The best of… The Peak District by motorcycle

The Peak District National Park is in fact the original national park. It was founded in 1951 when the general riff-raff revolted over rights to walk on private land. Their organised trespassing yielded results and paved the way for the national parks we know, love and enjoy today. I wanted to start my visit to the Derbyshire here, at this historic place of civil action, but I couldn’t get there as the road was closed and has been made ‘private’. Oh, the irony. The only way to get to the park on my bike would be to break the law myself. Perhaps some think that noisy bikes will spoil others people’s fun? Perhaps it’s time for more civil action? Either way, I had to form a new plan.

Rather than feeling down, I was inspired. How could I not be with all those wonderful views, interesting places and fantastic roads to play on? Granted, the Peak District has 1,500 miles of public footpaths and 55 miles of designated cycle paths, but there are still plenty of great roads and BOATs (Byway Open to All Traffic) to explore.

As I purred along the A57, or Snake Pass to you and me, I stopped for a coffee next to a real log fire at the Snake Pass Inn. You can’t move in the Peak District without stumbling across an inn or B&B, which is never a bad thing. Campsites also abound here, indeed, it could be said that tourism is alive and well in this Derbyshire park.

Castleton

After some wonderful twisting roads, I pulled into Castleton. The village was founded around 1080 under William Peveril, who’s thought to be either a knight or the illegitimate son of William I. The village is dominated by the keep of Peveril Castle, built by Peveril to oversee the King’s Royal Forest of the Peak, although there’s little of this woodland left today. In any case, there’s a ruin that’s run by the English Heritage folks, which you can have a peak at on foot for about £4.50 for an adult ticket.

Castleton (‘Castle Town’) is known as the ‘Gem of the Peaks’ and famous for its beautiful blue-yellow stone, Blue John, a fluorite which is mined locally in one of the many caves close to the village. You can take a tour of these caverns if you so wish; among them is the rather intriguingly named ‘Devils Arse’, proposed to have the largest natural cave entrance in Britain and the second largest in the world. There are even claims that it housed a pub at one time!

Blue John stone forms the prime building material of most of the original shops, houses and pubs in the village, giving the whole place a sense of character and nostalgia. One such establishment is The Original Blue John Craft Shop, which was built in 1884 and sells souvenirs crafted using this unique stone.

Photo: James Owens

As you head out of Castleton on the Buxton Road, you’ll spy on your right a finger sign reading ‘Sparrowpit, Blue John Cavern’ pointing to the road on your left. Take it! It’s such a funky little run with some fantastic formations that almost look like mini Dolomites!

Off next to what I was told is a must-see – Monsal Head. I blasted up there and had a ball doing so; the roads are in wonderful condition and no grids on the apexes of the bends either, which is always a pleasant surprise.

Pulling into Monsal Head, rumoured to be one of the best views in the Peak District, I could see people dotted along the lookout wall admiring the vista. I wandered past the pay and display car park and shoved my bike next to the ice cream van. It was nice enough. The viaduct cuts a striking shape across the fields and the natural bowl that’s Monsal Dale. I’ll be honest, though, it didn’t blow my mind and there was no way I was paying a quid’s parking for the honour of looking at a bridge and a hill, so I moved off.

Bakewell

Home of the tarts! Now that’s more my speed. The best thing about all these little Derbyshire villages that are dotted about, nestled into the historic landscape, is riding to get to them. It is simply joyous finding yourself on the kind of twisting and undulating roads that lead you off to the next little discovery.

Of course, I had to try a Bakewell Tart in Bakewell – but controversy struck! There wasn’t one, but two shops claiming to be the birthplace of the famous Bakewell Pudding (the original name from 1865). Try as might I couldn’t get the shop owners to agree to a fight in the town square, and was in fact asked to leave one shop for making the suggestion. So the decision was made for me and I ended up with a Bakewell Pudding from the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop – not the most imaginative name, but I felt it got the message across. It’s clearly a popular establishment, too. The place was heaving! Like a Rhonda Valley pub at five minutes to closing.

Photo: James Owens

It was well worth the bun fight though as I sat there with the almond-and-jam goo smacking off my lips in a moment of almost carnal delight. Since stopping smoking six months ago, my taste buds have exploded in to life (along with my waistline, which has exploded over my trousers) but as this was for work, I deemed it okay, plus, I counteracted the pudding damage with a calorie-controlled cola drink. Hey, if you-know-who wants endorsement they can pay my fuel bills!

Chatsworth House

I was rather sad to leave the little town of Bakewell, but my next destination was a rather posh country estate. Tara, my Suzuki V-Strom, would be getting the royal treatment at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire that is Chatsworth House. This is really a full day of playing around if culture is your bag. There’s over 1,000 acres of parkland on Chatsworth, a farmyard, and of course, a farm shop – a happy piggy makes a yummy rasher. Then there’s the house itself with over 30 rooms to have a mosey around and a poke at other people’s stuff.

There’s also an adventure playground and in the name of good journalism I simply had to have a go on the swings in order to give a full and factual report to you, our valued readers. The same could be said of slide and the sand pit. Both are excellent.

Buxton

Interestingly enough, Buxton isn’t actually in the Peak District National Park, but I wasn’t about to pass up free mineral water! This stuff costs more than Super Unleaded per litre, so I headed off with jerry can in hand in search of St Ann’s Well, home of the Buxton Spring. The well’s located just off the town’s centre outside a building known as The Crescent, so called because of its semi-circular concave shape.

Photo: James Owens

This huge Grade-I listed building was built around 1780 and is much like the famous Georgian architecture found in Bath. It served as the town’s social hub in the 1700s when it housed the Assembly Rooms, a hotel, lodging houses and shops. There was a hotel here until the mid-1980s when it was forced to close due to the cost of repairs; the whole building was declared structurally unsound in 1992 and has remained empty ever since, although there are rumours it could be opened as a hotel again.

But I digress. Right opposite this magnificent building is St Ann’s Well. (It’s technically a fountain, but as it’s free they can call it what they like). Leave your top-box empty for this one. The natural spring water that pours forth is filtered through limestone, so doesn’t have the sulphurous smell or dodgy taste you get with some spring waters.

Cat and Fiddle

I couldn’t spend a few days in the Peak District without paying these roads a visit. The Cat and Fiddle Triangle has a bit of an ominous reputation for supposedly being among the most dangerous roads in the UK, but ride them properly and they’re an absolute delight. They’re heavily patrolled; sign posted with warning markers at every bend, and the surface is in immaculate condition: that’s not a dangerous road. What is dangerous is the way they’re used by some muppets.

Coming into the climb on the A537, you’re guaranteed to have fun on the A523, A54 and A537. Inclines, declines, hairpins and sweeping chicanes abound here and all roads lead to the Cat and Fiddle Inn, the second highest pub in England, and the perfect place to stop off for a spot of lunch.

Photo: James Owens

Pudding or tart?

The origins of the famous Bakewell Pudding are unclear. One version of the story is that it was first made by accident in 1820 when Mrs Graves, the landlady of a local Derbyshire pub, left instructions for her cook to make a jam tart. The cook misunderstood the recipe and instead of stirring the eggs and almond paste mixture into the pastry, spread it on top of the tart’s jam filling. When cooked, the egg and almond paste formed a kind of nutty egg custard, and the result was so well received by patrons that it became a regular dish at the inn. Modern mass-produced versions of the Bakewell Pudding, often called Bakewell tarts, are nothing like the original concoction. If you can’t get up to Bakewell to get your hands on one of these delicious historical confections, see www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk for a home delivery service!

Need more info?

Where to ride
A57 Sheffield to Manchester (aka Snake Pass)
A628 Barnsley to Manchester (aka Woodland Pass)
A6 Derby to Manchester
A537, A523, A54 and the A537 (The Cat and Fiddle Inn Triangle)

Stay inn comfort
Snake Pass Inn
Snake Road
Derbyshire
Hope Valley S33 0BJ
01433 651480

Stay under the stars
Fieldhead Campsite
Edale
Hope Valley
S33 7ZA
01433 670386

For your satnav
I work on a Garmin Zumo 660, and of course, satnavs are only good as guides – always read the road signs!
Kinder Scout: SK22 2LJ (you’ll need to do the last bit on foot)
Snake Pass Inn: S33 0BJ
Castleton: enter the place name Monsal Head: DE45 1NL
Chatsworth House: DE45 1PP Bakewell Pudding: DE45 1BT
Buxton Spring: SK17 6BD
Cat and Fiddle Inn: SK11 0AR