This year, the Stagecoach Peak Sightseer has revised and expanded its routes, offering even more opportunities to explore the beautiful Peak District. My daughter and I recently spent a delightful day experiencing the updated service. If you love open-top buses, breathtaking views, charming cafes, historic castles, and delicious ice cream, join us as we share our adventure and provide helpful tips for your journey.
Updated Routes: Blue and Red
The Stagecoach Peak Sightseer now offers two routes on a single ticket, making it easier and more flexible to explore the Peak District. The service operates as a hop-on hop-off bus, with ticket options available for single-day, two-day, and family travel.
Blue Route Highlights
The Blue Route travels between Chatsworth House and Blue John Cavern, with stops at:
- Chatsworth House: A grand stately home with exquisite gardens, rich art collections, and captivating history, offering a glimpse into aristocratic life.
- Baslow Nether End: A charming village.
- Calver Sough: A scenic village gateway to Curbar, offering beautiful walking trails to Curbar Edge with stunning panoramic views of the Peak District.
- Grindleford: Known for the enchanting Padley Gorge and the expansive Longshaw Estate, ideal for nature walks and exploring historic woodlands.
- Hathersage: Features an open-air swimming pool and serves as a base for hiking to Stanage Edge, offering dramatic gritstone escarpments and breathtaking views.
- Bamford: A starting point for walks to Bamford Edge and Ladybower Reservoir.
- Hope: A charming village that serves as a starting point for hikes to Lose Hill.
- Castleton: A picturesque village known for the historic Peveril Castle, offering visitors a glimpse into medieval history and breathtaking views of the surrounding Peak District.
- Blue John Cavern: A famous cave system rich with Blue John stone, serving as a gateway to hiking Mam Tor for its dramatic landscapes and panoramic Peak District views.
Red Route Highlights
The Red Route travels in a loop with stops at:
- Chatsworth House: A grand stately home with exquisite gardens, rich art collections, and captivating history, offering a glimpse into aristocratic life.
- Pilsley: Known for the Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop.
- Hassop Station: A historic railway station turned café, serving as a popular starting point for hiking and cycling along the scenic Monsal Trail, bike hire is available.
- Bakewell: Stop at Bakewell Road for the town center.
- Ashford in the Water: A picturesque village known for its historic sheep wash bridge and charming stone cottages, offering a glimpse into traditional English countryside life.
Our Adventure
With a day to spend together, my daughter and I packed some sandwiches and set off to explore the Blue Route. We caught the morning bus from Chesterfield Railway Station and headed towards Castleton. The elevated view from the top of the bus provided stunning vistas of the national park.
Our first stop was Blue John Cavern, where we walked along the old road that has been closed to traffic since the ’70s. We passed Oldens Mine, Treak Cliff Cavern, and Speedwell Cavern before enjoying lunch at the café in the visitor center. We then visited Peveril Castle, an English Heritage site that gives Castleton its name. Built in 1086 by William Peverel, a loyal knight of William the Conqueror, the castle is perched on a hill, providing breathtaking views of the Hope Valley and the surrounding lands. Castleton grew around the base of the castle.
Previously, we have visited the Show Caves of Castleton, which are well worth a visit. Castleton is famous for its stunning show caves, each offering a unique underground experience:
- Blue John Cavern: Known for its deposits of Blue John stone, a rare and beautiful form of fluorite.
- Speedwell Cavern: Offers a unique underground boat ride through a flooded tunnel to the Bottomless Pit.
- Treak Cliff Cavern: Both a working mine and a show cave, famous for its Blue John stone.
- Peak Cavern: Also known as the Devil’s Arse, it has one of the largest natural cave entrances in Britain and features impressive chambers and a rich history.
Also well worth a visit is the scenic Winnats Pass, which the bus drives along and the old road which is slipping down the hillside.
After exploring the castle, we caught the next bus to Surprise View, where we enjoyed ice cream and amazing views across the Peak District. Surprise View is a popular viewpoint offering spectacular panoramic views across the Hope Valley, with its patchwork of fields, woodlands, and rolling hills. From there, we headed to the Longshaw Estate, walked through Padley Gorge with its picturesque wooded valley and bubbling brook, and visited the kitchen gardens at the visitor center. Longshaw Estate is a stunning area of moorland, woodland, and parkland managed by the National Trust. It covers over 1,600 acres and scope for different of outdoor activities, including walking and birdwatching. As the day came to an end, we made our way back to Chatsworth and then home, feeling satisfied with our adventure.
Tips and Ideas for Your Visit
The Stagecoach Peak Sightseer routes offer plenty of options for linear walks, which are difficult to do if you drive and park at a car park. Here are some ideas for your visit:
Blue Route Walks
- Blue John to Lose Hill: Walk along the Great Ridge including climbing Mantor, with options to rejoin the bus route somewhere along the Hope Valley.
- Bridge Inn near Calver: Head along the Derwent River to Froggatt and back to Calver Cross Road. You can also use the 65 bus to Bakewell from Calver Cross Roads, included in your ticket, connecting to the Red Route.
Red Route Walks
- Ashford in the Water to Monsal Head: Look at the viaduct before heading along the Monsal Trail to Hassop Station for food at the café.
- Bakewell to Chatsworth: For the more adventurous, walk over the hill to Chatsworth, or use the hop-on hop-off bus to return to Chatsworth and then explore the Blue Route.
The updated Stagecoach Peak Sightseer routes offer a fantastic way to explore the Peak District. With beautiful landscapes, historic sites, and plenty of walking options, this service is perfect for a sustainable and enjoyable adventure. Pack your sandwiches, hop on the bus, and discover the beauty of the Peak District with your loved ones this summer.
Additional Information
- Notable Stops: Chatsworth House, Hassop Station, Castleton, Blue John Cavern, and more.
- Ticket Options: Single-day, two-day, and family tickets available.
- Morning Buses: Available from both Sheffield and Chesterfield railway stations.
- Useful links: Things to do, Track your bus https:/linktr.ee/peaksightseer
- Download the Peak Sightseer Timetable
Enjoy your journey and happy exploring!
For those who are interested in what my experience were on the old route last year here is the post:
