Things to do in Bakewell town centre
Bakewell is a proper market town of honey-coloured stone, little courtyards and independent shops. Give yourselves a morning to stroll the streets before anyone reaches for the car keys. The places you'll want to see all sit within a few minutes' walk of each other.
Come on a Monday for market day
Bakewell's Monday market spreads across two sites in the centre. You'll find outdoor stalls selling bread, flowers, wool, toys and hot food to eat as you browse. It's a fun way to round off a long weekend before the drive home. Over the river at the Agricultural Business Centre there's a livestock market on Mondays too.
Here on the last Saturday of the month? The farmers' market is a great place to stock up for a big dinner back at the house. Have a look at the Bakewell market details on Visit Peak District before you go.
Market day is the town's busiest. If your group is coming in several cars, arrive early or share lifts so nobody spends the morning hunting for a space.
Cross the old bridge
The five-arched bridge over the Wye has stood here for around seven hundred years and Historic England lists it at Grade I. It makes a beautiful spot for a group photo, with the old stone town rising behind you. Then wander the riverside path for an easy first stretch of the legs.
Head up to All Saints Church
All Saints Church looks down over the rooftops and is Grade I listed too. Its churchyard holds carved Saxon cross shafts that were already old when the Normans arrived. It's uphill from the centre, so take it gently if some of your party prefer the flat.
Step inside the Old House Museum
Bakewell Old House Museum is the town's oldest standing home, built in the reign of Henry VIII as a tithe house where tax was gathered. You can still see the Tudor wattle and daub in the walls.
Kids can follow one of the trails to earn a pin badge, which keeps younger members of the group happy as the adults take their time. The Old House Museum opens from spring to early November, so check the dates before you travel.
Bakewell pudding or Bakewell tart?
Ask for a tart in town and someone will kindly put you right. The Bakewell pudding is the local original, with jam baked under a golden egg and almond filling in a puff pastry case. Legend says a local cook made it by mistake in the nineteenth century. It's still a popular story in town.
Several bakeries and cake shops sell it now, including The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop with its tea room upstairs for lunch or afternoon tea. The iced cherry Bakewell tart most of us grew up with is a different thing altogether (and every bit as good with a cuppa).
Buying for a crowd? Pick up a whole pudding to take back to the house and warm it through for dessert. It saves queuing for a table for ten.
Visit Haddon Hall and Chatsworth
Two of England's great houses sit a short drive from town, so you could pick one for each day of a long weekend.
Haddon Hall is about two miles south on the A6. This medieval manor house has hardly changed for centuries and it's still the private home of Lord and Lady Edward Manners. Walk through the banqueting hall to the Elizabethan long gallery and you may recognise rooms from several Jane Eyre adaptations.
Dogs aren't allowed in the hall, gardens or grounds (assistance dogs aside). So if your group travels with a dog, someone can take it along the footpath opposite while the rest go in. The Haddon Hall visitor page has the current opening times. In winter it closes for normal visits but hosts Mercatum, its Christmas artisan market, with tickets booked ahead.
Chatsworth has been home to the Cavendish family since the fifteen-fifties. Think dozens of grand rooms, a huge garden with fountains and sculpture, a farmyard and an adventure playground. It's a whole day out for a mixed group of all ages. At Christmas the house is dressed for the season and parking for the Christmas market has to be booked in advance.
Timing your trip for the festive season? Have a look at the best Derbyshire Christmas markets for groups before you settle on your dates, as you'll need a ticket for most of the big ones.
Things to do near Bakewell
Most of the big days out around Bakewell are only minutes away by car. These real drive times from the centre will help you plan who goes where. Sort them to find the closest places to visit or the ones to save for a wet day.
| Place | Why go | Drive from Bakewell (minutes) | Miles | Good on a wet day? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haddon Hall | Medieval manor house and gardens | 4 | 1.7 | Yes, the hall |
| Hassop Station | Café and bike hire on the Monsal Trail | 4 | 1.8 | Partly, the café |
| Ashford-in-the-Water | Pretty village on the Wye for a short stroll | 4 | 1.9 | No |
| Over Haddon | Car park for walks into Lathkill Dale | 5 | 2.0 | No |
| Thornbridge Hall | Gardens near Ashford-in-the-Water | 5 | 2.5 | No |
| Monsal Head | View down over the railway viaduct | 6 | 3.2 | No |
| Chatsworth House | Stately home, garden, farmyard and playground | 12 | 4.5 | Yes, the house |
| Eyam | The village that shut itself away from the plague | 13 | 6.6 | Partly, the church |
| Castleton | Show caves under the hills | 22 | 13.1 | Yes, the caves |
Everything on this list is close enough for a half day out in the area. Pair a short drive with lunch back in Bakewell and nobody has to spend the whole day in the car, which the kids will thank you for.
Eyam makes a moving short trip. In the plague of the sixteen-sixties the villagers cut themselves off from the outside world to stop it spreading.
Castleton is a good plan when the weather turns, with guided tours through its show caves.
Walk or cycle the Monsal Trail
The Monsal Trail follows the old Midland Railway line out of Bakewell for about eight and a half miles, through lit tunnels and over viaducts above the Wye. It's a traffic-free gravel path, which makes it a great day for a group with mixed fitness. Keen cyclists can push on to the far end as others stroll a mile or two and turn back.
No bikes? Hassop Station, a few minutes north of town, hires them all year (electric bikes included) with helmets and locks thrown in. Its café makes a handy meeting point. From there it's a pleasant ride out to Monsal Head, where you can enjoy views over the viaduct with a slice of cake.
Lathkill Dale for walkers
For a quieter walk, Lathkill Dale is a limestone valley in the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve and it's open all year. Start from the car park at Over Haddon. Come in early summer and look out for Jacob's ladder in flower and dippers bobbing on the river.
Make Bakewell work for a big group
Bakewell is easy for two and takes a little more planning for twelve. These small things make the biggest difference.
- Book dinner in town ahead, especially at weekends. A long table is much easier to get with notice.
- Share lifts. Town car parks get busy on market day and sunny weekends, so fewer cars means less circling.
- Split the day. Walkers can head for the trail as others browse the shops, then everyone meets up for afternoon tea.
- Check opening times. The big houses and the town museum keep seasonal hours, so look them up before you set off.
- Plan for the dog. If you're visiting Haddon Hall, agree who'll take it for a walk outside.
Is Bakewell worth visiting in winter?
It is, as long as you plan around the season. Haddon Hall and the town museum close for normal visits from late autumn. The short days also leave less time on the trails.
But the pubs feel cosier and Christmas at Chatsworth runs on into January. Haddon's Mercatum market fills the hall with crafts in the run-up to Christmas too. Tickets for both are booked ahead, so get them as soon as your dates are fixed. Want the town at its most festive? Time your trip for the Bakewell Christmas market weekend and book the house early.
The honest downside all year round is the crowds. Bakewell is one of the busiest towns in the Peak District, so summer weekends and bank holidays can be slow going. Arrive early or come midweek and it feels like a different place.
Where to stay near Bakewell
Staying close means you can walk into town for dinner and leave the cars at home. Some of our large houses sit on the edge of Bakewell, a short walk from the centre. Others are spread through the villages around it, from Over Haddon and Stoney Middleton to Tideswell and Hartington, all within about eight miles.
You'll find homes that sleep from seven to thirty-four, many with open fires, room for the dog and a pub nearby. A few even have a pool for wet afternoons. Browse our group cottages in Bakewell to stay in Bakewell itself, or look at our large houses to rent in Derbyshire for a bigger crowd. Coming for Christmas? Our large Christmas cottages in Derbyshire put you close to the markets. Or simply browse every big house on Derbyshire Group Cottages and pick the one that suits your group.
Questions people ask
What is Bakewell famous for?
Bakewell is best known for the Bakewell pudding, its Monday market and the old five-arched bridge over the River Wye. It's also the biggest town in the Peak District National Park, with Haddon Hall and Chatsworth close by.
What day is Bakewell market?
The stall market runs on Mondays, from 9am to 4pm, on Market Place and Granby Road. There's a livestock market on Mondays too and a farmers' market on the last Saturday of the month at the Agricultural Business Centre. Check the dates before you travel.
What's the difference between a Bakewell pudding and a Bakewell tart?
The Bakewell pudding is the local original, with jam under an egg and almond filling in a puff pastry case. The Bakewell tart is the more familiar iced version. You'll find both in town but the pudding is the one locals are proud of.
What is there to do near Bakewell?
Haddon Hall and Hassop Station on the Monsal Trail are only a few minutes' drive away. Chatsworth, Lathkill Dale, Monsal Head and the village of Eyam are all close too, with Castleton's show caves a little further.
Is Bakewell worth visiting?
Yes. It's a small town that's easy to explore on foot, with good food, old buildings and plenty of popular days out in the Peak District right on the doorstep. Most are only minutes away by car. Come midweek if you can, as weekends get busy.
How long do you need in Bakewell?
A day is enough for the town itself, its market and a pudding. Stay for a long weekend and you can add Haddon Hall, Chatsworth and a ride on the Monsal Trail without rushing.
