Tideswell Dale Cave

You'll find this limestone cave tucked into the Dale just outside Buxton, and it's the sort of place that rewards a proper scramble to get inside. Tideswell Dale Cave isn't a tourist attraction with paved walkways and gift shops - it's a genuine caving experience that demands a bit of effort and doesn't mind if you get muddy.

The cave itself is modest in size but atmospheric. You're crawling through narrow passages, ducking under low rock, feeling the weight of the Peak District above you. It's absolutely brilliant for anyone who fancies themselves a bit adventurous without needing to abseil into a gorge. History types will appreciate that it's been formed over millennia by water working through the limestone.

Family groups with older kids will get the most from this. Younger ones might find the tight squeezes intimidating, and it's not somewhere to take anyone with claustrophobia. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how thorough you are and whether you're photographing everything.

Access is free, though you'll want proper footwear and a torch - bring a decent one, not your phone light. The walk down into the Dale is pleasant enough, and there's good scrambling about the valley floor before you reach the cave entrance.

If you're based at Beech Croft Farm or Knotlow Farm just down the road, this makes a cracking half-day adventure between longer walks. Buxton itself is close enough for an evening out if the weather turns.