Ashbourne

Every Thursday morning, the weekly market transforms this ancient market town into something properly lively. Ashbourne sits at the very edge of the Peak District, where the limestone hills start their proper climb towards the moors. The town itself feels like a place that knows its worth - handsome Georgian buildings line the streets, and the famous Shrovetide Football match each February shows this is somewhere that takes tradition seriously.

Carsington Water dominates the surrounding landscape. This massive reservoir, just a few miles northeast, draws families for sailing, cycling, and walking the five-mile perimeter trail. The Carsington Water Visitor Centre makes a decent starting point for exploring the area, while The RSPB shop stocks everything you need for wildlife watching around the water's edge.

Getting here couldn't be easier. The A515 runs straight through town, connecting Ashbourne to Derby in 20 minutes and Buxton in half an hour. Regular buses serve both routes too, though having a car opens up the proper Peak District villages scattered across the hills.

Staying at one of the holiday parks around here makes perfect sense. Ashbourne Heights Holiday Park and Hoe Grange Holidays both put you within easy reach of the water activities, while places like Sandybrook Lodges offer a more secluded base. The town's shops and pubs are walkable from most sites, and you're bang in the middle of hiking country. Head west and you're into proper hill walking territory within minutes.

Beyond the reservoir, the countryside rolls away in every direction. Stone walls criss-cross green fields, and villages like Brailsford - where All Saints' Church dates back centuries - dot the landscape. It's farming country, but farming country that knows it's on the doorstep of some of England's finest walking.