'''Bakewell''' is a picturesque historical market town in the heart of the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire famed for its Bakewell Puddings, Bakewell Tarts, and Mr Kipling's Cherry Bakewells. (The latter being only ''inspired'' by Bakewell rather than made in Bakewell) There are several shops claiming to hold the 'original recipe' although I'd recommend [http://www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk/ The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop] on the main road because of the quality of goods, friendly staff, 'traditional authenticity' of the place and the wonderful smell of baking that comes from it. So be sure to try at least one Bakewell pudding whilst you're here.
It is an immensely popular destination for weekend visits because of its beautiful Peak District location, and its "typical country town" feel.
Get in
Frequent buses from Sheffield, even at weekends. Easy access by car from Manchester, Sheffield and Chesterfield (town is on the A6) half way between Matlock and Buxton.
Get around
Compact town, completeley walkable (church and museum up a hill).
See
A typical Peak District stone town, with the usual Church, Museum, Shops, River, Old Bridge.
Do
Museum, Riverside walks, weekly market. Great base for a Peak District Walking weekend, with lovely walks all round (easy riverside, meandering field paths, gentle hill walking, or strenuous crag hopping). Bus to Rowseley for trip on "Peak Rail" steam train to Matlock
Buy
Usual "country" things: good outdoor shops, discount books, fresh food. Excellent shop specialising in Scotch Whisky. Take home an original "Bakewell pudding" or "Derbyshire oatcakes".
Eat & Drink
Excellent tea shops abound, several claiming to serve the genuine (or original etc) Bakewell pudding. "Byways" is through an undistinguished door and up a flight of stairs, but has creaky wooden floors, wonky ceilings, and a very traditional tea shop feel. Lots of pubs, all central ones do food. Classier type of "Indian" restaurant upstairs by market square.
Lots of pubs, some feel traditional, some a little more "mass market". Nearly all serve real ale. Plenty of choice.
Cafes & Coffee Shops
The Acorn
The Bakewell Pudding Parlour, [http://www.postapudding.com]
The Bakewell Tart Shop & Coffee House
JC's
The Honey Bun Cafe
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop [http://www.bakewellpuddingshop.co.uk/]
John Sinclair's Coffe Shop
Treeline
Upstairs Cafe
Diners, fast food etc.
The Oz Bar 'n' Diner
Parakeet Diner
Pubs & Bars
Castle Inn (Serves food all day)
JC's (Serves food)
The Manners Hotel (Serves food during the day)
The Oz Bar 'n' Diner (Serves food during the day)
The Peacock Hotel (Serves food during the day)
The Queen's Arms (Serves food during the day)
The Red Lion (Serves food during the day)
The Rutland Arms Hotel (Serves food) [http://www.rutlandarmsbakewell.com]
The Wheatsheaf (Serves food during the day)
Restaurants
French
*Renaissance Restaurant [http://www.renaissance-restaurant.com/]
Italian
*Val Verde
*Felicini [http://www.Felicini.co.uk]
Indian
*Harley's Borivli
*Max's Indian Restaurant
Modern British
*JC's
*The Prospect [http://www.restaurantsinbakewell.co.uk/index.html]
*The Rutland Arms Hotel [http://www.rutlandarmsbakewell.com]
Sleep
Many B&B's in town, or in surrounding farms. Youth Hostel in town. Many pubs do accommodation. Very "Jane Austen-y" Georgian hotel in centre of town (Rutland Arms?).
Get out
Bakewell is the local centre, so has very good connections with local towns and villages (lots of small buses). It is situated in superbly beautiful limestone ("White Peak") scenery: green fields, stone walls, sheep, rounded hills topped by horizontal lines of limestone crags. Some of the best walking country in England, makes local places easily accessible on an afternoon stroll.
Many, many nearby villages nearly all worth a trip by bus or car or on foot, and most have a pub or tea shop. Examples : Over Haddon, Monyash, Youlgreave, Ashford in the Water.
'''Matlock''' is 15 minutes by car, and there are also buses, and a steam train from Rowseley. Another Peak District town, a little less cute than Bakewell (preferred by some because of that), with usual shops and pubs and a pleasant riverside town park with a little lake (try lawn bowls - "Crown Green Bowling").
'''Matlock Bath''' is just beyond Matlock. Strange "seaside" feel, almost as far inland as you can get in England, cable cars to hilltop caves and popular meeting place for motorcyclists at the weekend, worth visiting to see hundreds of bikes lined up along the main street.
Cromford is a mile beyond Matlock Bath. A tiny town in a green setting, yet its main draw is "Arkwright's Mill" from the dawn of the industrial revolution, the first large factory (water-powered cotton spinning mill) in the modern world. Also the cromford canal is a lovely waterway in a very rural setting - but not yet reconnected to the English canal network, so few boats.
On the way, to Matlock you pass '''Haddon Hall''' (barely 5 minutes from Bakewell by car, well under an hour by (mostly) riverside path): a lovely medieval hall, expaned piecemeal over the centuries to give very organic and lived-in feel.
'''Chatsworth House''' is a little further, massive and spectacular late-17th century stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire (inspiration for Pemberley, apparently), open to public, pay for parking but with free access to surrounding area (flat riverside ambles, wooded hillside trails, famous fountain. Restaurants, at old stables, cafe at car park in grounds.
Near Chatsworth in Pilsley is '''Chatsworth Farm Shop''': plays heavily on noble connection: "Duke's cure bacon", "Duchy of Cornwall Biscuits" etc, etc (Mrs Bucket would shop here) but also popular because of huge range of good fresh fruit, veg and meat, and some exotic stuff not so easy to obtain elsewhere (venison, boar, etc). Includes a tea shop.