Best Places to Visit in Derbyshire
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit in Derbyshire are Blue John Cavern, Ladybower Reservoir, Calver Weir, Winnats Pass, Padley Gorge, Lumsdale Waterfall, Dovedale Stepping Stones and Mam Tor.
Derbyshire packs an extraordinary variety of scenery into the heart of the Peak District, and this selection gathers eight of its finest spots for a day out. You can go underground at Blue John Cavern, where a rare banded stone is still worked, then climb the steep limestone cleft of Winnats Pass on foot or by bike.
Walkers are drawn to the ridge of Mam Tor and the mossy, tumbling woodland of Padley Gorge, while water lovers head for Ladybower Reservoir and its circular bellmouth spillways. History and industry meet at Calver Weir on the river below its old cotton mill, and at the ruined workings beside Lumsdale Waterfall.
For a classic riverside crossing, the Dovedale Stepping Stones lead into one of the county's best-loved dales. Some are easy strolls, others ask for stout boots and a head for steep ground, but each rewards the effort with a distinct slice of the county.
Whether you want caves, cascades, viewpoints or quiet corners of old mill country, there is something here for you. Here are eight places to visit across Derbyshire.
Blue John Cavern
Photo: Darren Haddock via Geograph.org.uk
Blue John Cavern sits on the western flank of Mam Tor, at the head of Winnats Pass near Castleton. It is one of only two places where the banded blue and purple ornamental stone known as Blue John is still worked, the other being nearby Treak Cliff Cavern.
Guided tours lead down a steep passage into natural chambers, passing the historic Blue John veins, and the cave holds a steady cool temperature all year. There is a gift shop on site, and it first opened to visitors around 1800.
Wrap up warm and seek out this underground corner of the Peak District.
Ladybower Reservoir
Photo: Chris Morgan via Geograph.org.uk
Ladybower Reservoir fills the floor of the Upper Derwent Valley, the lowest of three linked reservoirs below Howden and Derwent. A long grassed earth dam holds the water back, but the most talked-about feature is a pair of stone bellmouth spillways, big circular openings set into the water near the dam that swallow the overflow and turn into deep whirlpools when levels run high.
Built between 1935 and 1943, it flooded the villages of Ashopton and Derwent, whose remains sometimes reappear in a dry spell. Roads and trails run along both arms, used by walkers and cyclists, with a visitor centre at Fairholmes near the northern tip.
Seek it out after heavy rain to see the spillways in full flow.
Calver Weir
Photo: Peter Barr via Geograph.org.uk
Calver Weir is a large stone weir on the River Derwent at Calver. Built of local gritstone blocks, it steps the river in a broad curve, holding a calm reach above and sending the water down in a wide sheet below, beside the tall old cotton mill it was built to power.
The present weir dates from the eighteen-forties, and by the early two-thousands it was close to collapse before a local community project restored it, finishing around 2010. A fish pass now runs alongside, and the calm water is used informally by swimmers and paddlers.
Set in the wooded Derwent valley with the mill towering beside it, seek out this fine mix of river, industry and Peak District scenery.
Winnats Pass
Photo: JThomas via Geograph.org.uk
Winnats Pass is a steep, narrow limestone gorge just west of Castleton, where a single-track road climbs through a cleft between tall pinnacled crags. The road rises sharply over a mile or so and is a well-known test for cyclists, though walkers and drivers use it too.
The show caverns of the area lie at its foot, with Speedwell Cavern at the bottom and Treak Cliff, Peak and Blue John caverns nearby. The National Trust owns the pass, which sits within a protected limestone site.
Seek it out for one of the most dramatic short drives or climbs in the Peak District.
Padley Gorge
Photo: David Martin via Geograph.org.uk
Padley Gorge is a deep, wooded ravine near Grindleford, where Burbage Brook tumbles over gritstone boulders through old sessile oak and birch woodland. These mossy, dripping woods are among the furthest-inland temperate rainforest left in Britain and are protected as a special site, part of the National Trust's Longshaw estate.
A path follows the brook down the gorge and is busy at weekends, reached from Longshaw, from Grindleford station or its cafe. The wood is known for breeding birds such as pied flycatcher and wood warbler, while deer roam the wider estate.
Seek it out midweek for the quietest walk through this rare surviving woodland.
Lumsdale Waterfall
Photo: Kate Jewell via Geograph.org.uk
Lumsdale Waterfall is a run of cascades on the Bentley Brook in a steep, wooded gorge at Lumsdale, near Matlock, threading through a chain of ruined mills and millponds. The valley is a compact and important survival of water-powered industry, its buildings once used for smelting lead, crushing bone, bleaching and making textiles from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries.
It is cared for by the Arkwright Society and reached on a permissive path, with a short circular walk linking the falls, ponds and ruins. The whole site is a scheduled monument.
Seek it out after rain, when the cascades run at their fullest through the old workings.
Dovedale Stepping Stones
Photo: Keith Yardley via Geograph.org.uk
Dovedale Stepping Stones are a line of flat-topped limestone blocks crossing the River Dove at the southern entrance to Dovedale, at the foot of the conical hill of Thorpe Cloud between Thorpe and Ilam. They mark the start of the classic walk up the dale and lie about ten minutes from the National Trust car park, making them one of the busiest spots in the Peak District.
The stones date from the Victorian era and can be submerged when the river runs high. A footbridge nearby offers an alternative crossing.
Seek them out early in the day to beat the crowds to the water's edge.
Mam Tor
Photo: Eirian Evans via Geograph.org.uk
Mam Tor is a hill above Castleton, its summit ringed by the banks of a late Bronze Age and Iron Age hillfort. It stands at the western end of the Great Ridge, dividing the Hope Valley from Edale, and a paved path runs along the ridge with wide views on both sides.
It is known as the Shivering Mountain for the landslips that keep slipping off its unstable shale face, seen most clearly in the old main road on its eastern side, cracked and buckled and abandoned to the slow-moving ground. The hill rises to 517 metres and is in the care of the National Trust.
Seek it out for one of the finest ridge walks in the Peak District.
FAQs
What is the best place to visit in Derbyshire for caves?
Blue John Cavern near Castleton is a standout, one of only two places where the banded Blue John stone is still worked. Guided tours descend a steep passage into natural chambers, so wrap up warm for the steady cool temperature underground.
When is the best time to see the Ladybower spillways?
The stone bellmouth spillways at Ladybower Reservoir only overflow when water levels run high, turning into deep whirlpools. Visit after a long spell of heavy rain for the best chance of seeing them in action.
Are these Derbyshire places suitable for families?
Several spots, such as the Dovedale Stepping Stones and the trails around Ladybower Reservoir, suit an easy family outing. Others, like Winnats Pass and Mam Tor, involve steep ground, so choose according to your group and wear sturdy footwear.
Conclusion
From deep show caves to windswept ridges, Derbyshire rewards anyone willing to explore beyond the obvious. You could spend a morning underground at Blue John Cavern, then stretch your legs on the Great Ridge at Mam Tor or along the tumbling woodland of Padley Gorge.
Water runs through much of the county's story, whether at the bellmouth spillways of Ladybower Reservoir, the restored sweep of Calver Weir or the mill-side cascades of Lumsdale Waterfall. Add the steep drama of Winnats Pass and the well-loved Dovedale Stepping Stones, and you have a route through caves, cascades, viewpoints and old industry.
Some need only a short stroll, others a steady climb, but all sit firmly within the county. Pack sturdy footwear, check the weather and take your time, because these are the best places to visit in Derbyshire.
