The Gastro Pod

I took a trip down to the National Stone Center on the 20.08.2023, during the 100th Anniversary of the Institute Of Quarrying. All the staff were very friendly and the site is accessible with many areas being on gentle slopes. Some areas have tight uphill paths but the major vistas can be easily accessed. Around the location there are plenty of information points detailing the history, relevance, and utility of the various structures found through out the area. Improvements are being considered for the site so it may look a little different than what is pictured. With this in mind the site boasts various scenic locations with stunning views that any nature lover would enjoy. The coffee was about £3.

Really great place for everyone,adventure Park,great food and drink in the cafe and loads of information on the area including these hyena sculptures made out dung,sticks and feathers from old duvets,who would have believed hyenas roamed Derbyshire once!? Great place to stop at if you've hired a bike from Middleton Top.

Brilliant place to kill 3 hours. So much variety of things to see and so different to any other walk. Kids loved the geo trail and seeing all the fossils. Will likely go back again at some point. Would be a great little diversion from the high peak trail. One of the highlights for the adults was learning about all the different types of dry stone wall and ending up at the bottom of the quarry.

Wow what a wonderful place for the whole family! We visited during the Easter holidays and it wasn't too busy at all. There were Easter activities for the children laid out on tables such as colouring, and my children were kindly given chocolate eggs by the staff! A beautiful setting for the large indoor/outdoor cafe with tasty home made cakes and quality coffee (Lots of lunch options too). There is something for every age- comfy sofas, boxes of toys for younger children to keep them amused if its raining, and a decent outside playground if its not! They have a 'panning for gold' activity which my children loved- for just £3! There were Microscopes and various things of interest on display to look at inside too. The gift shop is very reasonably priced, with lots to look at, and a large selection of crystals/gemstones. Outside, there is a short geo trail to follow which is very well maintained, with information boards. At the end, all three of my children ( aged 5, 15, 19) enjoyed the hands on activity where they attempted to build a wall with the rocks placed on the grass for this purpose. Our visit lasted 4 hours and we didn't even have a chance to enjoy the walk around the centre! Last, but certainly not least- the staff were very attentive, friendly and kind hearted... One lovely lady in particular! She went over and above interacting with my 5 year old and gave him a lot of her time. He already wants to go back! Thank you for a memorable day to all at the national stone centre :)

Well, would you ever believe it? How can you possibly make 'stones' so interesting? To answer that question you need to visit the National Stone Centre. Amazing how a common, everyday item can be fashioned in different ways and how the formation of those stones provides totally different features and working mediums. The dry stone walls, seen alongside country roads and separating fields on the Geo trail are eye-opening and something that you would never notice without seeing them side-by-side as they are at the Centre. Well worth a visit.

Had a wonderful brunch here, with poached eggs, mushrooms, and toast. The coffee was excellent 😋 My girlfriend had the cheese scone which was absolutely delicious. Absolutely wonderful food, cooked on site, and with high skill. Would definitely recommend for anyone walking along the High Peak trail, to stop off, enjoy the scenery, and get something to eat at their cafe. Because everything from the kitchen is made to order, at busy times the wait might be slightly longer. I didn't mind waiting for my food, but if it's busy and you're in a rush, then you might just want to order one of their cakes and coffee, rather than from their cooked menu.