An historic market town at the heart of the Peak District National Park, Bakewell sits in a lovely setting on the banks of the River Wye surrounded by spectacular countryside.
With mellow stone buildings, gardens and little courtyards the town offers a great place to base yourself for a few days or longer break.
From the surrounding rolling hills and limestone dales to the high heather clad moorlands, this is ideal countryside to explore slowly by bike. The town and villages have a wealth of cafes and pubs to refresh yourself on route and don’t forget a famous Bakewell Pudding or Tart to take home.
Bakewell’s former railway station, once a busy stop on the Midland Railway line between London and Manchester, is now a tranquil place to start a bike ride along the line, now known as the Monsal Trail.
With no traffic, just walkers, cyclists and the occasional horse rider, the sounds are mainly birdsong.
The town also boasts a wide range of outdoor clothing shops for walkers and cyclists to stock up, plus a popular Visitor Centre situated in the old market hall.
Click here to download your Cycling Around Bakewell guide, or scroll down to see the individual routes.
Following the routes
The five routes below offer you some of the best places to visit with stunning views, quiet lanes, minimal traffic and an abundance of cycle friendly places to stop for refreshments. All rides can start in the centre of Bakewell or on the outskirts at old Hassop Station where there is plentiful parking.
You can cycle them on a road, hybrid or mountain bike as they use quiet tarmac roads and a former railway line. Please take special care along any stretches of main road and at road crossings.
Click on a route below for the accompanying instructions and map. Each route is highlighted on the map with arrows showing the suggested way round and added directions at numbered points help with navigation. All distances are approximate.
It is also a good idea to have the OS Explorer Map 24 with you so that routes can be extended or shortened as required.
A project by Pedal Peak for Business
Pedal Peak for Business aimed to help SMEs to be more competitive and to grain a greater understanding of the cycle tourism market. The initiative was part of the £1.49 Million Growing the Visitor Economy in Derbyshire programme which was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2016 - 2019.