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
‘Devastating’ vandal attack destroys community pond as farm launches appeal to bring it back
A fundraising campaign has been launched after a much-loved wildlife pond in Sheffield was destroyed in what has been described as a "devastating" act of vandalism.
The pond over at Heeley City Farm, which had recently been refurbished by a dedicated group of volunteers aged 16 to 24, was almost completely destroyed over the weekend after its lining was deliberately slit, causing the water to drain away.
According to the farm, the project had been months in the making and was designed to create a peaceful haven for wildlife while also providing a tranquil space for visitors to enjoy.
The volunteer group behind the project invested countless hours into transforming the area and even helped secure nearly £5,000 in funding to bring their vision to life.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Announcing the heartbreaking news to Instagram, Heeley City Farm said: "Last weekend, we experienced a truly devastating act of vandalism at the farm. Our newly refurbished pond area, lovingly created by our incredible 16–24 volunteer group, was almost completely destroyed.
"This space was so much more than a pond. It was designed to be a peaceful haven for wildlife, a calm area for visitors to enjoy and somewhere nature could thrive in the heart of the city. The group poured many hours of hard work, care and passion into transforming the area, even helping to secure nearly £5,000 in funding to bring the project to life.
"In just a matter of hours, so much of that work was torn apart. The pond lining, a fundamental and vital part of the entire project, was deliberately slit, causing the pond to almost completely empty. Plants purchased especially for the habitat were ripped up and frogs and newts had only recently begun returning, making the destruction even more heartbreaking. Valuable habitat has been lost overnight.
"We are devastated for our volunteers, staff, and everyone who enjoyed this special space. It is incredibly disheartening when so many people are working tirelessly to improve the farm and create better facilities for the community, only to face setbacks like this that drain already scarce time and resources. It also leaves understandable fears about future projects and improvements being targeted in the same way.
"The police are investigating this incident and CCTV footage of the group responsible has been provided to them. Despite this, we are so proud of our volunteers and everything they achieved. Their hard work created something beautiful, and although right now we are heartbroken, we are determined that this will not take away the passion and community spirit behind the project.
"If anyone would like to support us in rebuilding the pond area and restoring this important wildlife habitat, any donations, no matter how small, would be hugely appreciated (link in bio). Your support will help our volunteers bring this special space back to life. Thank you."
Sheffield’s Peddler Market to relaunch as FREE monthly mini music festival
Clementine Hall
Peddler’s 13th year marks a bold new direction for the free monthly event.
Peddler Market began its life 12 years ago as a street food night market with a sprinkling of live music and DJs.
Now that they're synonymous with bringing some of the best street food the UK has to offer to Sheffield, the organisers are now heading in a new direction.
Peddler will now offer a five-stage monthly music festival, spread across their Kelham Island footprint - maintaining its ‘free entry’ ethos for customers.
Image: Supplied
But don't worry, food will still be a key component all whilst increasing their to platform some of the best local promoters, record shops, DJs and bands across Sheffield.
But now, they're bringing five stages to Peddler, working with some of the best up and coming and well established promoters in and across the city.
“Twelve years ago, we filled a gap that Sheffield really needed,” Jordan Roberts - owner, says. “Since then, it’s nourished this huge gastronomic change within the city. Now there’s food halls and street food everywhere, which is great because people have choice – at peddler amazing street food is a given but now you can expect much more”
Image: Supplied
"I wanted to create a labyrinth of exploration like that you find at a proper festival, tread the zones, sample the delights and find your vibe. It’s like a little mini festival,” Jordan says.
“With Tramlines and We Out Here being huge inspiration for the next gen development. There’s a car park stage, the inside main stage, a courtyard stage, the factory floor and activities happening in the basement underneath too,” Jordan explains. “Bands, DJs, the whole thing.”
Image: Supplied
“We’ve always been a street food event with two music stages,” he explains. “Now we’re excited to bring five stages, working with some of the best up and coming and well established promoters in and across the city. After more than 100 Peddler Markets where we’ve always hosted a free entry gig.
"We’ll still host our street food partners, who love seeing all the Sheffield foodies. However, the changing music line up will help you ‘save the date’ making each month even more unmissable”
The first edition of the reformatted Peddler lands on the usual first Friday and Saturday of the month on 5-6 June and promises a sprawling, multi-space experience inspired as much by classic city festivals as warehouse parties and independent culture.