What's Near
Not the guidebook. Just the walks, parks and days out we love, all within an easy drive of Braithwell.
15 min from The Dairy
Park in Loversall village and it's a lovely 30-minute walk to the café: a converted barn on a working farm, with a fire pit and lambs about.
Go for breakfast or brunch and make a morning of it. The walk in is flat and easy, and half the point of going.
20 min from The Dairy
A gorgeous lake with a path all the way round. Half an hour at an easy pace, with swans for company.
Good for a gentle stroll before lunch or after a day in the car, with plenty of benches along the water.
25 min from The Dairy
Polar bears, lions and giraffes in genuinely large enclosures. Easily four hours.
Big walk-through reserves, a polar bear project and plenty of lakes and paths. Book ahead in the holidays, wear comfy shoes, and go early.
35 min from The Dairy
National Trust parkland, lake and walled kitchen garden. Dog-friendly.
Thousands of acres of parkland, a long serpentine lake, the Gothic chapel and a walled kitchen garden. Bring bikes, or hire them there.
45 min from The Dairy
Chatsworth, Hope Valley and our favourite, Grindleford.
Chatsworth House and its gardens, walks along the Hope Valley, and Grindleford, with its station café and the walk up to Padley Gorge.
Eat & Drink
All within half an hour. Book ahead at weekends, especially W Italian and Sunday lunch at The Sun.
Breakfast in a converted barn on a working farm, with a fire pit and lambs about.
The one we send everyone to. Quietly excellent for years, and they do takeaway too.
Argentinian grill with a very good set menu and a magician at weekends.
Old coaching house with log fires, beams and a big garden. Long Sunday lunches.
The local favourite, and deservedly booked up.
The proper night out: Cantonese, white tablecloths and a dress code, so no shorts.
Back for a soak in the hot tub as the sun goes down over the fields.