Bamford is a mill village, situated under the hillside underneath Bamford Edge and above the River Derwent. There are some lovely little nooks and crannies and the river and is particularly pretty around the millpool, just above the mill itself. There is a very impressive weir which can be admired from the footbridge near the mill, which carries the public footpath across to the South bank. Lady Bower reservoir is 3 km away and at the bottom end of the village, there is the railway station, which conveniently links Bamford with both Manchester and Sheffield. Bamford Edge is a fine grit stone edge which overlooks the village and is a very fine view of Ladybower.

Bradwell has an interesting collection of old cottages and was once an important centre for lead mining. The charms aren’t noticeable from those just passing through, but well hidden as the main part of the village clings to a steep hillside above the main road and can hardly be seen. Engineering, quarrying and ice cream making are all important here, Bradwell’s home-made dairy ice cream in the centre of the village is sold to retailers and very sought-after.

Bretton is a quiet hamlet hike up on a grit stone ridge which rears up steeply above the limestone plateau. The view is spectacular and it said that on a clear day you can see for 30 miles. The ridge used to be the original turnpike road from Sheffield and Grindleford to Buxton and an ancient packhorse way from Eyam to Hathersage passed nearby. The pub is very popular, The Barrel, which is dated 1597. Bretton Clough is great walking and offers fantastic 360° views of the area of the Peak District from the radio masted summit of William Hill. 

Calver stands on the River Derwent to the east of the main village at Calver Bridge.  Calver Mill operated from 1785 to 1920 and is an impressive seven storey cotton spinning mill which is now turned into gorgeous apartments. The centre of the village is to the west of the main road and is clustered around the Derwent Water Arms. There is a really fantastic craft shop with lovely cafe and a little art Gallery. Calver Sough is to the north of the village near the traffic lights where the Bakewell to Grindleford Road crosses the A623. It has  pub, petrol station/shop and a branch of the outdoor equipment shop, Outside which also has a Cafe.

Eyam is the notorious plague village which was hit very badly in 1666 by the bubonic plague. There’s a fantastic Hall there to visit with adjacent craft workshops and also the museum, which tells the story of how the community put themselves into involuntary quarantine to save spreading the disease to other villages. It is full of character and there are lots of interesting plaques commemorating the dead and telling stories of survivors of the plague.

Castleton is a chocolate box village famous for its Christmas illuminations. Home to four show caverns which are famous for their production of Blue John, the mineral is only found in this area of the Peak District. There are some fantastic pubs, cafes and gift shops offering unique gifts to take home to loved ones. Winnatt’s Pass is a natural gorge cut out of the limestone, and Peveril Castle sits high up on the hillside and is certainly worth a visit, particularly if you have children.

Foolow is a very picturesque village clustered around a village green with an ancient cross and duckpond. The pond is fed by natural springs and a cross dates back to mediaeval times, although the base is more recent and has a bull baiting ring attached to it. There aren’t any shops but there is a pub, the Bulls Head, which is extremely popular for walkers. Many of the houses date back from the 17th century.