Peak Mountaineering is based in the Hope Valley which is in the heart of the Peak District National Park. It is the perfect place for outdoor adventures. We hope you find our Hope Valley Guide useful for your visit.
The valley stretches from Castleton at the west end through to Hathersage in the east. It is only 6 miles long so you can happily choose any village as your base. If you are using public transport the bus runs all the way through the valley. For rail travellers the train stations in Hathersage, Bamford or Hope are perfectly placed.
We use different villages along the valley as the starting point for our courses depending on the course type. Wherever it is relevant we have linked our Hope Valley Guide to information on particular websites or other pages on our own site. Of course, if you have questions that aren’t answered in our Hope Valley Guide, we are always just at the end of a phone call or email.
Castleton
This is our home village and the venue for most of our first aid courses along with some corporate and bespoke events. Castleton is a very popular tourist village with all the amenities a visitor could need. It also has a range of attractions to fill your time if you decide to stay on after your course finishes or want something to do in the evening.
One of Castleton’s most famous attractions are the natural caverns. Close to the village there is the flooded passages of Speedwell Cavern which is visited by boat. Other good options include Peak Cavern. This is a huge cleft carving a path through the limestone hillside. Nearby is Treak Cliff which is famous for its supply of the unique Blue John Stone. Sitting atop the hillside above Castleton is the historic Peveril Castle.
For visitors wanting something more strenuous Castleton has plenty of options. Bring your bike and there are several great loops for both roadies and mountain bikers. We can give you specific Hope Valley Guide information on this). There are also loads of stunning evening walks. Top of the list would be a stroll up the impressive limestone valley of Cave Dale. Another option is an after dinner ascent of Mam Tor. This is a very popular venue and site of an Iron Age hill fort. A gentle evening stroll around Castleton’s quaint and rambling streets is also a pleasant after dinner activity.
Getting Here
If you are travelling by car Castleton is as easy to get to as anywhere in the valley. It is also served by the 272 bus that travels through the length of the valley from Sheffield. There is no train station in Castleton but Hope station is about 35 minutes walk away. If you are attending one of our courses we can collect you from the station if you let us know in advance.
Places to Stay
Castleton is packed with great B&B’s. Our accommodation guide which you will find on each course page should help. The campsite within easiest reach of the village is the friendly and peaceful Rowter Farm (although the options listed in the Hope section are only a 5 minute drive away).
Places to Eat
Castleton has a range of high quality pubs and restaurants and they all serve great food and real ales. Our top recommendations are 1530, the Bulls Head or the George Inn. Castleton also has a selection of other cafes and eateries. We even have a traditional sweet shop and some lovely places to get an energy boosting ice cream.
Other Facilities
There are public toilets in the centre of the village (next to the bus station), a well stocked post office and, directly opposite on the main road, a general store and bakery called Peveril Stores. There is also a large purpose built information centre with good displays on the history of the village. Next to the visitor centre there is also a large car park. Castleton also has a selection of small outdoor shops although they are generally focussed on walkers and don’t sell climbing equipment.
Hope
Hope is usually the starting point for our mountain biking courses and some corporate events. The village is based around the main road running through the Valley. It is well positioned if you want to stay centrally in the valley. Hope doesn’t have specific attractions like Castleton, but it has a good range of amenities and is a really pleasant place to spend a few days.
Getting Here
If you are travelling by car Hope is as easy to get to as anywhere throughout the valley. It also has a train station that is within easy walking distance of the village and is on the direct Manchester to Sheffield train line. This makes link ups with the south and various northern cities very easy. Hope is also served by the same 272 bus that travels through the length of the valley from Sheffield.
Places to Stay
Hope is again well served by B&B’s (see our accommodation guide linked to each course page). Just along the road (towards Sheffield) there is the large and popular Laneside Campsite. Just after you’ll come to another pub called the Travellers Rest and on the road just behind it is a popular farm campsite called Hardhurst Farm. Hope is also only a stones throw from Castleton Youth Hostel.
Places to Eat
In the centre of Hope there are a few well positioned cafes including Cafe Adventure and the Grasshopper Cafe. Right in the middle of the village is The Old Hall Pub which serves good food.
Other Facilities
Hope has a Spar shop on the main road which is open until 10pm. The main road also has a post office and a deli. There are public toilets by the large car park in the middle of the village and, if you’ve got too much energy after your course, the public park even has a free outdoor gym. If you need any biking spares or repairs during your stay Hope is also home to the long established cycling shop Eighteen Bikes.
Hathersage
All our Peak District climbing courses and many of our navigation courses meet in Hathersage. It is a large village that sits at the end of the Hope Valley. It is the gateway to many amazing gritstone crags. We couldn’t choose a better meeting point. The bulk of visitor amenities in Hathersage are based along the Main Road and there are also several things to see and do in the evening (in the unlikely event that your course hasn’t tired you out enough!).
At the top end of the main road there is the church where, it is said, Robin Hood’s right hand man Little John is buried. Robin Hood has other links to the area which continue at Stanage Edge where there are some caves Robin is said to have used as a hideout from the Sheriff of Nottingham’s men (we can easily give you a description of how to find them). Nearer to the village centre there is the chance for a pleasant evening stroll along the banks of the River Derwent or, if you’d rather get in the water, Hathersage has it’s own outdoor swimming pool. The pool is situated just behind Main Street.
Getting Here
Road transport to Hathersage is easy via either Sheffield, Chesterfield or from the Stockport direction. It also has a train station that is on the main Sheffield to Manchester line so travel from north or south by rail is simple. The bus route through the village is the same 272 service that visits the rest of the Hope Valley.
Places to Stay
Hathersage has a selection of B&Bs (see our accommodation guide linked to each course page). The village also has a youth hostel and, for those wanting to camp, it has a pleasant little campsite called North Lees that sits under Stanage Edge. North Lees is about 5 minutes drive from the village centre so it suits campers who don’t mind a drive. It is in a lovely location but is also small and fills up quickly. Be sure to book ahead.
Places to Eat
Hathersage has a few good cafes. The one above the Outside Shop serves good food in a pleasant environment. Further up the main road Coleman’s Deli is another popular choice. For a pre course coffee or breakfast the only place that opens in time is the Pool Cafe which is part of the swimming pool or, if you just want to grab a wake me up coffee after your journey, there is a petrol station in the centre of the village which has a decent self-service machine.
The village has a good selection of pubs with The Scotsman Pack and The Millstone recommended as places for a good meal and real ales at a reasonable price. Hathersage is also home to Sangams Indian Restaurant which is a firm favourite of many local outdoor people.
Other Facilities
In the centre of the village there is a petrol station with a well stocked shop and public toilets directly opposite. There is also a chemist on the main road. If you have forgotten an item of equipment for your course (or want to upgrade) there are plenty of shops in Hathersage to help. The long established independent Outside Shop is a large and well stocked equipment treasure trove.
We hope you find this Hope Valley Guide useful, but don’t forget that we are always here to help. Do feel free to contact us for more information on any aspect of our treasured valley. Please also check out our About Us page to find out more about why we love to call this place home.