All the best spots in the Peak District to reconnect with nature after your brat summer

Breaking the hearts of millions, Charli XCX herself proclaimed earlier this month that brat summer is over. And after a few weeks of denial, it’s time to admit that she’s right. Not in the least because it can’t be brat summer if it’s not summer.

And if your brat boy or brat girl summer has been especially brat, you may be in need of a recharge. What better way to do that than by reconnecting with nature? If you’re coming to Sheffield this September, there’s no better place. Sheffield is one of Europe’s greenest cities anyway, but with the Peak District right next door, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

To help you decide where exactly to go in the Peak District, here’s a rundown of all the best spots in the Peak District to reconnect with nature after a brat summer.

Kinder Scout

via Google Maps

Kinder Scout is a moor, and its highest point is the highest point in the entire Peak District. So if you’re looking to purge your brat summer sins, a self-flagellatory hike to the highest point, which sits at over 2,000 feet above sea level, might be the choice for you.

From Kinder Scout’s western edge, you can see as far Manchester, and, on a clear day, as far as Snowdonia in Wales.

Mam Tor

via Google Maps

Mam Tor is one of the most popular spots in the Peak District for a reason – it’s absolutely beautiful.

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With that in mind, you might want to be careful not to go at too busy a time. You’re doing this to escape your brat summer club antics, not to be reminded of packed dance floors when you’re stuck in a throng of walkers and ramblers.

“Mam tor” means “mother hill” so even as we move out of brat summer, Charli XCX would approve.

Derwent Reservoir and Howden Dam

via YouTube

No, Derwent and Howden aren’t just the names of Sheffield’s two best halls (no bias detected) – they’re the name of a reservoir and a dam.

As well as lending their names to two blocks in Endcliffe village, Derwent Reservoir and Howden Dam have some gorgeous views, and, some very cool history.

If you’ve seen the iconic film Dambusters – you’ll recognise the dam as the German dam in the Ruhr Valley that 617 squadron attacked with their bouncing bomb in 1943. Howden Dam was used as a stand in for the Ruhr Valley dams in the film, and, before that, was the location that the real life Dambusters used to practice for their daring raid.

Bleaklow B29 crash site

via Google Maps

In 1948 an American B29 bomber crashed into the moor at Bleaklow. The crash site has since been left almost entirely untouched, turning the site into a poignant memorial to the bomber’s crew, and to those who’ve died in the 150 plane crashes that have happened in the Peak District since the dawn of aviation.

Stanage Edge

via Google Maps

Another Peak District location that gave its name to an Endcliffe accommodation block, Stanage Edge marks the official boundary between Sheffield and the Peak District.

It’s also another one for history fans with ancient cairns running along the top and a cave that has been long associated with Robin Hood, creatively called Robin Hood’s Cave. And the views aren’t too bad either.

Hardwick Hall

via Google Maps

Hardwick Hall lies to the south of Sheffield, in the Derbyshire Peak District.

This one comes with my personal recommendation as it’s my favourite place in the Peak District, and one of my favourite places full stop. I visited it when I first came to Sheffield, having been fascinated for years by the Tudor woman who built it, Bess of Hardwick, after reading a historical novel about her life (so brat, I know).

It sits in bucolic surroundings, and the nearby pub does an impressive lunch if you’re hungry. It’s also been used as a film location, for example, it was used as Malfoy Manor in Harry Potter, and it also featured as a stand in for Hampton Court Palace in Mary Queen of Scots, starring Margot Robbie and Saiorse Ronan.

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