"We shall not be like other travelers, without being able to give one accurate idea of anything. We WILL know where we have gone--we WILL recollect what we have seen. Lakes, mountains, and rivers shall not be jumbled together in our imaginations"~Elizabeth Bennet
I first read about the Peaks District when it played a pivotal role in the plot of Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth journeys to Derbyshire on a holiday with her aunt and uncle because the lakes were too far. As she says before their trip "What are young men to mountains?" Of course, it is also home to Mr. Darcy and, well, we all know how that worked out.
But I became more aware of the area's outstanding natural beauty while watching one of the many television shows or films shot there. The Peak District seems to have embraced it's association with televised costume dramas--but it's worth pointing out that before the location scouts came, the area served as inspiration for settings in both Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte's most beloved works.
Some places let you down, like Epcot center or your local harvest fair. (Every fall I get duped into thinking fairs are cute and quaint but then when I go it's full of packs of rural teenagers huddled together gorging on cotton candy and wearing far too much eyeliner.) But, unlike Walt Disney's vision of the future or the Big E's cream puffs, England's Peak District surpasses your expectations. You can spend the whole time wondering if you've actually wandered onto a movie set. Pop in your headphones and play the soundtrack to Pride and Prejudice and you could be the star of your own film. Not that I would know anything about that...
I stayed at a youth hostel in the tiny village of Eyam, also known as 'the plague village', because if you're me, you want to be as close to a historical bubonic plague site as possible.
It looks like the quintessential English village--something you might come across in an Agatha Christie novel. Except instead of a disgruntled school marm or vengeful stable boy, the bubonic plague was doing most of the killing.
The only thing scarier than the bubonic plague being delivered to your doorstep are awkwardly posed mannequins in bad wigs.
The downside to staying in Eyam was that when I had to actually get around the area I was at the mercy of the local bus system. I had prepared for this by spending far too much time on a TripAdvisor forum solely dedicated to the purpose of helping visitors without cars manage public transportation. I don't want to say it is impossible, because clearly I managed. But if you do go, I strongly suggest driving unless you like the idea of carrying your luggage up deceptively steep hills or returning to your hostel by 3 pm each afternoon.
This photo is on an incline because I was on an incline. Also, llamas!
In Pride and Prejudice, the nearby (but poorly bus serviced) town of Bakewell fills in for Lambton--very pleasant, rather touristy and the namesake for Bakewell puddings and tarts.
Though much like NYC's Original Ray's pizza there is much debate over which establishment was the first to offer it. My money is on The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, mostly because it was the best one I had.
A short (and frequent) bus ride away is Chatsworth, the grand estate of the Duke of Devonshire, and inspiration for Pemberley, the ancestral home of the Darcys.
"It was a large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills…"
In the 1995 miniseries starring little known actor Colin Firth, Lyme Park in Disley, a couple hours northwest of where I was, served as Pemberly. But in the 2006 film version, Chatsworth takes on the part it was born to play. Perhaps it isn't surprising then that about a quarter of Chatsworth's giftshop is devoted exclusively to Mr. Darcy.This includes a greeting card featuring an illustration of Colin Firth making this face:
I actually felt embarrassed for a moment because such a thing actually exists for people to buy. I prefer this face instead:
"Dearest, loveliest Emily. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire the new Monsoon dress I bought for you."
"Yes, of course we can sit on the couch and watch the entirety of the television program Parks and Recreation. I too enjoy Ron Swanson's moustache and Andy's silly antics."
"Is it really necessary for me to walk around in this wetted shirt all afternoon? It is? Very well."
But, if I'm completely honest with myself, I probably would have bought the card if no one had been around and if the cash register was instead manned by a fancy robot with a British accent--think C3-PO in a powdered wig. I mean, who am I to judge? I had just spent the entire tour pretending to be Elizabeth Bennet during her inaugural visit to Pemberley.
It was a bit difficult, what with the mob of tourists around, but if I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the swarms of old Germans on either side (it's always Germans), I could, for a very brief moment, hear Darcy calling to me from the boudoir. And, in that instance, he was definitely making this face:
After visiting Chatsworth I decided to check out Haddon Hall, a Tudor manor that was supposed to contrast nicely with the Georgian elegance of the former. And, like Chatsworth, it also has it's fair share of movie credits: The Princess Bride, Elizabeth, Jane Eyre, etc, etc.
It was amazing. The place even smelled old, which probably sounds gross but really just added to the whole experience.
But, I think it's very telling that there weren't any souvenirs of Orson Welles or Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester. There may have been some DVDs, but that's it. No one goes to bits over that character. I suppose he's a bit too dour for that sort of thing, plus there's the whole 'locking his first wife in the attic' debacle. Whereas Darcy may act all dark and serious, Rochester actually lives it. And it ain't pretty.
A little to the north, near the village of Hathersage, one can visit North Lees Hall, which was allegedly Charlotte Bronte's inspiration for Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre and, as several area brochures made sure to mention, where Mrs. Rochester threw herself off the roof. First of all, spoiler alert? Secondly, what-- 'Home of Mr. Rochester' wasn't dramatic enough? Even the Peak District tourist board seems to adhere to the adage: "If it bleeds, it leads." Interestingly, Jane Eyre got her surname from a wealthy local family, and as is befitting a well-respected family, they now have several area pubs named after them.
Hathersage is also home to Little John's grave, which made my earlier observation that the area reminded me of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves slightly less embarrassing, and
Stanage Edge, where you can recreate Keira Knightly's stance in the inferior non-Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, as a twentysomething British guy helpfully informed me. Apparently he has a picture of himself doing the same pose. But, sadly on the day I traveled to Hathersage it poured for hours. I tried to wait it out but when the lone bus back to Eyam came, away I went.
