Looking for holiday trip recommendations: Peak District

Hi everyone,

My husband and I (we are in our 50s) live in Greater London and thought we'd take an extended Easter break up north, in the Peak District.

Have only been as far as Chatsworth House (which we want to revisit) but other than that, we know nothing about that area.

Don't really want to travel any further north than Chesterfield. Thought we'd drive up one way and drive back another, making a kind of loop.

Someone told me Buxton is nice. Bakewell sounds interesting if for nothing more than a tea stop and Bakewell Tart!

Maybe Stoke-on-Trent?

We are not into hiking, etc., but love walking/driving through beautiful countryside.

We like:

• Historic properties (We're National Trust members and I will be searching out area properties in my guide book)
• Museums
• Villages
• Local history
• Good food (including, of course, Afternoon Tea)
• Shopping

Anything interesting to see/do near:
Leicester ?
Coventry ?

Thank you for any ideas!

If you are motoring rather than using shanks' pony then the worlds your oyster.

Travel north on the A1 rather than the M1. The A1 is more or less on the route of the roman road from London to Lincoln and remained the Great North Road until it's replacement by the M1 when the motorways were built in the 1960's. Most of the towns along the general route of the A1 are of great antiquity and are well worth a visit including Stamford, Lincoln for castles and cathedrals, Melton Mowbray if you are partial to pork  pies and quaint towns,  Market Harborough which has its own canal basin, where you can rent a boat if the urge takes you. In the Leicester/Coventry area there is Warwick and Warwick Castle, Leamington Spa for the Bath/Harrogate type of experience. Stratford of course for the culture vultures. Derbyshire Dales are very much an outdoor paradise, but for the motorist it is the speed camera capital of Britain with cameras both fixed and mobile everywhere. Derbyshire Police have a rather nasty habit of placing mobile speed cameras just around the bend at the bottom of steep hills, designed to catch those who allow their speed to drift up a bit as they coast down the hill. Lots of nice towns there , but personally find them rather tired and overrun with day trippers to the point where the experience is somewhat degraded, especially in the summer.

If you want to find interesting places by the route you choose, then have a look at the OS range of digital historical maps from the link below. These were first published in the early 1900's, when  the road and track system that had been in place for millenia was still extant, with all the interesting settlements that grew up along them. It's a lot easier to find places in their context, and to understand their history and significance when you remove the anonymous motorway and trunk road network from the equation.

http://www.shop.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/products/historical-maps/historical-digital-maps/historical-series-1900s/pid-9781845143343

I love Derbyshire!  Bakewell is lovely, and busy on Market Day/Monday.  Castleton is a favorite, Peveril Castle is worth the climb.  And you can visit the Blue John caves there.  I've never ventured underground but the stone itself is very pretty.  And visit Hathersage to see Little John's grave.   

You have made a great choice for your holiday!  I love Derbyshire.  Check out Haddon Hall, which is not that far from Bakewell.  It is a Tudor era estate that is just gorgeous.  And don't forget Matlock Bath.  There is a great little cable car that will take you to the Heights of Abraham. It has a fabulous view up there.

Have a terrific time!   

I second Castleton although i think it is north of Chesterfield. Its a lovely little village and the Blue John caves are really cool!

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your suggestions, and links. Especially appreciated the speed camera info, Jack!