Longstone Edge

The walk up to Longstone Edge takes about twenty minutes from the car park near Bakewell, and it's steep enough to make your calves complain but not so brutal that you'll regret it halfway. What you get at the top is a proper limestone ridge with views that stretch across the White Peak - you can see right across to Chatsworth and beyond on a clear day. The edge itself is dramatic: sheer drops on one side, moorland rolling away on the other. It's the kind of spot where the wind catches you by surprise and you suddenly understand why people get excited about walking in Derbyshire.

This is walker territory, no question about it. Families with younger kids might find the steep approach a bit much, and there's nowhere to sit and have a picnic that feels particularly comfortable - it's all windswept rocks and grass. But if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites - Dale Farm is closest at less than a mile away, or Chatsworth Park if you want something bigger - it's a cracking addition to a day out in the Peak. The whole outing takes a couple of hours maximum.

The walk itself is free, obviously. Go midweek if you can; weekends get busier than they should for somewhere this exposed. Spring and early autumn are best - summer can be sticky on the climb, and winter turns it into a proper scramble if there's any ice about. It's not a destination in itself, but it's absolutely worth doing if you're based nearby. The views make the effort worthwhile.