Peak District National Park in Derbyshire UK Gorgeous Photos That Will Inspire You to Visit
The Little Hamlet of Miller's Dale
Millers Dale is a little hamlet on the edge of a beautiful picturesque part of Great Britain called the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire. Millers Dale is situated along the River Wye between Braxton and Tideswell, a bit off the beaten path.
A hamlet is of course a small settlement, or village, and a dale (over hill and dale) is a valley in case any of my readers are not familiar with these terms. Derbyshire is a county just like the counties we have in the U.S. Brits never put an apostrophe before the s in Millers Dale. These are just a few things that may help you better understand things that are different, as well as things that are similar in the UK, to how they are here in the states.
Incredible Scenery Everywhere You Look
Views To Be Seen In Peak District National Park
The Old Midland Railway
The photographs here were taken along Monsal Trail, which follows the River Wye and what used to be a section of an old train track that connected Manchester to London. The railway was closed down in 1968.
It is generally believed that the “Beaching Axe” closed the railroad down, but in fact it was closed by Barbara Castle, the Labor Minister for Transport at that time. The old Millers Dale train station still stands along the Monsal Trail. See a photo of it in this hub.
The “Beeching Axe” refers to Dr. Richard Beeching (Baron), a physicist and engineer who while serving as chairman of British Railways, was instrumental in closing many miles of railroad tracks in Britain in an effort to cut costs. Because he closed many tracks and stations he became known as the Beeching Axe, presumably for “axing,” or closing so many stations and tracks.
Some people believe it was a good thing when the tracks and train station along the River Wye stopped rolling because the area was being desecrated by all of the industrial growth, killing the natural beauty.
Historic Monsal Trail Once a Railway Track Is Now a Biking and Running or Walking Trail
Walkers, runners, and bikers are surrounded by breathtaking surroundings along Monsal Trail, as you can see from the magnificent photos. The trail is reported to be wheel chair friendly along most of the way.
Millers Dale got its name from the many watermills that once populated the area. Some historians believe there was probably a mill at Millers Dale even as long ago as during the time of the Norman Conquest (1066), although Millers Dale is not recorded in what is referred to as the Domesday Book. There is much more information about the many diverse watermills that used to be located in this area by clicking here.
According to info@peakdistrictonline.co.uk, Millers Dale and Monsal Dale used to have two large cotton mills, Cressbrook and Litton Mill, the latter famous not for its operations, but for its owner Ellis Needham, who was noted for the horrific conditions his workers -- “pauper children” endured. It is reported that many of the graves of the orphans employed at the Needham mill still remain in local churchyards near where the old Litton Mill used to operate.
There are rich limestone deposits all around the Peak’s District and quarry operators naturally increased their productivity when the railway was installed. Dozens of limekilns were built along the track but only 4 remain, reportedly blended into the landscape with time, since they have not operated for many years.
For several years the train track bed could not be followed because the tunnels that the railway tracks had passed through were not safe and so those tunnels were closed. Info@peakdistrictonline.co.uk reports that those tunnels like the one pictured in this article were reopened in 2011 after being made safe again at a cost of £3.85m pounds.
Spectacular Photos of the Peak District National Park and Surrounding Area
When I received these extraordinary photos from a good friend in Britain, I knew I had to get his permission to share them. I received that permission and I hope you will enjoy his photos as much as I do.
Short 2 Minute Video of Great Scenery
Comments
You're welcome.
Thank you for posting. This seems a wonderful place to visit. The pictures are great.
The North Americans know what they have! They are so canny about not batting on about the USA, because no one else has the "garden of earthly delights" that you have. To be born an American citizen is to win the lottery at the moment of conception and have nine months preparation to join the "greatest show on Earth." I was privileged to spend eight years there and it was such an unforgettable experience and so tempting were the joys on offer, I am afraid I blotted my copy-book and could not stay on after 1983. I miss the US every day and some of the friends I made there...It's the lucky country despite the gun violence and drugs, etc., a situation that saddens me deeply...too many people there are abusing this great land. Bob
No, no mean bugs, but maybe a horny old Brit hiding behind a bush and waiting for an easily captured Texas visitor!
R x
The Peak District National Park country-side is just beautiful. I would love to hike or stole along some of those trails and enjoy the wonders of nature and critters that are around. Lovely photo tour.
Wishing to see some natural beauty again in a part of the world that I have never personally visited made me wish to view these beautiful photos in your hub once again. Sharing once again so that more people can enjoy it as well. The Peak District National Park is a beauty!
I live in Millers Dale, and yes, you are absolutely correct it is divine. You can stay in our Barn if you would like to visit. Wonderful article. www.milnehouse.co.uk
Beautiful, I have to come back to look at this beautiful place every once in a while, we have such greedy developers who would destroy all the beauty just to feed their greed.
Shyron
Absolutely beautiful. I just saw like this one from my television. Wow...I hope I can see this place in person someday. Thanks for writing and sharing with us. Voted up!
Beautiful sceneries Au fait. I'd love to go there and take it all in!
People who are new to this site may not have seen the beauty of these photos so will once again happily share. There may be some who wish to add this gorgeous national park to their bucket list if ever crossing over to that part of the world.
beautiful photos. beautiful article.
I am going to create a new board titled United Kingdom and pin this there. Also Google+ and sharing it one again. I truly loved reading this hub!
Such beautiful pictures! Wouldn't it be perfect if we could go for a stroll in such a beautiful place without dying from the heat or being carried away by giant insects -- or an alligator.
Voted up, beautiful, awesome, and sharing with my followers.
Re an old comment, train tracks do much less damage to the countryside than do freeways, or motorways as we call them. Our wonderful rail system was just to good to be true and Beeching should be dug up once a year and made to sit on the M25 when the traffic is backed up for 20 miles without his tea!
Au fait, I had to send the link to this to my friend Jane, who is from the UK, hope it does not make her homesick.
Voted up, UABI and shared.
I love the pictures Au fait, they are so majestic, beautiful and breathtaking.
Voted up, ABI and shared and pinned to Amazing HubPages.
Thought I would stop by share and tweet this hub. It's a beautiful hub.
This was such an interesting and beautiful travel article on Peak District National Park in Derbyshire UK. The images are amazing! Thank you for sharing. (Voted Up) -Rose
Going to share this fabulous hub again with my followers and also tweet it. Am sure that many people would love visiting this national park in person someday if they are ever in that part of the world. I know that I certainly would enjoy it!
I've been to London, but never to this park. I would love to go see it. Your photos are amazing! I'm sharing this to my Board - Favorite Places and Spaces. Voted Up as beautiful!
Au fait, this is such a beautiful display of the English countryside, voted Awesome, beautiful and interesting and I will share with my followers and any way that I can.
Sorry I have not been on here all day, I had to go for an EKG for my up coming surgery Friday, yes this Coming Friday. I don't have any idea what impact this will have on my writing and any.
I'm going to try and pin this to my travel board. My pin wasn't working yesterday. It's a place I would like to visit someday.
Photos are really beautiful and the place looks like it is from a fairy tale.
Really enjoyed the hub and the photos.
Voted up and shared
Wonderful article and I love your photos. I am pinning this to my board: Favorite Places and Spaces. I'm sure my followers will enjoy it, too!
I never get enough looking at such beautiful pictures, even if they are so far away and I will never see them in person. I can still admire them here and appreciate the beauty of nature.
Voted Up BAI and shared.
This fabulous hub should never be idled! Going to pin this and hopefully you'll get more traffic. Would love to see more of England via your friend's photos + your research.
these are picture postcard pictures, just beautiful.
Wow, these certainly are stunning photographs. You have clearly highlighted the beauty of the area. I would love to see it in person.
These pictures are so beautiful, they are almost like painting.
Voting you up and awesome!
Truly extravagant place and the photos are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing such beauty.
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous photos. You're right; I do want to visit there now!
Great hub!
Yes the pictures are to die for, makes a person long to live in a place like that.
Awesome hub and beautiful pictures. I can't believe I missed this one!
Peak District was one of my favorite places in England!
Very informative and entertaining read Au fait. The photos are stunningly beautiful with nature at her best.
Voting this up/useful/beautiful and sharing and pinning.
I am very inspired to visit! Now I have a reason to save my pennies from HP! :) Beautiful work, Au fait!!!
If your friend is always sending gorgeous photos from England, perhaps he will allow you to write more hubs? Friends of ours let me use their photos after visiting Mackinac Island and I ended up writing several hubs. My grandparents had been there and I have always wanted to visit it. After researching and writing the hubs...it is the next best thing to being there in person. Am sure you felt the same after writing about the Peaks District National Park in Derbyshire.
Happy New Year! :)
What a beautiful place! Very interesting information and your friend did a wonderful job taking pictures. This would be a beautiful and interesting place to visit some day! Voting up, beautiful and interesting! Have a wonderful day! :)
Oh my gosh...this is such magnificent scenery! Thanks to your friend and his photos along with your research, I now am acquainted with the Peaks District National Park. Each and every one of the videos were worth the time to watch. All up votes except funny and will share and tweet this hub happily.
So beautiful! What incredible countryside and architecture. Thank you for a wonderful tour.
Hi what a wonderful article! Yes, I also like Brits! I live in Chile, but British is my home nationality. Never visited a lot in Britain, just around Liverpool, but this is so beautiful! Voted UABI and will share and pn, etc.
Your friend takes beautiful pictures. Makes me wish I could be there in the park right now. Well done.
Speaking of photos these are gorgeous. The countryside is breathtaking and your friend did a great job of capturing the beauty.
Your background of the area is very interesting. We have old kilns near our house as well and they have left behind some nice elements to the scenery.
Voted up, awesome and interesting.
That is one of the most beautiful photo journals I have seen on Hubpages. This looks like the setting of a movie. Looks like a wonderful place. Sharing and pinning!
What gorgeous pictures! I'd get on a plane and go there right now if I could! So glad I clicked on this.
Great pictures! I hope to make it to Great Britain one day so I can see this amazing scenery in person. Voted up!
Nice Misty. We have one of the old railway tracks a few hundred yards from my house - the Flitchway - and I often go for walks along it...
Nice photos...
You seem to like Brits!
Bob
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