Buxton

The Staffordshire Moorlands reveal their wild heart around this tiny settlement, where limestone hills roll endlessly towards the horizon. Buxton sits in proper walking country - the kind where you'll find ancient burial mounds like the Wolfscote Hill bowl barrow tucked between dry stone walls and sheep pastures. It's remote enough that most folk drive straight past on their way to busier Peak District hotspots.

Wetton Hill looms to the east, offering cracking views across the White Peak once you've made the climb. The surrounding peaks - Wolfscote Hill, Narrowdale Hill, and Gratton Hill - create a landscape that's all about big skies and limestone grassland. This isn't chocolate-box pretty countryside; it's wilder, more austere, with that particular Pennine character that grows on you.

The Old Chapel provides the only real focal point in what's essentially a farming hamlet. Most visitors come for the walking, following ancient drove roads and field paths between the hilltops. It's brilliant country for anyone who fancies proper solitude - you can walk for hours without seeing another soul, just curlews and the odd red grouse.

Getting here means winding through narrow lanes from Ashbourne or Leek, both about 20 minutes by car. The nearest proper amenities are back in those market towns, so you'll want to stock up before venturing out. Several holiday parks dot the surrounding countryside, from basic farm campsites to more comfortable lodge retreats, making decent bases for exploring this quieter corner of the Peak District without the crowds that descend on places like Bakewell or Castleton.