When I came to England for a few weeks, one of the top things I wanted to do was visit the Peak District. If you love nature and cute little villages with cobbled streets, this is the perfect place. And even if you don’t drive, like me, it’s still super easy to get to most places by public transport and on a budget. In this blog post I am sharing with you my 2-day solo trip to the Peak District National Park, including visiting the beautiful villages of Bakewell and Castleton, renting a bike on the Monsal Trail, walking through Winnats Pass, hiking Mam Tor, doing a boat tour through a cave 450 metres underground, and eating some delicious vegan food.
Where to stay
I chose Sheffield as a base as you can easily access the national park from there. I usually stay in hostels when I travel alone but I couldn't seem to find any in Sheffield for the day I was going. However, I found an affordable hotel in a lovely neighbourhood near the city centre. The hotel is called Jonas and it was £45 per night for a room with a private bathroom. The receptionist was really polite and friendly and the room was clean and comfortable. There was also a common room downstairs, a games room with a pool table and a tv and a little canteen with snacks and hot drinks available to purchase.
Bakewell
The first day, I arrived in Sheffield by train from Leicester around 11am and I decided to go to Bakewell which is a market town famous for its Bakewell Pudding as well as its picturesque location and nature surroundings.
How to get there
I got the 218 bus from Sheffield Interchange and a day ticket cost £7.50. They didn’t accept cards on the bus so make sure you have cash on hand. It doesn’t have to be the exact amount though as they give change. The journey took about an hour and the views from the window were breathtaking the whole way there. The bus drops you off right in the centre of the village.
The buses to Bakewell go every 30 minutes from the Interchange and the last one back is at 19:30 which is great for enjoying your day there without having to rush for the last bus. However, I would recommend you to check the timetables for the day you are travelling just in case there have been any changes.
Things to do
When I arrived, I was surprised at how busy it was for a Monday. I walked around for a bit, visited the Visitor Centre and then started walking along the river towards Hassop Station.
It took about 30 minutes to walk there and there was a footpath along the road. I rented a bike so I could follow the Monsal Trail and it cost £15 for 2 hours or £19 for 4 hours. Apart from the bike hire, there was also a cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and a lovely gift shop as well. There were also a lot of picnic benches so you can take your own lunch. The traffic free trail started right next to the bike shop and it’s about 8 miles long. There were people cycling both directions, and a lot of people walking on the trail as well.
The weather was lovely, and the views while I was cycling were stunning. I went past a few old railway tunnels and stopped a few times to take photos of the surrounding fields and hills.
I stopped for a lunch break in a field with a lovely view of Bakewell in the distance and fields of cows. I had hummus and bread, one of my favourite things to have when I travel.
I rode the bike back to the hire centre, and then walked back to the village. I went into the famous Original Bakewell Pudding Shop but they had run out of vegan options unfortunately. I walked around a bit more, took photos and then took the bus back to Sheffield.
I went to Coop and got some dinner and then checked into the hotel. I had a veggie pasty, vegan sushi, mango granola and chia pudding and a banana. I watched a few episodes of You on Netflix and then had an early night as I had to wake up early the next day for another adventure into the Peak District.
Castleton
The next morning I woke up around 7am and took the first bus to Castleton around 7:55. Castleton is a beautiful village on the western side of the Hope Valley in the Peak District National Park. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in the area and there are a lot of things to do and see.
How to get there
I got bus 272 from “Ecclesall Road/Junction Road” bus stop which was about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. However, you can get the bus from Sheffield Interchange if it’s closer to where you are staying. The journey took about an hour and the ticket cost £5 for a day ticket. And again, the views were stunning on the way there. I always love to sit in the front seat at the top of the bus. There are buses to Castleton every 1-2 hours depending on the time of day and the last one back is at 22:30 but this might change depending on when you go.
Things to do
When I got there, there was no one around as it was still 9am and none of the shops were open either. This was the perfect opportunity for me to set up my tripod and take photos and videos in this picturesque village. I fell in love with it. The little stone houses, cobbled streets and bright green hills in the backdrop.
After walking around for a bit and taking tons of photos, I walked to Winnats Pass which took about 15 minutes on a straight road with a footpath. It was stunning. The photos really don’t do it justice.
Right next to it, it was the start of the Mam Tor trail. One of the most popular walks in the area, and I’m not surprised why as the views were beautiful. As it had rained during the night, everything was muddy and it was quite slippery so make sure you wear steady shoes. I sat on a rock and had some lunch which I had bought from Sainbsburys in the morning before the bus. I had a soft pretzel, a pack of cut up fruit, and chocolate covered almonds.
After that, I did something completely outside my comfort zone. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am very claustrophobic. But somehow I found myself signing up for a boat tour in a cave, at the Speedwell Cavern which was just at the entry of Winnats Pass. The ticket cost £16 per person and booking online is recommended as they sell out fast. However, I decided at the last minute and asked at the gift shop if they had something available, and luckily they had a slot at 11:40, an hour from then. I walked around and took loads of photos with my tripod and then made my way back to the gift shop.
When I got there, the tour guide welcomed the group, about 15 of us, and gave us hard hats to wear. Masks also had to be worn. We went down a lot of stairs and got to the little wooden boat. Once we got on it, the tour guide explained some health and safety guidelines and off we went. We went through a very narrow tunnel so we had to keep ducking down, and the tour guide told us about the history and stories of the cave and the old mine.
Going through the narrow tunnel took about 20 minutes, and then we got off in the centre of the cave where we stayed for about 25 minutes. The guide gave us some more information about it and then gave us time to look around and take photos.
Then we hopped on the boat and went back. I was really surprised with myself that I wasn't too scared and didn’t feel too claustrophobic. However, my legs were shaking a bit while in the centre cave and then after the tour for a few hours. But I did enjoy it and I am proud of myself for stepping outside my comfort zone and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is visiting Castleton.
After the cavern, I walked back to the village and went into the Visitor Centre. I looked around the gift shop as they had some lovely souvenirs, and there was also a little museum as well which was very interesting.
After that, I decided to walk to the next village, Hope. There is a public footpath that you can follow which takes you to Hope Village and goes through fields of sheep. It took me about 40 minutes to walk and I enjoyed every minute of it as the views were beautiful and it was just so peaceful.
Once I got there, I went to a lovely cafe called The Grasshopper Cafe, and sat out in their garden. They had loads of vegan options which was one of the reasons I chose to go there. I ordered a warm chocolate and nut banana bread topped with vegan yogurt fruit coulis and granola, a butterbean and spinach sausage roll, and a decaf oat latte. The staff were really friendly and everything tasted amazing.
Once I ate, I went to the bus stop which was just outside the cafe and got the 272 bus back to Sheffield Interchange. You can also get the bus from Castleton but there was no point in walking back since I was already in Hope.
Once I got back to Sheffield, I had a couple of hours to wait until my train back to Leicester so I went to a coffee shop called Hygge for some chamomile tea.
Total Spendings:
Depending on where you are coming from, and where you are staying, etc
Train from Leicester to Sheffield - £13
Day ticket to Bakewell - £7.50
Bike hire - £15
Packed lunch from Sainsburys - £2.50
Hotel - £45
Dinner from Coop - £4
Day ticket to Castleton - £5
Breakfast from Sainsburys - £2.60
Speedwell Cavern - £16
Lunch at Grasshopper Cafe - £13
Tea at Hygge cafe - £2.50
Train back to Leicester - £5.50
Total: £131.60
I had an amazing time in the Peak District and I would love to go back to explore more. Getting there was super easy without a car and I didn’t have any problem at all getting around. And there is definitely a way to do it on a budget and still have a great time.
Have you ever been to the Peak District? If not, which activities from this blog post would you like to do?
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