Ashbourne

Royal Shrovetide Football happens here every year - grown men chasing a ball through the streets for eight hours straight. That's Ashbourne for you: proper mad in the best possible way.

This market town sits bang in the middle of the Peak District's southern limestone country, where the White Peak rolls into gentle farmland. The Georgian buildings along Church Street give it a refined air, but scratch the surface and you'll find a place that takes its traditions seriously. Very seriously indeed.

Dovedale lies just to the north, and it's absolutely rammed at weekends. Fair enough - the stepping stones across the River Dove are Instagram gold, and the walk up to Thorpe Cloud gives cracking views across the valley. Lover's Leap sounds romantic until you realise it's a 100-foot drop. The Twelve Apostles rock formations make for a proper walk if you can handle the crowds.

Reynard's Cave offers a bit of peace if you know where to look, while Jacob's Ladder tests the legs on the climb up from Dovedale. Tissington village, with its duck pond and well dressing traditions, sits a few miles southeast - lovely for a gentle afternoon poke about.

Getting here's straightforward enough. Derby's 20 minutes by car, and the A515 runs right through town. No railway station, mind - the Victorians closed it decades back. Parking in the centre can be a bit of a faff during tourist season.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You're right on the doorstep of some of the Peak District's finest walking country, but without the premium prices of staying in the national park proper. Carsington Water's close by for sailing and cycling, while the Tissington Trail runs old railway lines perfect for family bike rides.