Sunday visit to Ilam Park in the Peak District, April 2018.

Ilam Park is situated in a spectacular location in the Derbyshire and Staffordshire Peak District close to the pretty market town of Ashbourne. Owned by the National Trust, Ilam Park from what we saw appears to be a popular destination for families and dog walkers. With a nice tea-room the park is open all year round and there is plenty to explore with lots of fairly easy going walks. It was our first visit and we had a wonderful day helped by a relatively warm and dry day. The house itself is now a Youth Hostel so the main reason to visit the Park is to enjoy the grounds and the surrounding countryside.

Main entrance to Ilam Park

The village is very pretty with some unique houses and as it's just outside the Park it's worth a wander. The sign posts around the Park aren't that clear so pick up a map before at the house and ask one of the volunteers before you hear off to make the most of your visit.

The Peak District is a beautiful part of the UK, stunning scenery, beautiful architecture and lots of wonderful places to enjoy local produce. We're lucky that it's only an hour or so from where we live so we're hoping for a good summer so we can enjoy it a lot more. Our plan next time is to try some of the walking that nearby Dovedale has to offer.