A Day in Derbyshire

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Going to Derbyshire was everything I'd hoped and expected ... cows roaming through fields, panoramic views of open countryside and quirky coffee shops. Here are just some of the reasons why Derbyshire is a great place to visit if you're wanting to escape from the city!



I spent my time in a quite town called Matlock (and Matlock Bath), with its nearest city being Derby. This town is full of beautiful stone buildings, and holds tonnes of character with quirky independent shops. An open park sits by it's town centre, with water features and a skate park for kids. With the convenience of bigger stores also, including an M&S and Co-op, you have the convenience of being in a town without attracting too many crowds.

We decided to make use of the many cake and coffee shops in town, and eventually decided on 'The Madhatter', a fairly new and intimate cafe which serves afternoon tea, cakes and 'freakshakes', which are their famous dessert shakes. I was feeling less adventurous and went for the traditional tea and scone, which was freshly made and included clotted cornish cream and jam, beautiful!



Following a canal that runs along Matlock will take you to its sister town, Matlock Bath. This much smaller town is scattered with traditional fish and chip shops and arcades, and will take you only 10 minutes to walk through. Surprisingly, despite it's small size there's plenty to do to keep you occupied.

A drink at one of the few bars is one way, with lots of outdoor seating and beer gardens to enjoy the sun. Prices are much cheaper here too, of course, with some pints costing as little as £3. For those feeling adventurous, a trail up to Matlock Baths cliff's gives you an incredible view of Derbyshire's landscape, and will take a mere 30 mins to reach the top. One of my favourite activities was to boat paddle along the canal, which costs only £5 for an hour.

Accessibility here is fairly easy, there's even a train station located at Matlock town which you can get to from various local train stations in the surrounding area. As for hotels, The New Bath Hotel is a great spot, located just a 5 minute walk into Matlock Bath. There's also plenty of other near by towns or countryside spots if you're wanting to truly go somewhere remote!

#day_trips
#escape_the_city
#family
#food_wine
#long_weekend
#near_derby
%wnderby