Biggin

Biggin has very little accommodation of its own, which is part of its appeal for those wanting a genuinely quiet base in the Peak District. The village's standout option is Biggin Hall, a Grade II* listed 17th-century farmhouse set in eight acres of grounds, sensitively renovated into a small country house hotel with a restaurant and restored mullioned windows — a good choice for a comfortable stay close to the dales without needing to travel into a larger town. Beyond the hall, most visitors base themselves in nearby Hartington, two miles away, which has a wider spread of B&Bs, guesthouses and holiday cottages, along with shops, a duck pond and easy access to Dovedale. Ashbourne, around nine miles south, offers a larger choice of hotels and inns along with more shops and restaurants, making it a practical base for exploring the whole southern White Peak, including Tissington, Ilam and the Manifold Valley. Self-catering cottages are dotted throughout the surrounding villages and farms, popular with walkers and cyclists using the Tissington Trail, which passes within easy reach of Biggin. Wherever you stay, the appeal of this part of Derbyshire is the same: limestone dales, quiet lanes and some of the best short and long-distance walking in the Peak District, with Biggin itself serving as a peaceful, low-key gateway rather than a destination with extensive facilities of its own. Booking ahead is worthwhile in summer, when the dales and trails are at their busiest and rooms in the smaller villages fill quickly.

Biggin's appeal is almost entirely about getting outdoors, with some of the Peak District's best-known dales within easy reach.

• Biggin Dale — a National Nature Reserve running from the village down to the River Dove, notable for its limestone flora and intermittent stream.
• Tissington Trail — a 13-mile traffic-free trail along the old Buxton to Ashbourne railway, ideal for walking, cycling and horse riding.
• Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale — riverside walks along the Dove, linking through to the better-known Dovedale further south.
• Hartington — a handsome village two miles away with a duck pond, cheese shop and further access to Dovedale and the Dove valley.
• Tissington village — a well-preserved estate village a short drive south, famous for its well dressings and Tissington Hall.

The Waterloo Inn is the village's own pub, a traditional stone-flagged inn with open fires in winter, serving as the natural focal point for walkers coming off the dales. Biggin Hall's restaurant offers a more formal dining option for guests and visitors. For a wider choice, Hartington's cafes, pubs and its well-known cheese shop are only a couple of miles away.

Biggin sits right on the edge of some of the best walking country in the Peak District, with Biggin Dale, Wolfscote Dale and the Tissington Trail all within easy reach, making it an appealing area for a camping trip even though the village itself has only one small site. The Waterloo Inn, the village pub, has a 20-pitch site for caravans and camping directly behind it, giving campers the rare advantage of a proper pub on the doorstep after a day on the dales. As with anywhere in England, wild camping without the landowner's permission is illegal, so sticking to established sites such as this, or the wider network of campsites around Hartington and Ashbourne, is essential.

The limestone terrain around Biggin is typically dry underfoot compared with the gritstone moors further north, though the dales themselves can flood briefly after heavy rain when their underground streams surface. Late spring through early autumn is the best window for camping here, when the ground is driest, the days are longest and Biggin Dale's wildflowers are at their peak; the Peak District's weather is changeable at any time of year, so it pays to come prepared for rain regardless of season. For those who prefer a roof over their heads without giving up the outdoor feel, glamping options including shepherd's huts and pods can be found in the villages around Hartington and further afield in the Manifold Valley, offering a more comfortable alternative within a short drive of Biggin. Whichever way you choose to stay, the reward is the same: quiet, uncrowded access to some of the White Peak's finest dales, right from your tent or pitch.