Wiggonlea Farm is in a good location with easy access to all Derbyshire attractions. Weather you are looking for local walks, stately homes, heritage trails, tourist attractions or just beautify scenery there is something for everyone.
Here are a few of the thing:- Stately Homes Derbyshire is blessed with an abundance of stately homes, old castles, manor houses, churches and palaces. To mention a few there is Chatsworth house a must see by all, Hardwick Hall (more glass than wall) the locals say, Haddon Hall (the home of Mr Rochester in the BBC's Jane Eyre), Bolsover Castle, Sudbury Hall (and children's museum), Calke Abbey, Peveril Castle, Tissington Hall, Melbourne Hall, Kedleston Hall, Wingfield Manor, Eyam Hall (in the village of the plague), Lyme Park not to mention all the churches.
Walks Derbyshire is prime walking country and the more relaxed pace allows a greater appreciation of the region's superb scenery. There are hundreds of miles of way marked paths and also several traffic free routes along former railway lines (ideal for pushchairs, wheelchairs and cycles) such as the Manifold Valley Track, the Tissington Trail, High peak Trail and Carsington Water.
To the south, new traffic free paths include the Trent Valley Greenway and the Mickleover to Eggington Trail. There are more to the west with the popular Gritstone Trail, which takes in parts of Teggs Nose Country Park, Wildboarclough, Macclesfeild forest and Kerridge hills and gives superb views over the Cheshire plain towards North Wales.For the more energetic walker there are longer trail walks such as the The Derwent Valley Heritage Way, Limestone Way and the Staffordshire Way.
Or you could just stroll across the road and explore the Shining Cliff Woods. Shining Cliff Woods is an ancient woodland. It was part of a Royal Hunting Forest called Duffield Frith owned by the de Ferrers family of Duffield Castle. In 1690 the wood came into ownership of the Hurt family of Alderwasley Hall and remained with them until several years after world war 1. The wood is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the huge variety of plants and animals found there, the Forest Commission and The Grith Pioneers manage the woods know and are happy for people to walk the many paths as long as you don't wander of them.
Tourist Attractions and Heritage Trails Well were do we start there is so much to do, to mention a few there is The heights of Abraham with spectacular views from the cable cars, then you can explore the show caverns or travel north to Buxton's Poole Cavern. In the Castleton area you will find speedwell mine, Treak Cliff Cavern and The Blue John Mine.
There is Crich Tramway Museum the home of the nations collection of vintage Trams. You can experience the steam trains at peak rail, Midland Railway (Butterley) and Eccalsbourn Valley Railway.
Have a day out at Alton Towers, Go Ape (at Buxton or Sherwood Forest), Gulliver's Kingdom, Conkers and Toys of Yesteryear (at Peak Village). If you would rather experience the wild life you could visit Chatsworth Farm Park, Chestnut Centre (otter and wild life Park), Matlock Farm Park, Freshfeilds Donkey Sanctuary, Matlock Aquarium and Twycross Zoo.
You could have a day of retail therapy at Chatsworth Farm Shop, Royal Crown Derby, Denby Pottery, East Midlands Designer outlet, peak shopping village, Masson mills (at Cromford) and many individual shops throughout the towns of Derbyshire.
If it is something for the taste buds you are looking there are Farmers Markets and food fairs throughout the year. Or try a Bakewell puddings (not Tarts), Stilton from Hartington, Thornton's Chocolate, Derbyshire Oatcake (not Staffordshire), Bradwell's Ice cream and Ashbourne Ginger Bread. There are many pubs throughout Derbyshire that are members of the CAMRA Real ale campaign, you can also find local micro brewery's and beer festivals. This is just some of the thing to do as I am sure I have mist something such as all the wonderful open gardens that can be visited.