Features
What are the other national parks of England? What is Chatsworth House like? What creatures roam the moorlands of Derbyshire? Find out here.
Other National Parks of England
As well as our official icons, the Peak District and the Lake District, England boasts eight other national parks, including one proposed new one.
Chatsworth House
Nicknamed “the palace of the Peak”, Chatsworth House is the centre of a 35,000-acre estate, the principal seat of the Cavendish family (the Earls and Dukes of Devonshire) since the 1550s.
Local Wildlife
In prehistoric times, creatures as exotic as mastodons, sabre tooth cats and woolly rhinoceros roamed the Peak District. Millions of years later, they had been replaced by wolves, wild boar, bears and beavers. Nowadays, the most common native Peak mammals are voles, mountain hares and foxes, who find themselves vying for territory with the occasional encroaching wallaby.
The Plague Village
In 1665 the Peak District village of Eyam was struck by a violent outbreak of the Black Death that would go on to claim the lives of 260 out of 350 residents. The death toll would have been higher had the villagers not bravely agreed to quarantine themselves. Eyam's sacrifice helped save the lives of neighbouring villagers – but at a high price as residents had to face the disease exposed and unaided.
Ten Things…
Think you know all there is to know about the Peak District - how about these interesting pieces of trivia?
