An important part of our short break weekends are where we stop and the centres we use.
So far in 2024, we’ve used 4 outdoor centres across the Peak District. We’ve been to the The Foundry, near Eyam. Thornbirdge Outdoors in Great Longstone, The Peak Centre in Edale and St Micheal’s in Hathersage.
All of which are perfect for the actitives we run and are well placed to access all of the advenerous areas of the Peak District.
Watch: This is what happened when we stayed at St Micheal's, back in March 2024.
In 2025, we will be using all but The Foundry and we can’t wait to get going.
However, though these names and places are useful, they don’t really tell you much about what it’s actually like to stay there.
So, we’ve put together a guide for each of the 3 centres we’re using for all of our 24 short breaks next year.
Thornbridge Outdoors
Summary:Â Thornbridge one of the best outdoor venue in the Peak District, with great on-site activities.
It offers easy access to the Monsal Trail and facilities like tree climbing, mountain biking, and bouldering on site.
The spacious dorms are comfortable, and the communal room is perfect for evening socializing. Thornbridge's rich history and beauty, add to its charm.
Where is it: Great Longstone, Bakewell
Distance from Each Centre:
Top Valley: 1 hour 5 mins
Mansfield Woodhouse: 55 mins
Chesterfield: 25 mins
What Actitives We’re Running There in 2025:
10th – 12th January - Onsite Bouldering & Low Ropes
24th – 26th January - Jacob's Ladder & Low Rope
11th – 13th April - Bikes and Archery
25th – 27th April - Tree Climb/Cargo Net & Low Ropes
6th – 8th June - Sky Ropes & Low Ropes
20th – 22nd June - Bikes and Archery
Thornbridge is one of the best outdoor venues in the country and has wonderful access to outdoor adventure on site.
Based just outside of Bakewell in the South of the Peak District, the centre provides great access to the Monsal Trail, which is great for walking and has some of the most beautiful views in the National Park.
We often use our Sunday morning stroll to hit the trail. We did so back in January. You can read about that short break here.
The main reason we love to use Thornbirdge though, is because of it’s great facilities on site. Tree climbing, mountain biking, onsite bouldering, cargo nets and sky ropes are all available at Thornbridge, so it means that we don’t have to leave the site to have an adventurous weekend.
Thornbridge also has very spacious dorm rooms that are much more suited to adults than some of the venues we have used previously.
Not only are they more spacious than most of the centres we have used in the past, they are also the most comfortable too.
Adding to it’s charm, Thornbridge is situated the beautiful village of Great Longstone and it is possible the prettiest building in the village. Built in the times of William the Conqueror, Thornbridge has a rich history.
To round it all off, Thornbridge also has a fantastic communal room which is a great place for the Adventurers to hang out in the evening and encourages socializing amongst one another.
All in all, Thornbridge is a great location for our short break weekends and we can’t wait to visit in 2025.
The Peak Centre (Known to most as Champion House)
Summary:
The Peak Centre feels like a home away from home for our short breaks.
Located in Edale, The Peak Centre offers easy access to the hills and an indoor climbing wall for the colder months (though a bit of cold doesn’t stop us).
Our May 2024 visit highlighted its convenience, with minimal travel needed to explore the nearby hills.
The Peak Centre is the largest venue we visit, providing plenty of space for gear and a mezzanine area, which is perfect for the Saturday night discos.
It retains a cosy atmosphere with an open fire in one of the communal spaces, spacious dorms, and a great outdoor area for year round adventure.
Where is it: Edale
Distance from Each Centre:
Top Valley: 1 hour 30 mins
Mansfield Woodhouse: 1 hour 15 mins
Chesterfield: 45 mins
Which Short Breaks Will Be At The Peak Centre in 2025:
7th – 9th February - Indoor Climb
21st – 23rd February - Fencing
9th – 11th May - Hill Walk
4th – 6th July - Paddle Sports
18th – 20th July - Paddle Sports
5th – 7th September - Paddle Sports
19th – 21st September - Paddle Sports
31st October - 2nd November -Â Indoor Climb
14th – 16th November - 14th – 16th - Fencing
Having used The Peak Centre for some time now, it feels like a home away from home when we visit on our short breaks.
Situated at the epicentre of the Peak District in the quaint village of Edale, The Peak Centre sits afoot of Kinder Scout and the rolling hills of the National Park.
Often used for our hill walking weekends, due to it’s quick and easy access to the hills, The Peak Centre also has an indoor climbing wall that we use during the colder months of the year. Giving us plenty of options for our short break weekends.
Last time we visited The Peak Centre, back in May, we seized the opportunity of the perfect weather and location to tackle some of the most famous hills in the area.
Only two of the groups that headed out that weekend had to travel out in the bus too, and those were only for a short journey.
The Peak Centre also boasts to be the biggest centre that we use on our short breaks. This means that we can spread out a little bit more than we’re used to and means we have plenty of room for all our kit.
As well as being the largest venue that we use, there is a fantastic social space which has a mezzanine floor. The ideal space to use for our discos, come Saturday evenings.
Having kept some of its feature from way back when, from when it was used as a family home, The Peak Centre also has a big open fire, which we like to crank up during the winter months. It’s a great way to put our fire lighting skills to the test!
As was the case with Thornbridge, The Peak Centre also has spacious dorm rooms with plenty of space for the Adventurer’s gear and bags. As well as cosy beds.
To top it all off, it has a great outdoor space, with a field and woodland area for extra actitives, especially in the summer months.
Watch: We use The Peak Centre's outdoor space to maximum capacity
Again, using our most recent trip to The Peak Centre as a prime example, we used the outdoor space for a game of rounders on the Sunday afternoon.
St Michael's
Summary:
St Michael's in Hathersage is our go-to spot for caving weekends in the Peak District! It's perfectly located for quick cave access and has wet and dry rooms where we can change without worrying about making a mess.
Forgot your wellies? No problem—St Michael's has a stash you can borrow, so you can pack light. The cosy setup with a single room for cooking, eating, and socializing keeps the vibes lively and fun.
The dorms might be a tad smaller than The Peak Centre and Thornbridge, but they're super comfy. Plus, we love grabbing a treat at nearby cafes like Wild Kettle on Sunday mornings.
Where is it: Hathersage
Distance from Each Centre:
Top Valley: 1 hour
Mansfield Woodhouse: 50 mins
Chesterfield: 25 mins
Which Short Breaks Will Be At The Peak Centre in 2025:
7th – 9th March - Caving
28th – 30th March - Caving
3rd – 5th October - Hill Walk
17th – 19th October -  Hill Walk
5th – 7th December - Caving
9th – 21st December - Caving
Another centrally located site, St Michael's, located in the historic village of Hathersage provides the most wonderful location for our caving weekends out into the Peak District.
Not only does the location of the centre give us quick and easy access to the caves in the Peaks, St Michael's also has a wet and dry room, meaning that we can get ready and get changed afterwards somewhere that we can make a bit of a mess!
St Michael's also has it’s own stash of wellies that we can borrow when heading off down the caves, so the Adventurers don’t always have to bring their own with them. It can be quite a bit of extra luggage when coming on a short break weekend, so the lighter they can pack the better.
As well as being well located, like all three of the venues that we’re visiting for our 2025 short breaks, St Michael's allows us to sit in one room when we’re cooking, eating and socialising.
This can sometimes get a little bit noisy, but it can also foster a lovely atmosphere amongst the group. Sometimes this isn’t always achievable in the other two centres as the area where we cook, eat and socialise are all separate.
The dorm rooms at St Michael's are a touch smaller than those at The Peak Centre and Thornbridge, but still have ample room for Adventurers to sleep comfortably.
Being in Hathersage, it also gives us access to some great Cafes on the Sunday morning, so that’s always a strong positive for us. One our favourite is the Wild Kettle, just down the road.
Don't Miss Out in 2025
That's everything you need to know about our 2025 short breaks venues.
We'll be officially releasing our short breaks very soon, and trust us, you don't want to miss out.
To be the first in line, join our mailing list now.
It's the only way to secure your spot for next year's short breaks before they sell out.
Due to the demand for last year's short breaks, we can't guarantee that if you wait until the breaks are released publicly, that there'll be any left at all...
Don't miss your chance to be part of our 2025 adventure weekends.
See you out there!
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