Peak Connection Guides cover bus routes across the Peak District & Derbyshire and are available as downloadable pdfs using the links below.
For more information email peak.connections@peakdistrict.gov.uk.
Chatsworth
There's so much to see and do for all ages at Chatsworth... and improved bus services now take you direct to the entrance.
Chatsworth was recently voted the UK's favourite stately home and it's easy to see why – inside the house, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire's home has one of Europe's finest private collections of treasures, while the gardens and parkland are stunning throughout the seasons.
Younger visitors love to see the animals in the working farmyard and the woodland adventure playground is a real draw, too. The Chatsworth Peak Connections Guide has details of what's on offer, together with information on public transport links and discount entry vouchers for visitors arriving by bus.
Download Chatsworth Peak Connections Guide (627Kb pdf)
Hop on and explore the Peak District as a family
Let younger members of the family meet Bruce the Bus and Tess the train in this delightfully illustrated leaflet aimed at children.
In the leaflet are lots of ideas of places to visit as a family, some with sample bus routes and times. In the centre is a map showing showing key bus routes so why not plan a family day out using the information and websites featured.
Many of the featured attractions offer discounted entry for visitors arriving by bus simply show your bus ticket accompanied by the relevant voucher.
Children, why not have a go at the word search, all the words to find are linked with green transport. There is a free gift and prize draw for correct answers and for younger children you can have a go at spotting Bruce the Bus and Tess the Train hidden on the pages of the leaflet.
Download Hop On and Explore as a Family leaflet (2 Mb pdf)
Macclesfield, Buxton and Bakewell (Bus 58)
Castleton and Edale, Hope Valley (Bus 260)
Upper Derwent Valley – Park & Ride (Bus 222)
The Upper Derwent Valley is home to the spectacular reservoirs of Ladybower, Derwent and Howden dams, an area popular with walkers and cyclists.
It is world renowned as the location where RAF 617 squadron 'Dambusters' practiced their daring mission on the Ruhr valley in Germany and where Dr Barnes Wallis' famous 'bouncing bombs' were tested.
Located in the tower of the Derwent Valley dam is a museum which houses a collection of memorabilia dedicated not only to the dam raids but also to their construction, detailing the stories of tin town and the sacrificed villages lost under the waters of the dams.
Bus 222, operating on weekends and Bank Holiday Mondays, offers a range of opportunities when visiting the area. You can enjoy a trip along the banks of the dams to see areas which are closed to traffic on summer weekends, or simply use the bus as a means of exploring different areas on foot by hopping on or off and walking the rest!
Download the Park and Ride Peak Connections Guide (224 Kb pdf)
Sheffield to the Peak District - Travel South Yorkshire
From Sheffield City centre into the heart of the Peak District, three hourly bus services, the 218 to Bakewell, the 214/215 to Matlock and the 272 to the Hope Valley and Castleton take you through the wonderful scenery of the Peak District and Derbyshire.
Explore Bakewell - home of the Bakewell Pudding. Monday is market day, including the thriving cattle market. There are also lots of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants to enjoy. Enjoy a walk by the river Wye. Upstream is one of the oldest bridges in England, accessible by a pleasant walk through Scott's garden meadows, and downstream leads to the park and children's play area.
Castleton has been a popular tourist destination for hundreds of years thanks to its stunning location and unique attractions. Visit the Norman Peveril Castle with amazing views or wander around the picturesque village and visit the many shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants. Castleton is renowned for its four limestone show caves - Treak Cliff, Blue John, Peak and Speedwell, the latter being visited on an underground boat!
Chatsworth House is a magnificent house full of great works of art in the most superb of settings. Outside, the gardens of Capability Brown and James Paine complement the grandeur of the house with dancing fountains, woodlands and parklands. For children there is the farmyard and adventure playground - exciting places to visit at any time. The 1000 acre park is open throughout the year, and entry is free - great for walks and picnics.
The elegant spa town of Buxton is home to the Pavilion Gardens and Conservatory, the Crescent and magnificent Opera House. Why not explore the depths of Poole's Cavern or the heights of the tree tops with Go Ape, a high-wire forest adventure fun for team building or groups? Wander around the refurbished Victorian shopping arcades, sample Buxton spring water at St. Anne's Well, or try a more conventional beverage in one of the many cafes or pubs in town.
Hard copies are available from Travel South Yorkshire information centres.
Download Sheffield to the Peak District Peak Connections Guide
Sheffield to Hathersage, Stanage bus (Bus 284)
City-based walkers, climbers and cyclists can forget the car and take a bus to the glorious Peak District around Stanage Edge every Sunday and Bank Holiday until mid-October - for only £2 return.
“It saves the need to find a parking space on busy weekends, and with fares capped at £2 return. Using the bus reduces congestion, it means fewer cars spoiling the views, and it saves on climate-warming carbon emissions.”
The Service 284 bio-diesel bus leaves Sheffield Interchange at 8.30am, 10.30am, 2.25pm and 4.25pm, and for train passengers from Manchester, it leaves Hathersage rail station an hour later in each case.
It takes in the major access points for Burbage Valley, Higger Tor and Stanage Edge, as well as Hathersage centre, picking up at Ringinglow and all stops in and out of Sheffield. It is run by Sheffield Community Transport using a fully-accessible bus, with space for a couple of bikes and climbing equipment.
The environmentally-friendly, low-cost service is running 12 weeks longer than last year, and the timetable has been improved after consultation with climbers and walkers through the Stanage Forum. It means the first bus from Sheffield departs half an hour earlier than last year for those keen to get an early start on the Edge.
And an earlier first bus from Hathersage station (9.30am) means that people coming by train from Manchester have just enough time to buy breakfast before getting the bus up the hill to Stanage.
The service is subsidised by the South Yorkshire Transport Executive, the British Mountaineering Council’s Access and Conservation Trust, High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership and the Peak District National Park Authority.
Download Sheffield to Hathersage, Stanage bus Peak Connections Guide (152Kb pdf)
Peak Connections to Kedleston Hall, Derby
