Bus Services In the Peak District

I had intended to go walking again yesterday or today but I've had a stomach bug and haven't felt very well. Therefore, instead of updating the blog with the details of my latest walk I thought I'd post some information about the bus services I use to get from Sheffield into the Peak District.

The eastern part of the Peak District is surprisingly well served and many popular destinations are easy to reach.

Here are brief details of the major routes:

 65: To Buxton via Tideswell. Five services a day Monday to Saturday, three services on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.

This is a lovely scenic route across large swathes of the Peak District, taking 80 minutes to reach Buxton, the popular spa town. Other popular locations served are the fascinating 'plague village' of Eyam, lovely flower-bedecked Tideswell and Miller's Dale for easy access onto the Monsal Trail and the opportunity to walk through the recently-opened tunnels to Bakewell. Like many of the services it stops at Fox House where many climbers enjoy the challenges presented by Burbage Edge; additionally the managed landscape of the Longshaw Estate is only a short walk away.

181: This service only operates on Sundays and Bank Holidays, with just the single trip departing Pond Street Interchange at 09:00. It takes 95 minutes to reach Hartington, right on the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire; I've only ever travelled as far as Middleton-by-Youlgreave so far though. The route takes you via Bakewell and Youlgreave, opening up access to Lathkill Dale.

214 To Matlock via Chatsworth House; an hourly daytime service. No service on Sundays.

215 To Bakewell and Matlock; an hourly service on Sundays and Bank Holidays going via Chatsworth House

218 An hourly service to Bakewell, four times a day extended to Buxton. Three services on Sundays, all the way to Buxton. This is the best bus for reaching Monsal Head and the Wye Valley

242 On weekdays this service runs at inconvenient times to Castleton, however on a Sunday it has a modified route and it's the bus to catch for the Upper Derwent Valley where you can hire bicycles to ride on the road which circles the reservoirs - of course, it's flat.

272 The bus which runs all the way along the Hope Valley to Castleton; basically an hourly service seven days a week.

There are a few other buses running out to The Peak, but they're not suitable for a full day's walking; there's a convenient booklet available from the Travel Centre at Pond Street with full timetables for all of the services I've mentioned though.

Finally, I mustn't forget Hillsborough, a suburb in the north of the city where you can catch buses out to Bradfield ,which is handy for exploring some of the higher and more remote moorland to the west of Sheffield.

I hope you find this brief introduction useful.