Choose a wonderful cottage in the Peak District

This highly popular region is crammed with top-quality Peak District holiday rentals, from small, stone cottages in sleepy villages to big, sprawling farmhouses off-the-beaten track - ideal for the larger party and often with wonderful walks from the door. If your dates are flexible and you're not tied to school holidays, take advantage of off-season breaks - travel midweek or arrange a get-together with friends over a long weekend - check your chosen Peak District holiday let for exact details and seasonal offers. Or see what accommodation in the Peak District we have right at the last minute - grabbing a late bargain means room in your pocket for a few special treats during your stay! Whenever you plan to visit, you're sure to find your perfect holiday rental in the Peak District. Read on and discover each one listed below, or refine your search and check live availability of all our holiday lets in the Peak District using the map and tick boxes above.

The first National Park

The Peak District sits in the middle of some of the North West of England's large cities, such as Manchester, Sheffield and Derby, and offers some of the most beautiful and unspoilt countryside to be found anywhere in the UK.

A land of great contrasts, the northern-most part of the region is characterised by a rugged, rather austere beauty known as the Dark Peak; a vast swathe of rugged heather moorland, and weathered, gritstone tors. Further to the south, a high limestone plateau signals the start of a more gently contoured landscape of deep, green valleys, rich farmland and mile upon mile of dry stone walls; the White Peak.

The Peak District is home to the country's original and most-visited National Park. It provides a natural playground for those with a taste for the great outdoors, with walking, cycling, caving, potholing, horse riding, fishing and golf all readily available. In and around the National Park, pretty market towns observe age-old traditions such as the ancient custom of 'well dressing', historic country estates await your visit, spectacular natural caverns are some of the finest in the world and a whole host of natural and man made attractions are on the doorstep. A Peak District cottage holiday is within easy reach of many large conurbations yet remains a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Popular places to holiday in the Peak District

Towns on the edges of the Peak District National Park offer shopping, cultural attractions and fine dining. A Peak District cottage holiday in the north of the region allows discovery of the dramatic scenery of the 'High Peak' area; the genteel, former spa town of Buxton, with its renovated Opera House; Glossop or Hayfield, synonymous with its jazz festival and much used as a starting point for Pennine Way walks. Smaller villages offer scenery and history in abundance. Pretty Castleton in the Hope Valley nestles in a picturesque spot and is the centre for the region's spectacular cave systems such as Blue John, Speedwell and Peak Caverns; tiny Eyam bears witness to the terrible suffering of the Plague centuries ago.

Those opting for a Peak District cottage amid the gentler scenery of the southern part of the region will be rewarded with country towns such as Bakewell, with its famous puddings and excellent Monday market, Ashbourne, offering independent shopping, good pubs and a thriving antiques trade, and Matlock Bath, which has much to detain the visitor, such as Gulliver's Kingdom, the cable car ride to the Heights of Abraham, a trip on the Midlands Railway or a visit to the Peak District Mining Museum.

Enjoy a scenic walk or climb on your Peak District break

A Peak District cottage is ideal choice for those in search of an active break. Climbers return time and again to the gritstone precipices to the east of the National Park, such as the Roaches and Stanage Edge. Accomplished walkers tackle the Pennine Way, whilst the less committed wanting no more than a scenic ramble and a good pub will be spoilt for choice, with routes taking in tranquil lakes and reservoirs, country parks or picturesque rolling hills and dales. Enjoy natural beauty spots such as the Dovedale, with its famous Stepping Stones, the Tissington Trail, Ilam Country Park, or the unspoilt beauty of hidden dales, such as Lathkilldale or Bradwell Dale.

Whichever corner of Derbyshire you choose for your Peak District cottage holiday, you'll find culture and history in abundance. The region offers some of the finest country homes and gardens, many of which may already feel familiar thanks to their starring roles as film locations. Sumptuous Chatsworth House near Bakewell provided the backdrop for the recent blockbuster Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley, whilst Lyme Hall in the High Peak was the location for an earlier BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel. The Chatsworth Estate, lying within the Peak District National Park, is a superb family day out. Often described as 'The Palace of The Peaks', Chatsworth House is home to the Duke of Devonshire and is a living museum of priceless exhibits and furnishings. Immediately surrounding the house are 100 acres of stunning gardens, designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, as well as a farmyard, woodland adventure playground, and local produce and crafts on sale. The wider Chatsworth parkland of over 1000 acres, was planned by Capability Brown and is free for the public to enjoy, with plenty of scenic riverside and woodland walks. Near Bakewell, Haddon Hall, a beautiful twelfth century medieval manor house set in terraced Elizabethan gardens, is widely held to be one of the best-preserved houses of its era, whilst Lyme Hall and Calke Abbey at Ticknall near Derby are not to be missed.

Great for parents and kids...

Families will find a Peak District cottage a rewarding place for a break, with plenty to keep little ones entertained. Visit the Chestnut Centre, near Edale; discover the rich geology of the region at the National Stone Centre near Wirksworth or the vast, spectacular underground caverns of the Hope Valley. Alton Towers, one of the UK's premier theme parks, is on the fringes of the Peak District, historic Eyam and the scenic Derwent dams of the Dam Busters fame are a living history lesson, whilst Carsington Water provides a great day out, with an adventure play park, canoeing, sailing and plenty of space for family picnics. Peveril Castle near Castleton dates back to the days of William the Conqueror; Bolsover Castle stages re-enactments which children will love, while the more contemporary attractions of Matlock Bath are within easy reach.

Peak District cottages offer the ideal holiday destination for both short breaks and longer stays. Whether as a cosy, off-season base for long walks and good food or for an action-packed family summer holiday, a Peak District cottage holiday makes for an enjoyable getaway.