Alderwasley is a very small village just a mile from the Derwent Valley Heritage site where there are lots of walks and fantastic views from the hilltops. The church is Victorian and there is one pub with real ale and food in the village. Three more can be found locally at Belper Lane end, Whatstandwell and one towards Wirksworth. Holiday accommodation here means having a choice between camping and caravanning, as well a self catering cottages and the horseriding is particularly good for this area.

Wirksworth Heritage Centre is a visitor centre and shows numerous exhibition and hands-on experiences as to how the town and surrounding area has evolved over the last 2000 years. The story of Wirksworth encompasses the history of the town from prehistoric times to the modern day. Quarrying and the manufacturer of tape became the principal occupations which have only recently died out. Discover George Eliot connection with Wirksworth as one of the settings of the famous novel, and Adam Bede. See the living conditions of the quarrymen and listen to his story and find out why the mills in this area manufactured miles and miles of red tape.

The National Stone Centre is 3 miles away and admission is on the edge of the Peak District National Park, a dramatic 50 acre site revealing a tropical seascape 300 million news old, which is absolutely free. The discovery Centre includes the Story Of Stone Exhibition, which details the history of stone on the Earth’s origin to the present-day. Refreshments are available in the cafe and there is also a fabulous rock and mineral shop. Activities for the public include gem panning and fossil rubbing and other groups by appointment, there are guided trails, rocks, minerals and soils to discover as well as fossil casting and quarry visits. See the Millennium Wall which is a unique outdoor exhibit of dry stone walling from around Great Britain. The site is suitable for children aged five years and upwards and there are disabled facilities.

Crich Tramway Museum allows the visitor to ride through history on vintage trams from all over the world. They run every few minutes to take you through Period Street beneath the elegant bridge and to open countryside with views that take your breath away. Explore technology and experience  the past by tasting the romantic, they say, with over 30,000 ft.² of indoor attractions to explore. Dogs are welcome on leads and their staff are trained in assisting people who are deaf or hard of hearing as well as facilities for the blind, wheelchair access to all visitor facilities and a specially adapted tram to lift and carry people in wheelchairs.

Arkwright Mill at Cromford is run by the Arkwright society and creates a living celebration of Sir Richard Arkwright’s impact with the construction of the world’s first successful waterpowered cotton spinning mill at Cromford in 1771.