Castleton is a popular destination for both tourists and High Peak residents – a picturesque town at the heart of the Peak District National Park, surrounded by spectacular scenery.
The town is located at the gateway to the Hope Valley, overlooked by Mam Tor and surrounded on three sides by steep hills, making it a favourite base for walkers. It offers visitors a range of accommodation, six pubs, fascinating geology, traditional events all year round, many local shops, farmers' markets and a large car park.
The River Noe runs through Castleton (Castle Town) – nestled between the Dark Peak to the north (an area of gritstone) and the White Peak of limestone plateaus to the south – and across the Hope Valley.
Castleton, which dates from 1198, has four impressive show caverns – Cave Dale and Peak Cavern, alongside Speedwell Cavern and the most impressive Treak Cliff. The rare mineral Blue John is only found in this area of Britain.
Peak Cavern lies beneath Peveril Castle, which originated in 1086 – a gift from William the Conqueror to his son William Peveril, who first constructed it with wood, to oversee the King's Royal Forest of the Peak. It was later rebuilt in stone around 1175, by Henry II, who accepted the submission of King Malcolm of Scotland here. This is the castle keep seen today.