Castleton in the Derbyshire Peak District

Castleton Accommodation and Tourist Information Guide

Castleton is an outstandingly pretty village situated at the head of the lovely Vale of Hope, in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District National Park. Castleton is surrounded on 3 sides by steep hills and the mighty bulk of Mam Tor looms high, 2 miles to the north west of the village. On a hill, overlooking Castleton, is the ancient Peveril Castle.

The Celts were the first peple to settle in the Castleton area. On Mamtor, also known as the shivering mountain, are the remains of a Celtic hill fort on summit, an enclosure of 16 acres at an altitude of 1700ft. The Celts were displaced by the Romans who started mining the rich lead viens, bringing prosperity to the area. Shortly after 1066, William the Conquerer started building castles all over the country and the one at Castleton was given to his son,William Peveril in 1086, and so became Peveril Castle. The keep was added later, in 1176. It never saw battle and was occupied as a dwelling until 1480. The village grew up under the protection of the castle.

Castleton has 4 underground show caves, all worth a visit, for their own interesting features. These are Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern and Peak Cavern.

Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff contain the treasured, pretty blue and yellow fluorspar called Blue John. It was first mined at Treak Cliff and by 1770, 16 mines were extracting the stone and selling it to several firms in Derbyshire who turned it into ornaments, vases, clocks and jewellry. Blue John is only found in this area of Britain, andsmall pieces of the mineral are still plentiful, large pieces are now rare.

Peak Cavern is the source of the village river, Peakshole Water and as such it is the only Cavern that has to be closed during the winter due to flooding. In the mouth of the cave, the largest in Britain, rope makers use to live and work. Their cottages have been demolished but 'rope walks' are still to be found. The show cave is only part of a much larger cave system which attracts cavers from all over the world.

Speedwell Cavern is special because the main workings and its 'bottomless pit' can only be reached by boat along an underground canal.

Oak Apple Day, the 29th May, has been celebrated as Castleton Garland Day for many a year. It is a time of considerable pageantry with people dressing in Stuart fashions and choosing a King and a Queen for the day. They lead a procession through the village, the King covered in a great cone of flowers. Girls dance and everyone welcomes in the summer.

Aside from the castle, some of the older buildings in the village are the Castle Hotel, one of 6 pubs, dating back to the 17th century and Castleton Hall, a fine 17th house, now a Youth Hostel.

St Edmunds Church may originally have been a garrison church to the castle. It has a broad Norman Chancel Arch, Perp west tower, ashlar faced with diagonal buttresses, battlements and eight pinnacles. It was heavily restored in 1837 when the aisle was removed. It contains some excellently preserved Box pews from the 17th century with dates on.

Castleton has a lot to offer visitors in terms of interest and history and has always attracted many visitors.

Castleton Visitor Centre
Castle Street
Castleton
Hope Valley
Derbyshire S33 8WG
Tel: 01433 620679
Email castleton@peakdistrict-npa.gov.uk

Opening times:
Easter until 31 October 9:30am - 5:30pm
1 November until Easter 10:00am - 5:00pm
Castleton visitor centre is situated at the very heart of the village. The centre houses a fascinating museum as well as a full range of tourist information services.

Castleton information centre services include accommodation bookings, local theatre bookings, brochures, up to date information on events, attractions and the Peak District National Park.

Contains changing displays in the exhibition room, which shows off the talents of local artists, photographers and crafts people.

BBC weather for the Hope Valley

See also Edale

Castleton main attractions information at a glance

Peveril Castle
Market Place, Castleton, Hope Valley, S33 8WQ Carol Clemett: English Heritage Tel/Fax: 01433 620613
Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk
The impressive remains of one of England's first Norman Castles with spectacular views across the Peak District. Historically themed gift shop at admission point.

Peak Cavern
Peak cavern Walk, Castleton, Hope Valley, S33 8WS Tel: 01433 620285
Website: www.devilsarse.com

A spectacular cavern containing historic ropeworks inside Britain's largest cave entrance. Come and discover why it is called "The Devil's Arse!".

Speedwell Cavern
Winnats Pass, Castleton, Hope Valley, S33 8WA Tel: 01433 620512 Fax: 01433 621888
Website: www.speedwellcavern.co.uk

After descending 105 steps the visitor takes an underground boat ride through this fantastic 18th century lead mine visiting the world-renowned bottomless pit.

Treak Cliff Cavern
Buxton Road, Castleton ,Hope Valley, S33 8WP Tel: 01433 620571 Fax: 01433 620519
Website: www.bluejohnstone.com

An underground wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites, minerals and fossils. Home of Blue John Stone. Special events, polish your own Blue John and Carols by Candlelight.

Accommodation in Castleton

Four Seasons B&B Guest House - Four Seasons B&B is a recently renovated Victorian House with large, bright rooms with great views fitted to a high standard and decorated in a modern style. We pride ourselves on providing a warm and friendly atmosphere in a fantastic setting. Our rooms have either King-size, Double or Single beds and we have a number of family rooms that can sleep up to two adults and two children, along with rooms that can comfortably and easily sleep three adults in separate beds. Read more at Four Seasons B&B Guest House

Bulls Head Inn - The Bull's Head is a family run inn offering excellent food and drink and comfortable Bed & Breakfast accommodation in Castleton, Derbyshire, in the heart of the Peak District National Park. We offer a warm welcome in comfortable surroundings. We have recently undergone a major refurbishment, but still retaining traditional features. Relax on our leather settees, or dine in front of our open log fires during the winter months. Read more at Bulls Head Inn

Swiss House B&B - Swiss House bed and breakfast is a brilliant base from which to explore the Peak District. Plenty of parking, a drying room, a guest lounge, excellent food, extremely high level of cleanliness and service all combine to make your stay the best ever. All our rooms are en-suite and have colour TV with teletext, hot drink facility, hair dryer and radio alarm. Some rooms even have a DVD player. Read more at Swiss House Guest House

Grange Holiday Cottage at Castleton - Grange Cottage is a 17th century cottage which has been considerably refurbished and extended. It has a welcoming lounge with beams, wooden floors, and a wood-burning stove set into a traditional fireplace. Doors from the hall and the lounge lead through to a very spacious and fully-equipped dining kitchen with antique pine-panelled units, granite worktops and a stone floor. Read more at Grange Holiday Cottage at Castleton

Old Workshop Cottage - The Old Workshop is a self-catering holiday cottage situated in the centre of the village of Castleton, Hope Valley, in the heart of the Peak District National Park. The cottage has two en-suite double bedrooms and sleeps up to 4 people. One of the double beds can be made into twin beds, if required. Both bedrooms are on the ground floor. Read more at Old Workshop Cottage

For more accommodation in Castleton try

Castleton Accommodation or Peak District Accommodation

See Castleton Garland Day 2007 for photographs from Castleton Garland Day 2007

For Peak District information try Peak District Holiday Guide - Peak District Accommodation, Activities and Attractions

Perveril Castle: 1904 postcard
Peak Cavern: 1904 postcard

Photographs from Castleton at Derbyshire and Peak District Photographs