3 days in the Peak District

Three days, nine stops and a plan that keeps the driving sensible most of the time. Day one is gloriously compact: Rode Hall to lunch at the Travellers Rest is just 1 mile, and Little Moreton Hall, cared for by the National Trust, is a further 1.5 miles on. Day two asks more of the car, with a 51.7-mile run to Tickhill Castle, but rewards you with The Stag and the Ashworth Barracks Victoria Cross Museum. Day three saves the grandest for last: Chatsworth House, The Bakewell Tart Shop and Haddon Hall, linked by just 4.6 miles of road.

Every lunch stop holds a 5/5 food hygiene rating, so you can eat without second-guessing. For a base, Winhill Cottage in the Hope Valley sleeps 4, has EV charging and sits 0.8 miles from Bamford station; Clover Fields Touring Caravan Park in Buxton offers disabled access. Arriving by train? Edale is the nearest station to the Peak District.