Campsites in Derbyshire

A lovely child's first alphabet; an alluring first lesson in all that is admirable.

                                                              John Ruskin's description of Derbyshire

The inescapable theme in Derbyshire is stone. Picture yourself wandering on the summit of Mam Tor on a blazing hot day in the midst of the Peak District National Park. You are in the heart of some of the finest camping country in England, traversed by the great grit stone edges where beginning rock climbers jostle with old hands practising their skills in preparation for the Himalayas. Or maybe you are on the Eastern border of the county, trekking through the haunting canyon of Cresswell Crags, its caves the home of our remotest ancestors, their recently discovered wall carvings still faintly visible after many thousands of years.

Stone is everywhere, in the rich tapestry of hill villages with their ancient cottages, their bustling markets, their ancient churches and their traditional well-dressing, their restaurants and historic hostelries. Or go upmarket to the great houses and castles of Derbyshire; from the regal splendour and palatial scale of Chatsworth House, to Hardwick described as 'like a huge glass lantern' dominating the surrounding area, to the beloved intimacies of Haddon, its hall and kitchens so intact that it feels as if its mediaeval inhabitants have just slipped out for a few moments.

And the wonderful thing for the keen camper or caravan enthusiast is that every one of these delights is close to excellent camp sites and caravan parks