The picturesque village of Castleton in the Peak District is one of the most popular places with walkers, looking to make the most of the surrounding walking routes and spectacular scenery. Castleton is a quiet little haven, away from the hustle and bustle.
The closest train station to Castleton is Hope (Derbyshire), which is a 45-minute walk or 5 minutes on the bus. You can get to Hope within half an hour from Sheffield train station, so would make a great day trip if staying in the city.
Away from the crowds (although do expect plenty of tourists during peak months), this quaint little village is a delight to explore. From the pretty stream, stunning walks, and cosy pubs. Here are just a few of the things you can do straight from Castleton.
Visit Peveril Castle
Peveril Castle is one of the oldest Norman fortresses in England and sits high above the village of Castleton. You can reach the castle by turning off the main street, past the George pub, where you will see a sign for the castle, just right off the little square with the war memorial.
You need to pay £6.90 (2022 price) to get in, which in my opinion is a little steep for what it is, but I didn’t mind too much as I was there on a weekend trip. I thought you would be able to walk inside the castle, but it only really takes you to one room, with a small window.
However, the views from the outside of the castle, and also of the valley below were gorgeous and made up for the inside! This is a nice little thing to do if you are short for time.
Climb Winnats Pass
Winnats Pass is short for ‘Windy Gates’ as it’s a windy entrance into the village. The pass actually used to sit under the ocean and evidence of this can be seen in fossils that are over 350 million years old.
This limestone valley was created by glaciers which melted and caused water to flow through, wearing away the rocks. An underground cave collapsed here which is why one side is a now a steep rockface. You can visit the Speedwell cavern, which sits at the bottom of Winnats Pass, where you can still see evidence of the mining system that was in place here during the 18th century.
There is also a myth that the pass is haunted by a couple named Alan and Clara who were murdered by miners here in 1758. The two were lovers who wanted to get married but their families disapproved as Alan was from a less wealthy family. They gathered their possessions ran away together to elope, staying in the village of Castleton.
One night they went for a ride on their horses when they were stopped by a group of miners who robbed them of their possessions, taking £200 the couple were carrying in savings (that’s worth £35,000 in today’s money!). The miners then murdered them and hid their bodies in the caves, which were discovered ten years later. The pass is said to be haunted by their screams.
It then seems like karma came around in the end as all the minors turned out to have some misfortune after that night. One went mad, another fell from the cliff face, another miner was hit by a falling rock, one took his own life, and the other one used the money to buy horses which didn’t end up being a good buy and he ended up being a poor man, who eventually confessed on his death bed.
The couple are now buried in St Edmund’s Church, Castleton, and the saddle supposedly used by the couple is on display at the Speedwell Cavern Museum.
You can take a stunning hike, either through Winnats Pass or over it. The latter is very steep but the views at the top are incredible. Be careful when climbing as there are no fences and vertical drops at the cliff face. Walking through the pass below still takes you on a steady incline but you’ll also be able to see how dramatic the pass is, with the huge limestone cliffs towering above you.
You can combine this hike with the Mam Tor walk as they are close together.
Walk to the Mam Tor Summit
The Mam Tor hike is much less steep than Winnats Pass and the two walks can be combined together.
Mam Tor means ‘Mother Hill’ as it is the largest and tallest of the surround hills below it, sitting at 517m tall.
From the summit you will get views of Hope Valley, Edale, and Winnats Pass. Mam Tor is part of the dark peak area, which is made of gritstone. It is also nicknamed ‘the shivering mountain’ due to the many landslides that have occurred here over the years. You can see evidence of this from the old A625 road, which collapsed several years ago.
You can take a circular ridge walk here, which takes around 1-2 hours. The whole ridge goes from Mam Tor to Lose Hill and is around 2 miles (3km). The path is well paved and is easier than it looks from the bottom!
For photographers, sunrise, and sunset from the top of Mam Tor can provide some amazing photo ops. Make sure to dress warm as it can be freezing at the top!
Explore Peak Cavern
Close to Peveril Castle, the Peak Cavern (otherwise known as the devil’s arse) is the largest natural cave entrance in the British Isles.
You can book a guided walk through the different cave chambers where you can see the various rock formations and running water in the cave. They also hold events in the cave, like the Christmas concert- which I would imagine sounds incredible with the echoes of singing voices!
The price is a little steep at £16, so I didn’t go into this one, but it does look good and something a little bit different to do. There are also three other caves you can check out in this area including the Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern, and the Blue John Cavern.
Try a Traditional Bakewell Pudding
I actually had no idea until I was planning my trip here that the nearby village of Bakewell is the home of the bakewell pudding. For anyone who doesn’t know, a bakewell pudding is a traditional English desert made with almonds, pastry, jam, and a custard like topping.
It was apparently created as a ‘happy accident’ by a local baker who mixed two recipes together. The bakewell tart came after this, another delicious variation. You can get a bus from Castleton to Bakewell to try one of these delicious deserts yourself. I can testify they are indeed delightful!
Bakewell itself is another pretty village, a little bigger than Castleton, so you can spend some time exploring the gift local shops, bakers, cafes, and pubs.
Visit Chatsworth House and Garden
Chatsworth House is around a 30-minute drive from Castleton (I took the bus to Bakewell, and then walked, or you can get a bus from Bakewell).
This is something I would absolutely recommend, particularly for those who love walking in lovely gardens, or who like art and history (the house is full of old rooms and works of art).
The Chatsworth gardens were just amazing, and there is literally so much to explore, from a huge kitchen garden to a beautiful smelling pine forest, a rock garden, maze, greenhouse, rose garden, arboretum, several ponds, and fountains and much more!
For the kids there is an awesome playground and farmyard for the little ones to explore. The price is quite a lot but if you love gardens then I doubt you will be disappointed as it was just so pretty! I went at the peak of Autumn and the colours of the trees were just gorgeous, although this place will look pretty at any time of year.
Take a Slow Morning in Castleton Village
I found the village of Castleton so nice to just go for a wander. It’s quite small but there are a few little gift shops around, and plenty of cafes and pubs for a quick bite. The Three Ducks café did delicious cakes, and the Castle pub had a lovely cosy décor and great food.
My favourite part of the village was the little steam, where a short path winds along beside it. I stood here for a while looking at the ducks fighting each other and the local dogs splashing around in the water. With the pretty Autumn leaves folding over the stream, it was a lovely little spot.
Getting to Castleton
Car: There is a car park at the visitor centre, which fills up quickly, and another few dotted around the various walks. There are also some free spaces on weekdays along the main road going out of the village towards Winnats Pass. Get to a car park early to be sure of a spot.
Train: The closest train station to Castleton is Hope (Derbyshire). Most trains will come from Manchester or Sheffield. It will take around 45 mins to walk to Castleton, or you can get the 272 Sheffield’s Peak link bus from the end of station road, into Castleton village which takes around 5 minutes.
Bus: The 173, 271 or 272 buses all stop in Castleton, running from/ between Bakewell or Sheffield.
Where to stay in Castleton Village?
There are plenty of places to stay in Castleton from the pub accommodation to glamping, Airbnb, local farms, or hotels.
I stayed at a lovely local farm called Dunscar Farm. It is a 10 to 15 minute walk from the centre, so nice and quiet, with stunning views of Winnats Pass. It is a working farm, and the owners are the loveliest people, even picking me up from the station as I was a solo traveller!
They do a great full English breakfast each morning and will help you with anything. But really, anywhere you stay is sure to be great as you can’t seem to go anywhere without a view!
2 Comments
Wow, what an adventure! Being from the US, we don’t have castles here and I’d very much like to visit. Crazy story about those miners and that couple. Sounds like they got what was coming! Also, if I visited this area I’d very much like to try the Bakewell pudding. Yum!
yes I think we take the historical stuff for granted sometimes, living in the UK!