derwent and nearby Ashopton (pictured here) were small villages but had tight-knit communities - and Ashopton’s inn was a popular stop on the route between Sheffield and Glossop. In spite of fierce local opposition, each building in the two villages was bought compulsorily by the Derwent Valley Water Board. Residents of both villages were moved to Bamford and their homes demolished, before the area was flooded in 1945 Photo: DT
11. Peveril Castle and the ‘Devil’s Arse’
The Peak Cavern can be found deep in the gorge below Peveril Castle at Castleton - and is known colloquially as the Devil’s Arse. The cavern regularly hosts concerts, and an evening of carols even takes place in the run up to Christmas. Photo: jason chadwick
12. Solomon’s Temple
Solomon’s Temple - otherwise known as Grinlow Tower - is situated in the hills above Buxton. It was built in 1896, with the support of the Duke of Devonshire, before being restored in the 1980s. Photo: cc-by-sa/2.0 - © G Laird - geograph.org.uk/p/6125321