The Hope Valley is a series of small villages incorporating Bamford, 12 miles west of Sheffield close to Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs, Hope, and Castleton, renowned for Peveril Castle, lying on a limestone crag above the village. The village is one of the key Peak District destinations surrounded by Mam Tor, Winnats Gorge, Cave Dale and is home to numerous caves and the only source of Blue John Spar in the world. Castleton is one of the most visited areas within the High Peak.
The Peak District National Park was Britain's first National Park. Established in 1951, it covers 1438 square kilometres (555 square miles) at the southern tip of the Pennines including parts of the counties of Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. The National Park Authority acts as the local planning authority to balance the needs of conservation with the needs of the local community (houses, jobs, services), the needs of visitors to the Park (car parks, information) and national needs (minerals). With the exception of the market towns, the National Park covers approximately two thirds of the administrative area of the High Peak 93% of the High Peak population lies outside the National Park boundaries.
The Hope Valley receives over 2 million visitors per year and together with farming, many tourism businesses thrive in the villages. In addition, a number of training, outward bound and home-based creative businesses are located here. The Hope Valley therefore offers potential investors the opportunity to run their business in the heart of the Peak District within some of the most stunning landscape in the UK.