Bakewell & Haddon Hall: The Quiet Peak District Stop That Surprised Us

After the busier stretch through Oxford and the Cotswolds, Bakewell was a genuine change of pace on our England road trip. In this episode, we talk through our stay in this quiet Peak District market town, the debate over Bakewell puddings vs. Bakewell tarts (there's a right answer), and the walk along the River Wye and its Roman bridge. 🏨 RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY 01:41 - Castle Inn: https://go.stay22.com/nD87Dgnn8J Then we get into Haddon Hall — a medieval manor house still owned by the same family that's held it for generations, left largely untouched for around 200 years. We cover the room-by-room tour, the tapestries and frescoes that are original rather than reproductions, the self-guided audio experience, and the surprising art gallery where you'd expect a gift shop. We also talk about its most famous film credit: this is where The Princess Bride was filmed. This is part of our England road trip series — slow travel, real opinions, and the stops that surprised us most. On-Screen Highlights Where we stayed: The Castle Inn — rustic rooms, right next to the street and outside bar, but Bakewell settles down early and it was quiet all night. The dessert debate: Bakewell puddings and Bakewell tarts are not the same thing. The traditional almond-topped pudding is the one worth the detour — the iced tart is skippable. Head to the Bakewell Pudding Parlour. Haddon Hall: A medieval manor house left largely untouched for roughly 200 years, still owned by the same family. Original tapestries, dry fresco paintings in the chapel, and a self-guided audio tour with speakers in each room instead of a walking guide. No traditional gift shop — just a small ticket kiosk and an art gallery space featuring a rotating selection of new artists. Film fans take note: Haddon Hall is where The Princess Bride was filmed. The River Wye walk: A Roman bridge and small canals threading through town — a good bookend to a day mostly spent indoors at the manor. **Quick note--Beth says that dried frescoes are done on dry plaster and wet frescoes on wet plaster. Just a verification of her earlier explanation. 🎧 New episodes every week wherever you get your podcasts. 🔔 Subscribe for the rest of the England road trip series, including York and our final stop before Scotland. #BakewellPudding #HaddonHall #PeakDistrict #EnglandRoadTrip #SlowTravel #WanderingWorksForUs