With its Unesco-protected mills, rolling dales and outstanding pubs, Derby is one of the Midlands’ most underrated cities

Stay in a shepherd’s hut for the lambing season, try dry stone walling in the Peak District or go trekking with sheep or alpacas

Following in the footsteps of the mass trespassers who battled their way up Kinder Scout in 1932 – then raising a pint to them in the friendly local

Immerse yourself in a landscape of ancient tracks on a quiet trail created by locals to show off a gentler side of the region

It’s taken 17 years and £70m to restore this architectural gem on the edge of the Peak District to its former glory. Has it been worth the wait?

Sunday lunch and an overnight stay at the Cow in Dalbury Lees is a joy after months of home cooking – even if it means hand-sanitiser, QR codes and no propping up the bar

To our writer’s delight, the tent is already up, the food sorted and route plotted on this new camping and cycling trip in the Peaks

It’s the time of year to check out the bluebell woods of England’s National Forest, which stretches over the former mining fields of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. We take it stage by stage, with stops for food and sleep