Hope

Hope offers a genuinely varied range of places to stay for a village of its size, reflecting its popularity as a walking and caving base in the Hope Valley. On the edge of the village, Losehill House is a 4-star spa hotel with valley views, restaurant and treatment rooms, ideal for a more indulgent long weekend after a day on the hills. In the village centre, the Old Hall Hotel and the Cheshire Cheese Inn both offer traditional coaching-inn rooms above characterful, low-beamed bars – simple, comfortable and about as central as it gets, with breakfast and an evening meal a few steps from your door. Beyond the pubs, a scattering of B&Bs, guest houses and self-catering cottages sit along Hope's lanes and in the surrounding hamlets, many run by locals with detailed knowledge of the best routes up Win Hill, Lose Hill or over to Edale.

Because Hope sits on the Hope Valley railway line, it also works well as a car-free base: you can arrive by train from Manchester or Sheffield and reach most accommodation on foot from the station. For anyone wanting a slightly quieter alternative to Castleton's busier hotel scene, Hope offers much the same access to the show caves, Peveril Castle and the Great Ridge, but with a more residential, workaday village atmosphere once the day-trippers have moved on. Booking ahead is strongly advised for weekends between spring and autumn, and essential during the Hope Show in late August, when the village fills up with visitors and exhibitors alike.

Hope's real draw is what surrounds it – some of the finest walking and underground scenery in the Peak District is within a few minutes' walk of the village.

• Win Hill – A steep but rewarding climb to a rocky, 463-metre summit above Ladybower Reservoir, with panoramic views across the Hope Valley, Kinder Scout and the Derwent moors.
• Lose Hill and the Great Ridge – Win Hill's legendary rival summit, and the start of the classic Great Ridge walk on to Mam Tor and Castleton, taking in some of the Peak District's most photographed scenery.
• Castleton's show caves – A short walk or drive away, Peak Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Treak Cliff Cavern and Blue John Cavern offer everything from an underground boat ride to the chance to see the semi-precious Blue John stone in situ.
• Peveril Castle – The ruined 12th-century Norman keep above Castleton, built shortly after the Conquest and giving sweeping views back over the Hope Valley.
• Winnats Pass – A dramatic limestone gorge on the old packhorse route out of Castleton, flanked by steep, craggy hillsides.
• Kinder Scout – The Peak District's highest point and the site of the 1932 mass trespass, reachable via Edale a few miles up the valley.
• Hope Cement Works Visitor Centre – A less obvious stop, but a genuine look at the industrial heritage that still shapes the valley today.
• Hope Show – If your visit coincides with late August, the village's long-running agricultural show is a proper slice of Peak District rural life.

Hope punches above its weight for a village of its size. The Woodroffe Arms and the Cheshire Cheese Inn are both traditional Peak District pubs serving cask ale and home-cooked food, while the Old Hall Hotel, a 16th-century coaching inn on the main street, combines a pub, restaurant and tea room under one roof. A handful of cafes and a village bakery cater for walkers refuelling before or after a day on the hills, though for a wider choice of restaurants most visitors head the short distance into Castleton or Hathersage.

Hope Valley is prime Peak District camping country, and the village itself has long been home to a well-established campsite right in the heart of the settlement, within easy walking distance of the pubs, shops and the railway station – handy if you're arriving without a car. Pitches typically sit in a level field with views up towards Lose Hill and Win Hill, and it's the kind of straightforward, no-frills site that suits walkers and cavers wanting an early start on the surrounding hills rather than a resort-style stay.

As with anywhere in England, wild camping on open land around Hope is not legal without the landowner's permission – unlike Scotland, there is no general right to camp on unenclosed moorland here, and rangers do patrol popular spots such as the Great Ridge and Kinder Scout plateau. Stick to the village campsite or one of the other established sites dotted around the wider Hope Valley and Edale, several of which allow campfires and have good facilities for washing muddy boots after a day on Win Hill or the Great Ridge.

The terrain around Hope is a mix of gentle valley pasture and steep, exposed gritstone and limestone hillside, so exposure and weather can change quickly even in summer – conditions on Win Hill's summit or up towards Kinder Scout can be markedly harsher than in the sheltered village below. Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable window for camping, with drier ground and longer daylight for reaching pitches after a walk; winter camping is possible on the valley-floor sites but demands proper cold-weather kit. For those who'd rather skip the tent altogether, a handful of nearby glamping operators offer pods, yurts and shepherd's huts with valley views, giving a softer way to enjoy the same scenery without pitching your own canvas.