Bakewell is a beautiful town in the centre of the Peak District. It has a busy shopping centre and a weekly market and catle market (every Monday). It is the ideal location from which to explore all the best atractions and sites of the area - most of which are less than 30 minutes away by car.

Chatsworth House (about 10 minutes drive) is one of the finest stately homes in Britain. Set in a magnificent park full of sheep and deer, it looks hugely impressive and has fabulous gardens. Parts of the recent film 'Pride and Prejudice' were filmed here.

Haddon Hall (3 minutes drive) is a well-preserved medeival manor house, and is a historical and architectural gem. Parts of 'Jane Eyre' were filmed here recently.

Monsal Head (5 minutes drive) is one of the most famous viewpoints of the area, with a fabulous view down Monsal Dale. It is also an ideal starting point for a walk along the Monsal Trail.

Castleton (20 minutes drive) has the ruins of a medieval castle, plus four fantastic showcaves - Peak Cavern, Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern. It is also a god place to shop for gifts - many of the shops selling items made from the locally mined 'Blue John stone' and has a great display of lights at Christmas.

Other place within easy reach include the spa towns of Buxton and Matlock. Buxton has some fine spa-town architecture, almost the equal of Bath, and an annual Opera and Music Festival. Matlock and Matlock Bath have a range of attractions, including the Heights of Abraham, Gulliver's Kingdom (a theme park) and a Lead Mining Museum.

For kids, a visit to the Chestnut Centre (near Chapel-en-le-Frith) is a must - they have a range of wildlife including otter and owls, set in a lovely park.

The Peak District is an ideal centre for walking and cycling. Monsal Dale, Dovedale, Lathkill Dale, Kinder Scout, Stanage Edge and Froggatt/Curbar edges are all excellent places for a walk. For cycling there are a several former railway tracks which have been converted into cycling trails.

More dangerous sports such as rock-climbing, pot-holing and hang-gliding are also popular in the Peak District, which offers lots of opportunities for these sports. It is also possible to book hot-air balloon rides over the area.

How to find us: From the centre of Bakewell take the A6 road towards Haddon Hall and Matlock. Everton is 400 metres from the centre, just after the Murco garage and opposite the park entrance.

All text and photos © Everton B & B and Cressbrook Multimedia