One of the Peak District's most beautiful attractions, the Heights of Abraham, is so picturesque, it's nicknamed 'Little Switzerland' locally.
That's partly thanks to its rolling green hills, but also down to its famous cable cars that travel high above the Derwent Valley.
Visitors to the hilltop park can travel 554 ft uphill to the summit and imagine they've transported themselves to the Swiss Alps.
Image: Supplied / Heights of Abraham
From the top, there are views of the lush countryside of Derbyshire and of the pretty village of Matlock Bath.
The Heights of Abraham is on the eastern side of the Peak District, reachable by car in around an hour from parts of Sheffield.
As well as the cable cars and the sweeping views, you can also explore two incredible, illuminated caverns.
Guided tours will take you deep into the hillside where professional guides will tell tales of mining, geology and tourism.
Image: Supplied / Heights of Abraham
Both the Vista restaurant and the Terrace Cafe stand at around 1000ft above sea level, with views served up alongside local ales and gins, as well as tea and cake.
The Heights of Abraham closes for a short time every winter but is finally back open for business from 11 February and throughout the summer.
New this season will be a trail of willow sculptures by Caroline Gregson, and 12 new butterflies suspended in the treetops.
The estate has actually been welcoming visitors since 1787, when a local hotel owner decided to create a 'pleasure ground' for the wealthy Georgian tourists who flocked to the area.
People in those days believed that swimming in the waters around Matlock Bath would improve their health.
After seven years of planting exotic trees and shrubs, tourists began to climb the paths to take in the 360-degree views from the summit.
In 1810, the Great Rutland Cavern opened to the public, followed by the Great Masson Cavern in 1844, with ex-miners acting as tour guides.
The current owners of the Heights of Abraham bought the estate in 1974 and added the cable car 10 years later.
Tickets to visit cost £24.50 per adult, £17.00 per child and £73.00 for a family of two adults and two children (under fives go free), which includes a cable car flight, two guided cavern tours, access to two adventure playgrounds, a heritage trail, exhibitions, the willow sculptures, the treetop butterfly trail, the restaurant and cafe, and self-guided audio tours.
The Heights offers 20% off to those who work for the NHS, have a Blue Light Card, MOD90/DDS card or MAX card. Take the train or bus to Matlock Bath and save 20% on your tickets too.
Featured image: Supplied
The Sheff
Iconic Sheffield music venue The Leadmill launches Crowdfunder to secure a permanent new space
The Leadmill has launched a relocation Crowdfunder after leaving its original home.
You may remember last year the trials and tribulations The Leadmill endured to try stay on Eyre Street where it had been stood since 1980.
From absolutely legendary gigs to unforgettable moments, The Leadmill provided some of the best nights in Sheffield for over 45 years, before the team unfortunately had to vacate the premises.
There is now hope though, as The Leadmill has set up a Crowdfunder and is asking the people of Sheffield to help hit a £30,000 goal to relocate to a new premises.
You can donate as little or as much as you’re able to, and all donations will go towards securing a new venue, building infrastructure, ensuring full accessibility, and even preserving the legendary neon sign.
Posting to their social media, The Leadmill wrote: "Following the departure from our original home, we’re working towards securing a new permanent venue - a space where The Leadmill can continue to grow and bring people together.
"We’re still presenting live music, comedy, club nights, cinema and talks, in various other venues but what we’re wanting to build now is our long-term future. To help make that happen, we’ve launched a public crowdfunding campaign which you can access using the link in our bio.
"This isn’t about starting over from scratch. It’s about continuing something that matters to people. If The Leadmill has ever meant something to you, we’d love you to be part of what comes next.
"Whether you’re able to donate, share the campaign, or simply send support we really appreciate the help and will not forget it. With love always, Team Leadmill ❤️"
If you want to bring The Leadmill back just as much as we do, you can donate here.
The factory shop in Batley where you can get your favourite biscuits for £2 or less
Thomas Melia
Just outside of Leeds in Batley, there’s a factory shop selling all of your favourite biscuit varieties for less than £2.
Sweet treat suppliers Fox’s Biscuits have been operating in Batley over 160 years with its family run business serving families across Europe, North America and of course, West Yorkshire.
These cookie creators are known for producing some of the biggest names in the confectionery industry including Maryland, Paterson’s, and all the brands above.
Whether you’re Jammie Dodger obsessed, a Party Ring preacher or a Wagon Wheel warrior, you’ll find all this and more at this biscuit factory shop - for cheaper than it is on the shelves.
If you’re after a biscuit bargain, look no further. You can get your hands on retail-ready and pre-packaged milk chocolate or millionaire’s cookies for only 85p.
Those much-loved bickies we were talking about before are all up for grabs: packs of Wagon Wheels for £1, Jammie Dodgers priced at 60p and even party rings at 50p, yes please.
You can also pick up their assorted biscuit trays that you’d usually expect to see on supermarket shelves like Fox’s classic biscuit selection, chocolatey biscuit selection and more.
Or if you have a sweet spot for a particular biscuit from one of their many boxed varieties you can get bags of individual flavours like the white chocolate rounds and triple chocolate cookies all for £1.50.
There’s even an opportunity for you to grab some Fox’s branded items like a reusable water bottle, tote bag and even sticky notes for when you plan your shopping list for your next visit.
The factory shop’s opening hours are quite limited with this vendor only opening four days a week from 9am to 3pm and 2pm on a Saturday.
Fox’s Biscuits factory shop is open four days a week from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on a Saturday, if you’re after sorting out your biscuit fix.
Clementine Hall -
5th August 2025 
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