England: Peak District Walking Retreat

Welcome to the Peak District. Start your Intrepid Retreats experience with be a Welcome Meeting with your host at 2 pm at the accommodation. Begin your active adventure with a walk through the Hope Valley to Bamford village. Castleton is the picture of a quintessentially England country town, with its slate grey old stone houses, countless pubs off the winding main road, and rolling green surrounds backed by steep hills on three sides, including the famous Mam Tor. Bamford is the highest remaining village in the Derwent valley, with many of its neighbours submerged in the mid-20th century by the construction of two reservoirs. Reward yourself for completing your first walk with a drink in a local pub in Bamford. Take your tastebuds on an intrepid adventure with what couldn’t be a more appropriate brew on tap – beers from Intrepid Brewing Co. Afterwards there is the option for return to Castleton by foot, or perhaps stay at the pub for dinner and catch a taxi back this evening.

Fuel up with breakfast this morning to get ready for a full day of walking to Bakewell, known as the heart of the Peak District. Jump on the local bus to travel a few miles east to Hathersage for the start of your walk. Local legend has it that this hilly village is home to the grave of Robin Hood’s right-hand man Little John. Make your way along the banks of the River Derwent, passing farms, woods, beautiful cottages, old sawmills, and the tumbledown remains of chapels. Stop for a refresh in Grindleford and grab a tea in a shop that supports, and is run by, the local community. There’s even ice cream made in the Hope Valley. Continue on to Bakewell and pass Edensor, a picturesque village that was moved to improve the view for the resident Duke of nearby Chatsworth House. Bakewell’s history lies in the failed efforts of a local Duke to transform a remote market village into a spa town to outdo his local rival in Buxton, but today it's famous for sweet treats. Explore the town and be sure to try a bite in the original shop of the Bakewell Pudding. The tart may be more well known, but the slippery, almond-flavoured dessert – accidentally invented in the 18th century and made to a top-secret recipe – is the real drawcard. Jump in a taxi back to Castleton for a free evening.

Hop back on the bus to Hathersage this morning after breakfast for the start of a walk in Longshaw Estate. Once used for shooting by the Duke of Rutland, the estate of moorland and woodland is now managed by the National Trust. Make your way through rhododendron bushes, past moss-covered barns and grazing sheep, over babbling brooks, boulders weathered into natural sculptures, and along the heather and gorse flanked packhorse trails which once connected Sheffield to the salt wells of Cheshire. There is the opportunity to join your host for an optional lunch after the walk, and your Peak District Intrepid Retreat comes to an end back at your accommodation this afternoon.