Peak Christmas 2023

We enjoyed it so much last year, we are heading back to the historic village of Eyam for our Christmas in the Peak District.  We will once again be staying at the Eyam YHA, a Victorian folly resembling a tiny turreted castle, perched on the hillside above the town.

This will be a weekend of festive catch-ups with old friends, and meeting new ones to spread the Christmas cheer, whilst having superb access to stunning Peak District countryside right from the front door in which to #GetOutMore. 

We’ll be going all-out, with a cosy Christmas feel to get us all warmed up for the real thing a few weeks later – expect lots of special festive touches all weekend.

The historic village of Eyam is ideally situated for superb hiking adventures in the Peak District National Park. There are almost endless possibilities for magnificent walks around Eyam. A heritage-rich land of rounded hills, rocky tors, high plateaus, verdant valleys, limestone gorges and tranquil streams awaits.

Some of the most scenic hikes around Eyam explore the deep-cut river valleys of the White Peak. Here the relentless flow of water has carved its way through limestone to create hiking landscapes of the finest vintage. Experience tranquil dales where your only company is the babbling streams and chirrups of birdsong.

Eyam is known as the 'Plague Village' because of the its response to an outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1665 and 1666. Between the first death and the last, the villagers set an extraordinary and enduring example of self-sacrifice, by sealing off the village from the surrounding areas to prevent the disease spreading to other communities.

Today Eyam has many plague-related places of interest. One is the Boundary Stone in the fields between Eyam and Stony Middleton in which money, usually soaked in vinegar (which was believed to kill the infection). was placed in exchange for food and medicine. It is just one of several 'plague stones' marking the boundary that should not be crossed by either inhabitant or outsider. 

We'll be exploring some of this local history and landscape over the weekend, with a choice of a slightly more challenging walk and a gentler amble available for you to choose from on the Saturday. For those who can stay a while longer on the Sunday, we'll plan to have a shorter day walk option available then too.

After a great day outdoors on Saturday - potentially with a quick pub stop included - we'll be returning to base where we’ll be making the most of the evening with a good hearty Christmas inspired meal, plenty of fun and laughter, some games and tunes to get us in the mood for the silly season, as we celebrate with our existing OutdoorLads chums and make some new ones too. 

In keeping with the Ghosts of Peak Christmases past, there will be NO Friday night buffet!  We’ll have tasty jacket potatoes and a range of fillings available for you on Friday night, so keep your quiches and mini scotch eggs at home!  Breakfasts is provided on both days, just don’t forget to bring your own lunch.

So come on, sign up and join Will and Liam for a Christmas cracker of a weekend in the Peaks! 

Dogs: This event is not suitable for dogs.

Image Credits: Provided by Will Allaway and used with permission. 

OUTDOORLADS FOUNDATION  Fancy coming along but having a difficult time of it (for whatever reason), and/or finding it hard to justify the expense? Apply for a place on this event through the OutdoorLads Foundation! Nobody apart from staff members will know and we don't need lots of financial info from you either. To apply through the Foundation, you'll need to complete a very short form, which can be found along with more information here.

WANT TO PAY IN INSTALMENTS?  You can arrange to pay in instalments if that helps. Please contact the office on support@outdoorlads.com who will help you to secure a place and set up paying in instalments. The event must be fully paid up a week before the event takes place. 

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