Dog-friendly Carsington and around

Severn Trent reservoir on the southern edge of the Peak, with a visitor centre, cycle hire and a circuit of the water through woodland and bird hides. Dogs are welcome but must be kept under control and on a lead at all times, because of the wildfowl the reservoir was built to attract. Parking is paid on exit or within 24 hours through the Trust app.

Seventeen and a half miles of the Cromford and High Peak Railway, running from High Peak Junction at Cromford up to Dowlow near Buxton and meeting the Tissington Trail at Parsley Hay. It is traffic-free and surfaced throughout, so it walks well in winter and suits wheels and old dogs, but note the inclines: cyclists and riders are directed round the western route at Middleton Top. The 1829 winding engine at the top of the incline opens on selected weekends, and there is a shop, cycle hire and toilets at the car park.

Small modern bar in the middle of Wirksworth, well kept beer and no fruit machines. Dog friendly by its own description, and a short walk from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway station and the path up to Black Rocks. A good end point for a walk down the High Peak Trail from Middleton Top.

Log cabins on a working farm at Longcliffe, with the High Peak Trail running along the boundary. Three of the cabins are dog friendly, one with an enclosed decking area, and the farm is used to guests arriving with dogs and children in equal number. Genuinely accessible too, with wheelchair-adapted cabins.

Georgian house turned small hotel in Arkwright's village, a short walk from the mills and the canal. Dogs stay in The Oaks and are welcome in every public area except the restaurant; say you are dining with a dog when you reserve and you will be put in the bar. Ideal for the High Peak Trail and the Cromford Canal towpath.

Arkwright's 1771 mill, the birthplace of the factory system and the anchor of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Well-behaved dogs are welcome across the site and in both cafes, though individual shops set their own policy, and the riverside meadow beyond the mill walls is the designated spending area. Guided mill tours, woodland paths and the canal towpath all start here.

Georgian spa hotel above Matlock Bath, built round a thermal pool and lately restored. Dog-friendly stays are offered but must be booked by phone rather than online, and dogs are to be kept on leads in the gardens. The hotel publishes a dog policy worth reading before you arrive.

Thirteen miles of the old Ashbourne to Buxton line, running from Ashbourne up to Parsley Hay where it joins the High Peak Trail. The surface is level compacted stone the whole way, with accessible car parks, picnic sites and toilets, which makes it the kindest long walk in the county for an arthritic dog. Tissington's old station yard is the best mid-point start; dogs need close control where the trail runs between grazing fields.

Hilltop estate above Matlock Bath reached by cable car over the Derwent gorge, with woodland paths and viewpoints at the top. Dogs are welcome on the cable cars and across the estate, but not in the show caverns or the restaurant, which the estate states outright. The terrace cafe is the place to sit while the rest of the party does the caves.