Ilam Park in the snow, Peak District

Having previously visited Dovedale and the famous stepping stones, I was already semi aware of Ilam Park and had placed it on my mental ‘to visit’ list under the category of ‘want to eventually get around to checking out’.

In a perhaps badly timed week of having hired a camper van (only to end up having to change our plans due to the Met Office predicting Snowmageddon with amber warnings and advice to not travel…), we found ourselves with the means to go on an adventure but incredibly unpredictable and potentially dangerous travel conditions.

Of course, for the majority of those in the ‘amber’ snow warnings, the snowmageddon ended up being little more than a typical wintery scattering of snowy mush which quickly melted, leaving adults and children alike mostly disappointed. This gave us the perfect opportunity to sneak in a wintery day trip.

Ilam Park, managed by the National Trust, sits at the heart of Dovedale in the Peak District just a short walk from the famous stepping stones and Dovedale to Milldale walking route. The estate, donated to the Trust in October 1934 includes Ilam Hall which has since been leased to the Youth Hostel Association. The old hall was partly demolished in the 1930s and you can spot remnants of the hall in the Italian Garden and surrounding gardens, with ongoing work to improve the estate ongoing.

The surrounding parkland is maintained by staff and volunteers and open to visitors throughout the year. As you walk around the park, look out for ridge and furrow, the Saxon cross on Paradise Walk, Bertram’s well and the Boil Holes. Also check out the secondhand book shop!

With countless walking and hiking routes throughout the Manifold Valley, White Peak is an ever popular spot for visitors to the Peak District and despite the cold, snowy and icy conditions this was certainly the case when we visited. From Ilam Park, it’s a short walk to tackle Thorpe Cloud, check out the Stepping Stones, Dove Hole Caves and Thors Cave. This area really does have so much to offer!

After exploring the estate, we grabbed a drink and some lunch from the cafe which was busy (perhaps unsurprisingly given the freezing temperatures) so we took our food, drinks and settled down in the van for lunch before heading home.

NAtional Trust Ilam park