We decided that the first stop should be Castleton, where we tried not to be put off by the fact that we were in a bit of a minority for not wearing walking boots and carrying rucksacks. Nicky was not-so-secretly pleased to discover that the attractions of Castleton (either the Castle at the top of a steep hill, or an underground cave) were both unavailable to us as in the current environment required pre-booking, so we did what came naturally and went to the nicest looking tea rooms, had a cup of coffee, and shared a rather scrummy piece of bakewell pudding.
We'd been entertained on our way up to Castleton to see brown tourist signs for a 'Cutlery factory' and thought that the Peak District must be a bit short of attractions if this was the best they could muster. However, we then went past it, and Nicky was excited to see that it was the David Mellor factory and gallery. I tried to look like I knew what she was talking about, but she reminded me that we'd seen it on Grand Designs a couple of weeks before. So, we decided on leaving Castleton that we should pay it a visit, and it was well worth it. Favourite fact: David Mellor designed the traffic lights that we see every day. Nicky's purchase: salt and pepper shakers to go with the trivet that had been a Christmas present from Jake.
Next stop on our Peak tour - Buxton. Had a wander round, admired the architecture, saw the spring water, that was about all.
Back to hotel. Overall scenery driving around during the day beautiful.