With its many steep hills and limestone gorges, grit escarpments and deep, dark caves, the Peak District may not jump out as the perfect destination for an accessible holiday. However, the Peaks are about much, much more than just… well, the Peaks. You’ll find plenty here to enjoy, whatever you’re into.
From what to see, how to get around and, crucially how to find great disabled holiday accommodation, this guide will help you to plan stress-free disabled access holidays in the beautiful Peak District.
Disabled friendly holidays in the Peak District
Centred in Derbyshire but extending into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Staffordshire for good measure, the Peak District covers a neat 555 square miles. So needless to say there’s plenty of ground to cover while you’re here.
Though remote, the Peak District has more than its fair share of reasonably sized towns, which means accessibility from outside the region is excellent. Fast trains will get you into accessible stations, including Buxton and Glossop, while local stops with step-free access include Hathersage and Bamford. Accessible bus services, including the pre-bookable Derbyshire Connect, are also available, helping those without cars or visitors looking to be a little greener to get around.
Why not opt for a stay in one of the Peak District’s many accessible hostels?
Why choose YHA for wheelchair friendly holidays?
Though access to holiday accommodation is improving all the time, as a disabled holiday maker we’ve little doubt that you’ve come across your fair share of stumbling blocks in the past. YHA, open to all, is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and as such is making moves to create accessible holiday accommodation in our hostels wherever possible.
Our properties offer guests:
- clear, in-depth accessibility statements: you’ll know exactly what you’re getting before you book, including knowing how your room will look, what bathroom facilities are like and even the route you’ll take from the street to your suite,
- friendly, helpful staff: our hostel teams will do what they can to make your stay simple. Need table service in our restaurant? No problem. Want to ensure a disabled parking bay is reserved for your arrival? We’ve got you covered. Need a hand with bags? We’re ready to help.
- great locations: not only are our hostels often in seriously spectacular historic buildings, many are situated in very easy reach of local amenities and/or must-see sights.
- affordability: with great locations, excellent service and amazing buildings you’d expect to pay a premium. However, our hostels are usually far more pocket friendly than hotels with equivalent amenities, even if you opt for an accessible private room with your own bathroom.
Read on for our guide to accessible YHA hostels in the Peak District below.
Wheelchair accessible holidays for outdoor explorers: YHA Castleton Losehill Hall
We don’t think that wheelchair travellers should have to miss out on all the great outdoors has to offer. Vital for the health and wellbeing of body, mind and soul, a good day out in the fresh air is a must for us all every now and again. And there are few places in the UK where the countryside is so inviting than the Peak District’s Hope Valley.
Located close to the town of Castleton and near Hope railway station with step-free access to the Manchester line (though not the Sheffield platform), YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is a gothic Victorian mansion with loads of character and two accessible en-suite rooms, one suitable for a hoist, provided by the hostel.
A stay here is ideal for exploring the countryside. You’re close to the Ladybower Reservoir and Derwent Dam where waterside access-for-all walks can be found. Castleton Peak is also accessible for wheelchairs and Peak Cavern – the largest cave entrance in Britain – offers a mobility friendly tour here too. After a day in the elements drop your belongings off in the accessible drying room and grab dinner in the restaurant where table service can be requested and special dietary requirements are catered for.
Wheelchair friendly breaks For adventurers: YHA Edale Activity Centre
Not too far from Castleton, you’ll find the YHA Edale Activity Centre. Surrounded by stunning views out to Mam Tor and the famed Kinder Plateau, this hostel is unlike most. Not only will you find comfortable and affordable accessible accommodation here but there’s also a wide range of diversity and inclusion activities on offer here too.
Groups visiting this friendly hostel are offered an exciting program of things to do, with a great many suitable for visitors with disabilities, including wheelchair users and those with behavioural difficulties. These activities include raft building, archery and a high ropes course. Abseiling, caving and canoeing are available too, giving disabled thrill seekers an opportunity to really test their limits in a controlled environment with the assistance of highly trained and friendly YHA staff.
Away from the centre, you’ll find numerous Miles Without Stiles trails, some challenging and some less so. You’re also not far from Derwent Bike Hire, an award-winning cycle hire stop offering access to Tramper mobility scooters. These all-terrain mobility scooters will make exploring the tougher trails of the Peaks easier with no risk of damage to your everyday wheels.
Disabled accessible holidays For readers and romantics: YHA Hathersage
If you’ve always fancied yourself the main character in a romantic novel head for YHA Hathersage. A glorious stone-built building that looks straight out of your favourite Jane Austen tale, this well-positioned hostel provides a number of ground floor rooms suitable for most disabled users and one accessible bedroom with en-suite.
From here you’re ideally placed to explore the countryside that inspired countless authors throughout history. In addition to seeing views that inspired Tennyson and Byron, you’re also able to immerse yourself in the countryside and towns that spoke to authors like Charlotte Bronte who, some believe based Jane Eyre’s Thornfield Hall on North Lees Hall and Morton on the vicarage here at Hathersage.
A visit to Bakewell is a must for lovers of literature too. Here you can dine at the accessible Rutland Arms where Jane Austen is believed to have stayed while writing Pride and Prejudice, turning Bakewell itself into Mrs Gardiner’s Lambton. Others authors inspired by the area include Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Johnson, Roald Dahl, D.H. Lawrence, George Eliot and Agatha Christie who spent many walking holidays here.
Accessible holidays For historians: YHA Hartington Hall
No Great British break is complete without a good dose of history and here in the Peak District you’ll find more than your fair share of historical sights, many of which are accessible to wheelchair users. Take a turn around Derwent Dam, a Miles Without Stiles route where you’ll be able to see where the WWII Dam Busters trained (and where the famed movie was filmed). You might also choose to visit the highly accessible Chatsworth House, one time home to Mitford sister Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire amongst many others.
Located in unspoilt Dovedale, YHA Hartington Hall is a bit of a historic monument all of its own. A 17th century manor house with parts dating back to 1350, this hostel lets you step back in time with its stained glass, oak panelled rooms and stone mullioned windows. But its not all old fashioned. Disabled guests are given access to ground floor bedrooms and a shared accessible shower room.
The village of Hartington itself is the historic home of Derbyshire cheesemaking and offers a slew of old stone cottages centred around an oft-photographed duck pond.
Accessible holidays for foodies and shoppers: YHA Ilam Hall
Is there any point to getting out into the countryside if you’re not going to sample a cream tea and browse an antiques shop or two? A stay at YHA Ilam Hall is ideal for Peak District visitors who can’t resist a scone. Not only is this breath-taking listed Gothic manor home to two spacious accessible bedrooms with en-suite facilities, it’s also situated on 84 acres of glorious National Trust land (with accessible facilities including a Changing Places room).
And we all know that the National Trust means tea rooms. Though access to the Manifold Tea Room itself isn’t possible for wheelchairs due to its historic nature, the staff will bring your choice of meal down to the comfortable Stableyard for an al fresco bite on a summer’s afternoon.
A little further afield, you’ll find the pretty town of Ashbourne with its numerous restaurants and pubs. Also home to many antique shops and independent outlets, a day can be happily spent here window shopping for that perfect piece to take home. Alternatively, pay a visit in May for the annual (mostly) accessible Buxton Antiques Fair or hop in the car and head for Bakewell to sample the original Bakewell tart.
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