Peak District's historic locations and dark past are explored in groundbreaking new experience offering guided walk, immersive storytelling and period-inspired Derbyshire meal (aff)
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Step back in time and listen to tales of plague, doomed love, highwaymen, murder and justice on a new guided tour of the Peak District.
Participants will hear the story of Eyam’s devastating 1665-66 plague outbreak and the Boundary Stone where villagers exchanged money for food while isolating themselves from surrounding communities; the tragic story of lovers Emmott Sydall and Rowland Torre, separated by the outbreak; and notorious highwayman Black Harry, whose crimes and punishment became part of Peak District folklore.
They will also discover Stoney Middleton’s historic Roman Bath House and natural thermal spring, alongside stories of lead mining, old toll roads and the movement of people and goods through the landscape - revealing how many of the paths and roads still travelled today have stories of their own.
Dark Tales of the Peaks: Eyam, Plague & Murder combines immersive storytelling, guided walking and a period-inspired Derbyshire meal and is believed to be the first experience of its kind in the county. The innovative experience is devised by Peak District Tours, a new venture based at the award-winning The Cupola Kitchen & Apartments in Stoney Middleton.
Alison Ahern of Peak District Tours said: “People come from all over the world to walk through the Peak District, but so many of the extraordinary stories behind the places they are walking remain hidden.
"You might have travelled a particular road dozens of times without knowing why it is there, who travelled along it hundreds of years ago, what was being traded or the events that happened around it.
“Dark Tales brings those stories together. There’s plague and murder, but also love, survival, trade, industry and justice. You’re hearing these stories while standing in the places where they happened, which gives you a completely different connection to them.
“There are some fantastic ways to explore the Peak District, but we couldn’t find anything bringing all of these elements together - guided walking, immersive storytelling, historic locations and food - in one experience. That was really the starting point for Peak District Tours.
“We want people to come away feeling that they’ve discovered another layer to the Peak District and perhaps see places they thought they knew in a completely different way.”
Dark Tales of the Peaks lasts approximately four hours, including around three hours of guided walking followed by the period-inspired dining experince at The Cupola. The route covers just under three miles and includes village streets, woodland paths, uneven ground and moderate inclines.
Recommended for visitors aged 10 years and over, the experience is now available to book online at thecupola.uk/explore.
Adult tickets cost £85 and children’s tickets for ages six to 17 cost £45. The price includes the guided experience, refreshments during the walk and period-inspired dining at The Cupola. Private group bookings are also available.
Visitors travelling from further afield can also turn Dark Tales of the Peaks into an overnight stay or short break, with luxury self-catering accommodation available at nearby Rock Mill in Stoney Middleton.
The recently developed Rock Mill offers a collection of one and two-bedroom holiday apartments, with fitted kitchens and living and dining areas, providing a base for visitors wanting to combine the Peak District Tours experience with a longer stay exploring the Peak District National Park.