Derbyshire visitor information

An Introduction to Derbyshire

Derbyshire is located in the East Midlands and although it borders with Greater Manchester it is actually a fairly rural and historic area, containing parts of the Peak District National Park, the Pennines and the National Forest. There has been human activity in the area dating back to the Stone Age but it is from the Roman era that there is a lot of evidence, with forts throughout the county after they discovered the lead ore in the hills. After the industrial revolution there was a spate of stunning country houses being built or modified, many of which survive today as visitor attractions.

Things to do in Derbyshire

There are many historic houses and manors in the region including, Wingfield Manor, Sutton Scarsdale Hall, Chatsworth and Kedleston Hall. Also in the area is the Peak District mining Museum and the nearby Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire.

Getting to Derbyshire

By Car

It takes almost 3 hours to get to Derbyshire by road from London. The M18 is the only motorway running through the county, to the far east. The main roads in the county are the A6, A50, A515, A52 and A38

By Air

Derbyshire is served by the East Midlands Airport, Birmingham Airport and Manchester Airport that are linked into the county via train and bus.

By Train

East Midlands Trains, Cross Country trains, First and Northern are the main train operators which run direct from London.

By Coach and Bus

National Express runs daily express coach services to Derbyshire from many parts of the country including London, Yorkshire, the North-East of England, Yorkshire, South Wales and the south coast. The main Bus operators are Arriva and Trent Barton.