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 |  | Travel Reviews : Derbyshire |
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| | | | In a weirdness league of its own
From the Mail on Sunday
This is odd. It's a warm day but the wind is howling through Woodhead Tunnel, just off the A628 near Tintwistle in Derbyshire, and I'm freezing.
Local historian Glynis Greenman talks excitedly about the inexplicable lights people see zooming up the Longdendale Valley, the old lady who walked through the wall of the railwayman's cottage down below, the Roman legions marching into the hillside and these winds that can screech out of the tunnel and knock a man down.
Later, in the B&B, my wife isn't convinced. 'It's bound to be windy at the mouth of a tunnel,' she says, 'especially one as long as that.' I shake my head.
The Longdendale Valley is supposed to be one of the most haunted areas of Britain, and I'm not going to be put off.
Only 15 miles from Manchester, the valley stretches from Glossop to Woodhead.
Daniel Defoe called it 'perhaps the most desolate, wild and abandoned country in England'.
It's no wonder the surreal TV comedy series The League Of Gentlemen was filmed here.
I've come to look for ghosts and to lay a few spirits from the past. The last time I was here, 20 years ago, I was half of a folk/poetry duo called Jaws.
We were booked to perform in a pub whose landlord thought we were a heavy metal band.
The climax of the act was me playing 'Stranger On The Shore' on a plastic watering can. Glossop's heavy metal fans weren't amused, and showed it in interesting and inventive ways.
Travel guide: Derbyshire
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| | | | From Liverpool to Hull
On the way home, me and my mate Martyn parked near Woodhead Tunnel, leaped out of the car and howled our anguish into the night.
Maybe that's where the Haunted Valley legends started.
This time, my wife and I stayed at Wayside Cottage in Padfield, a former mill village at the edge of the Longdendale Trail which follows the route of the old Woodhead Railway that connected Sheffield to Manchester.
You can walk or cycle all the way from Liverpool to Hull, because the Longdendale Trail is part of the Trans-Pennine Trail.
We're not that ambitious, so we settled for a stroll along the side of the reservoir before tea at the Peels Arms, conveniently next to our B&B.
It really was a golden evening, with yachts bright as butterflies on the shining water, kids whizzing past us on bikes and a mob of sheep following a Land Rover across sloping field after sloping field, hoping for food.
A bald man strode past at a huge rate of knots listening to Wagner on his leaking Walkman.
Shooting The League Of Gentlemen here, in Hadfield, has only added to the region's oddness quotient.
One of the programme's catchphrases is 'A local shop for local people', and above the small supermarket on the high street is the sign 'Are You Local?'
Fans have stayed at Wayside Cottage and spent the whole day dressed as the main characters; it must be unnerving to eat your breakfast at the next table to a man who opens his coat to reveal a row of clothes pegs.
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| | | | Mysterious Longdendale Lights
At bedtime I fell into a four-poster which Oliver Cromwell was reputed to have slept in.
Something about the dark wood and the scary folds of the heavy curtains unnerved me, though, and I couldn't nod off.
Car lights from the road photocopied the ceiling as I lay sweating and they became the Mysterious Longdendale Lights.
The shouted 'Goodnights' of a christening party next door were the disgruntled cries of that audience near Glossop all those years ago.
The next day when I woke up it felt like it was still dark. Rain hissed on the window.
Maybe this is the kind of weather to see Longdendale in, with the clouds low over the hills and the possibility that the man walking down the street in front of you is a Roman soldier.
We drove up to Woodhead and you could hardly see a thing but it was magnificent, orchestral.
Outside the Crowden Youth Hostel dedicated walkers looked at maps.
We drove along the B6105 to the Devil's Elbow, where the Devil was reputed to have had his arm turned to stone so he tore it off and left it there. As you would.
There was no sign of the giant slug that's reputed to slither across the road and on to the moors, so we slipped back into Hadfield for another cup of tea.
There weren't many people in the cafe; just me, my wife, a man with clothes pegs in his coat and a lad with a plastic watering can.
Longdendale: valley of ghosts, memories, strangeness. Stand by the tunnel mouth and feel the wind.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
For further information on Glossop, contact the Tourist Information Centre (www.glossop.com tel: 01457 855920).
Wayside Cottage (tel: 01457 866495) offers B&B from £20 per person per night.
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| | Destination Guide : Derbyshire |
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| | | Glorious countryside |  | Why go on holiday to Derbyshire?
Derbyshire has some wonderful stately homes, picturesque villages, a famous spa and the glorious countryside of the Peak District.
There aren't actually any big peaks in the Peak District - the name comes from the ancient people who once inhabited the region.
Go to the region for beautiful scenery, cycling, hiking, hang-gliding, rock-climbing, caving, good museums and historic houses.
How much does it cost?
At the time of writing, B&Bs in Derby town are from £20, hotels from £35 per person per night. In Bakewell B&Bs starts around £17-20 per person. Youth hostels charge around £8 a night.
To visit historic houses expect to pay about £5 per adult and £3 per child. Restaurant meal around £20 for a good evening meal, snacks from £5, and a pint of beer from £2.
How do I get there?
By train to Derby from London, then from Derby onto Matlock.
By coach - The bus station is close to the centre of Derby. TransPeak TP service from Manchester via the Peak District to Derby and Nottingham, or National Express from London.
TransPeak services go right across the Peak District - Matlock to Buxton - taking about an hour.
By air - East Midlands Airport is 30 minutes from Derby city centre, 1 hour 30 minutes to Buxton.
By car - Take the M1 and then take either Junction 24 or 25. Derby is 130 miles from London, 60 from Manchester, 40 from Birmingham and 30 from Leicester.
When should I go?
Bear in mind classic British weather and expect rain all year round. Derbyshire is full of indoor visits, however: houses, museums, old mine tours, craft centres and theme parks.
Crowds in the Peak District in summer make pre-booking accommodation a good idea. Winter weather, especially on the Dark Peak, can be changeable so take adequate clothing, supplies and make sure people know where you're going.
Well-dressing happens in Peak District villages from May to mid-September, June and July are the peak well-dressing months.
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| | | Walkers' paradise | | What should I do when I'm there?
Derby was more or less planned out of existence in the 1960s but the cathedral has a 212ft tower, and the Industrial Museum, Pickford's House Museum of Georgian Life, and the Royal Crown Derby China Factory are all worth a visit.
From Derby head for the historic houses of Kedleston Hall, Calke Abbey, Melbourne Hall, Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall, before heading into the Peak District for a wander through Dovedale or a hike up Kinder Scout.
Then visit beautiful Buxton for some culture or Eyam for some plague history.
What's the Peak District like?
The harsher Dark Peak moorlands contrast with the pastoral drystone walls and deep-cut dales of the White Peak where you'll find the lovely Dovedale.
Walking trails across the area include the end of the Pennine Way from Edale, and the Limestone Way, winding through the White Peak country from Castleton to Matlock via Peak Forest, Millers' Dale, Taddington, and other villages.
The High Peak Trail makes an excellent cycle track as it was originally a railway track, as were the Tissington and Monsal trails. The Monsal Trail at Monsal Head gives you a superb view of the Monsal Viaduct.
What about the Dark Peak walks?
From Edale or Hayfield you can walk to the nearby Kinder Scout. The Hayfield walk was the first "mass trespass" in support of the public right to roam.
Elsewhere off High Tor cliffs you can hang-glide or rock climb with the best mountaineers.
At Castleton, Buxton and Matlock Bath you'll find 'showcaves' open to the public, or if you're an experienced potholer/caver get in touch with the Tourist Office for information on other sites.
What about Peak District villages and towns?
Pretty Bakewell is the start of the Monsal Trail and also the trail to Magpie Mine, Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House. Eyam is famous for its self-quarantine in the 1665 plague and not much has changed since.
See the Saxon church, Celtic cross, the Riley graves, plague cottages and Eyam Hall.
Buxton has its own Crescent, Pump Room, Old Hall Hotel (1670), Opera House, Pavilion - all the things you'd expect from a Georgian spa. So does Matlock Bath, with its spectacular setting and down-at-heel air.
Don't miss Tissington, the district's most beautiful village, with handsome stone houses and Jacobean hall. Castleton is geared towards visitors with cafes, shops, caves, walking trails and accommodation.
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| | | Ride the Peak Rail | | Where's good for nightlife?
Bakewell has plenty of pubs including the Red Lion, Queen's Arms and Rutland Tavern. Buxton's Old Sun is a refurbished coaching inn with open fires, low beams, leather chesterfields and the like - also does good food.
In Eyam, head to the Miners Arms for well-kept ales. Castleton is full of cafes and pubs which buzz during the summer holiday season. Matlock and Matlock Bath have pubs and restaurants.
What's the food like?
For good Indian food in Derby, head south down Normanton Road for traditional fare at bargain prices. Also try the Olde Dolphin on Queen St.
In Bakewell try Renaissance or Scotties Bistro - both try to be more adventurous than many country restaurants, or go to Byways for olde-worlde charm including a roaring log fire.
In Buxton try Firenze for pizza, pasta and Mexican, or Columbine for pricier traditional English meals, The Coach House is a popular chippy, Coffee Bean Caf great for snacks and Malik Tandoori offers England's favourite dish - curry.
What should I buy?
Head to the Lathkill Dale Craft Centre in Over Haddon for craft shops and demonstrations of craft skills. At Pilsley buy herbs, pot pourri or lavender in the traditional Herb Garden.
At Ripley head to the Denby Pottery Visitor Centre, where you can see potters at work and buy pottery from the factory shop. In Derby tour the Royal Crown Derby bone china factory, then buy quality seconds at bargain prices.
Eyam Hall has a small craft centre in the stables. In Castleton and surrounds, buy some Blue John objects or jewellery.
What is there for children to do?
Gulliver's Kingdom & Royal Cave, Matlock Bath is a good family theme park. The National Tramway Museum at Matlock has more than 40 working horse-drawn, steam and electric trams.
Then there's the Peak Rail - from Darley Dale, via Matlock to Rowsley; the Museum of Childhood at Sudbury Hall, Sudbury; and Riber Castle Wildlife Park, Matlock with its lynx cats.
Matlock Bath Aquarium & Hologram. Underground trips include: The Poole's Cavern, Buxton, with amazing stalactites and stalagmites. The Blue John Mine in Castleton or the nearby Speedwell Cavern old lead mine with its half-mile underground boat trip. The Heights of Abraham Country Park is recommended as a family caving attraction.
Tourist office
Tourist Information Centre, Assembly Rooms, Market Place, Derby, DE1 3AH. Tel. 01332 255 802.
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| | Available rental properties in Derbyshire |
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