Britain has 15 National Parks – special protected areas of the British countryside that give access to nature and wildlife and are often culturally and hostorically unique. Each one is different, and comparing them can be hard, but life is short, right? If you were considering a trip to one of the most popular National Parks and could only visit one, how would you choose? Well, we're here to help. We've been visiting (and road-testing) two of Britain's best-known National Parks – The Lake District and the Peak District – so you can make an informed decision.
What's Best for Scenery?
The Lake District is well-known for its dramatic landscape of high peaks – including England's highest, Scafell Pike – and steep, glaciated valleys, interspersed with the sixteen or so lakes and numerous smaller bodies of water ('tarns') that give the park its name. It's home to a more rugged terrain than the Peak District, which is more about rolling green hills and wild moorland than dramatic mountains, although it too has its share of stark peaks and dramatic rock formations. The Southern Lakes around Windermere and Ambleside is perhaps the most visited part of the Lake District, while the Northern Lakes of Ullswater, Derwentwater and Buttermere are a bit more peaceful. The Peak District divides between the rugged moorland of the so-called Dark Peak in the north, and the gentler limestone valleys of the southern White Peak. Interestingly, The Peak District was Britain's first designated National Park, opened in 1951, partly in response to the famous 'Mass Trespass' on the highest point in the Peaks, Kinder Scout, in 1932, when walkers groups protested for the 'right to roam'.
What's Best for Outdoor Activities?
Both regions are extremely popular with outdoors enthusiasts, but each region has distinct advantages. Basically The Lake District is the perfect place for those seeking challenging outdoor adventures and also water-based activities, whereas the Peak District is a bit accessible and hosts a wider across a wider range of outdoor activities. The Lake District offers mountain hikes up classic routes like Helvellyn, scrambling and rock-climbing, as well as water-based activities like kayaking, paddleboarding and wild swimming. The Peak District is is a little more family-friendly, generally more suited to gentler, long-distance hikes across more forgiving terrain, along with more inclusive activities like horse-riding and cycling, with.a good network of cycle and bridle paths . At the more extreme end of the scale, it's particularly popular with cycling enthusiasts who come here for classic routes the High Peak trail and Monsal trail, rock-climbing on sheer rock faces like Stanage Edge or Mam Tor, and exploring cave systems like Speedwell Cavern.
What's Best for Sights and Attractions?
Both the Lake District and Peak District national parks are stacked full of sights and attractions, which is partly what makes them so popular. Of course, most people come for the landscapes and scenery, and the outdoor activities that they afford, but the Peak District in particular is home to some of Britain's most historic stately homes and museums, not least Chatsworth, which has to be England's most magnificent country house, with a valuable art collection and stunning grounds that have featured in numerous TV series, most famously 'Pride & Prejudice'. Consider also a visit to Haddon Hall, which is one of the country's oldest medieval manor houses and has similarly beautiful gardens, though on a much smaller scale than Chatsworth. As England's largest national park, The Lake District is similarly well provides for when it comes to things to do and see, but it offers fewer larger estates and more intimate and often literary attractions, like Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in Ambleside, where the poet lived with his sister Dorothy, and the iconic children's author Beatrix Potter's home at Hill Top Farm, which has been preserved just as she left it, with all her personal items and furniture. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this is probably The Lakes' most visited attraction, along with the the more commercial World of Beatrix Potter, with visitors from all over the world.
What's Best for Pubs and Inns?
Both regions have excellent pubs and inns, but they differ slightly in character and distribution. The Peak District has a larger number of pubs and inns and they are more evenly spread throughout the region. Most are easily accessed by walkers and cyclists, and they are generally less crowded than the more touristy watering-holes of the Lakes. The Peaks are full of cosy, typically English village pubs, inckuding some you can at like The Pilsey Inn and Beeley Inn on the Chatsworth estate. Having said that, The Lake District is home to some of England's most iconic, historic and often spectacularly located pubs, these days serving excellent food, including a handful of pubs that have long been patronised by walkers and outdoors types, like the Wasdale Head Inn and Kirkstile Inn.
What's Best for Hotels and Places to Stay?
Both the Peak District and The Lake District are well used to welcoming tourists, and as such both are home to a terrific array of hotesl and places to stay, But there are some notable differences. The Lake District probably has the best variety of places to stay: hotels in spectacular settings, often right by the water; cosy historic inns and contemporary boutique hotels, including in particular some genuinely luxurious hotels and country houses that wouldn't be out of place anywhere. The Peak District, on the other hand, has more cosy pubs and B&Bs – for example Sheriff Lodge – farm stays and accommodation for large groups and probably fewer top-noitch hotels (though there are some honourable exceptions like The Cavendish and Losehill House), and overall it's that much cheaper as a result. Both areas have lots of glamping properties, including luxury glamping, cabins and lodge accommodation, like Once Upon a Fell in The Lakes and Hoe Grange Glamping in The Peaks. In summary, The Peak District tends to offer better value and more consistent availability, especially during peak season, whereas The Lakes is more glamorous, with more luxury properties – like Storrs Hall , Another Place The Lake and The Brimstone Hotel – and more properties with spectacular settings, for which you will probably pay more and have to book further in advance.
Conclusion
Whether you decide to visit the Peak District or The Lake District, you definitely won't regret it: both areas are among England's most beautiful and memorable regions and offer something to everyone. The best choice for you will depend on what kind of experience you are looking for: The Lake District is perhaps the more 'extreme' of the two, with more dramatic scenery and classic high-adrenaline mountain activities, and it's also home to a bigger range of high-end and luxury accommodation. The Peak District is a slightly gentler option, with gorgeous rolling countryside and a wide array of activities that are easy to do and easily accessible from several major metropolitan areas – Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. It's also a little bit cheaper, and – you may be surprised to know – has a marginally drier climate than the notoriously rainy Lakes.
