The national park on the doorstep of Greater Manchester named ‘best in the UK’

Liv Clarke

29 April 2024 at 1:37 am·2-min read

hawthorn tree lit up with the first sunlight of the day, overlooking Hope valley covered in a layer of morning mist and the heather in full purple bloom. Peak District — The Peak District has been named the best national park to visit in the UK, according to new research -Credit:Getty Images

We’re lucky in Greater Manchester that several national parks are all within easy reach. Yet only one of them has been crowned the best in the UK, according to a new study.

The Peak District has topped a list of the best national parks to visit in the country, beating the likes of the Lake District, Dartmoor and the Pembrokeshire Coast to the top spot. The research, conducted by cinch, ranked the national parks according to the number of nearby cafes, parking spaces, average temperature and social media popularity.

It secured its spot thanks to an impressive 2.3million Instagram hashtags and a staggering 363 million TikTok views, as well as 157 cafes and 44 car parks. Only a short drive from Greater Manchester, the Peak District includes some incredible locations such as Kinder Scout, Thor’s Cave and Padley Gorge.

Close on its tails, the Lake District ranked second on the list. In fact, out of all the national parks it has the claim of having the most cafes, with 335 spread across its towns, villages and hamlets. It has more Instagram hashtags than the Peaks, with 4 million, but trailed with the number of TikTok views, only having 10.7million.

A beautiful sunny day over Derwent Water near Keswick in the Lake District — The Lake District ranked second in the study -Credit:PA

Meanwhile the New Forest came third on the list. The only other national park near Greater Manchester to make the top ten was Eryi (Snowdonia), which bagged tenth place.

The top national parks to visit in the UK:

Peak District
Lake District
New Forest
Northumberland
Dartmoor
Norfolk and Suffolk Broads
Pembrokeshire Coast
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
South Downs
Eryi (Snowdonia)
Exmoor
Yorkshire Dales
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)
Cairngorms
North York Moors

Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch, said: “Crowning the best national park in the UK based on its scenery alone is no easy feat, as every park is dotted with picturesque villages and stunning sites. However, based on our findings, the perfect location for a road trip is the Peak District, the first of Britain’s 15 national parks to be established.

“Covering five different counties and featuring spectacular landscapes, the Peak District is an ideal destination if you’re on the hunt for picture- or video-perfect spots. In fact, this stunning part of the world has received over 363 million views on TikTok, making it a true favourite among nature lovers and social media users.”

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The top national parks to visit in the UK:

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