Dog-friendly days out in Castleton and the Hope Valley
A dramatic village under the Great Ridge, with the finest ridge walk in the Peak and caverns you can take a dog inside. Here is how we would spend a day in Castleton and the Hope Valley with your dog.
Castleton sits in a bowl of hills at the head of the Hope Valley, guarded by a ruined castle and the great shoulder of Mam Tor. It is one of the most dramatic spots in the Peak District, and one of the most rewarding for a dog, because the walking is superb and, unusually, the show caverns that made the village famous welcome dogs underground. Above you the Great Ridge, below you a warren of caves and a valley full of good pubs.
A ridge or a cavern in the morning, a wander through the village, a hearty lunch and a pint in a beamed inn is the shape of the day here. This is how we would spend it, with the real, well-reviewed places we would actually take our own dog.
1
Morning: the finest ridge in the Peak
Mam Tor and the Great Ridge is the walk everyone comes for and it earns the reputation: a flagged path along a grassy whaleback with the Hope Valley on one side and the wild Edale valley on the other, running out to Lose Hill with views for miles. For a gentler day, the walk around Ladybower Reservoir gives you water, woods and easy miles. Keep dogs on leads for the grazing sheep up on the tops.
This is proper big-country walking, the sort of morning that leaves a dog gloriously tired and its people grinning.
Castleton's great party trick is that its show caverns welcome dogs underground. Treak Cliff Cavern, home of the rare Blue John stone, takes well-behaved dogs on leads on its guided tour, as do Peak Cavern with its vast natural entrance and Blue John Cavern up on the hill. At Speedwell Cavern a dog can even join the underground boat trip along a flooded mine level. Pick one for a rainy afternoon and stay dry underground.
The village feeds walkers well. The Penny Pot Cafe welcomes dogs inside on leads and hands out homemade dog treats, Rose Cottage Cafe and Bistro takes them at its outside tables, and the Three Roofs Cafe is a classic dog-friendly spot with indoor and outdoor seating right in the middle of Castleton.
Castleton is blessed with old inns. The George is a cosy back-street pub that welcomes dogs, and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn is a wonderful half-timbered former coaching inn where dogs are welcome. Along the valley at Hathersage, the George is a smart village inn that welcomes well-behaved dogs in the pub area, handy after a Stanage Edge walk.
The Old Hall Hotel in Hope is a well-regarded dog-friendly base in the heart of the valley, and the Peak Hotel in Castleton has dog-friendly rooms in a historic village inn. Along at Hathersage, the George welcomes well-behaved dogs for an overnight stay in a smart old coaching inn.
The finest ridge walk in the Peak above your head, and caverns you can take the dog inside beneath your feet. Castleton is a day out like nowhere else.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Can dogs go in the Castleton caverns?
Yes, unusually. Treak Cliff Cavern, Peak Cavern and Blue John Cavern all welcome well-behaved dogs on leads on their guided tours, and at Speedwell Cavern a dog can even join the underground boat trip. It makes a great rainy-day plan.
What is the best dog walk in the Hope Valley?
Mam Tor and the Great Ridge is the finest ridge walk in the Peak, a flagged grassy path with huge views, while the walk around Ladybower Reservoir is a gentler option. Keep dogs on leads for the grazing sheep on the tops.
Which Castleton pubs take dogs?
The George is a cosy dog-friendly back-street pub, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn is a half-timbered inn that welcomes dogs, and along the valley at Hathersage the George welcomes well-behaved dogs in the pub area.
Where can I stay in the Hope Valley with a dog?
The Old Hall Hotel in Hope is a well-regarded dog-friendly base, the Peak Hotel in Castleton has dog-friendly rooms, and the George at Hathersage welcomes well-behaved dogs for an overnight stay.
Is Mam Tor suitable for dogs?
Yes. The Great Ridge from Mam Tor is a mostly flagged, well-graded path that suits most dogs, with spectacular views. Keep dogs on leads near the grazing sheep, carry water as the ridge is exposed, and mind the steep drops in mist.
Castleton & Hope Valley through the seasons
Spring
The valley greens up and the ridge is at its best before the summer crowds. Watch for lambs and keep leads on near sheep. A Mam Tor circuit and a Penny Pot lunch is spring here at its finest.
Summer
Castleton gets busy, so start the ridge early and carry plenty of water for the exposed tops. Save a show cavern for the heat of the afternoon, where it stays cool and dry underground whatever the weather.
Autumn
The valley woods turn and the light on the ridge is glorious. Quieter paths, clear air and cosy inns make autumn arguably the best season for a dog in the Hope Valley.
Winter
Wild weather on the tops and fires in the pubs. Keep to the reservoir and valley walks in poor conditions, duck into a cavern out of the wind, then thaw out at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese with a muddy dog.
More dog-friendly spots in Castleton & Hope Valley