Piggy in the Middle

Start here

Not sure where to begin? Here are four short reading paths depending on what brings you here.

If you're visiting

Planning a trip to Matlock and the Peak District

You want to know what's worth doing, where to stay, and what the area is actually like to spend time in.

  1. 1 By place A map-style overview of what's where and how far it is from Matlock
  2. 2 The White Peak Loop The trail that makes Matlock's position genuinely useful for walkers and cyclists
  3. 3 Where to stay in Matlock Accommodation options for families, including with dogs
  4. 4 Cromford Mills The UNESCO site two miles south — worth half a day at minimum

If you're home educating

Learning resources in and around Matlock

You want places and experiences that support learning — not just days out, but genuinely educational environments.

  1. 1 The LEVEL Centre for home educators Why this arts centre in Rowsley works particularly well for home education
  2. 2 The Peak Mining Museum A hands-on museum where children can go underground and touch things
  3. 3 River Derwent: Lifeblood of the Valley The river as geography, history, and ecology — following it is a curriculum in itself
  4. 4 The History of Bank Road Local history that explains why the town is shaped the way it is

If you want to get outside

Trails, parks, and outdoor activities

You want to get the children out, move your own body, and make the most of the Peak District being on the doorstep.

  1. 1 The White Peak Loop The 42-mile trail circuit — but also perfectly good in shorter sections
  2. 2 Trail running and cycling around Matlock What's available and where to start if you want to run or ride regularly
  3. 3 Hall Leys Park skate park Matlock's new skate facility in the town centre park
  4. 4 The Countryside Code The principles behind responsible access to the Peak District

If you're new to the area

Getting to know Matlock and the Derwent Valley

You've moved here, or you're thinking about it, and you want to understand what the place actually is and what it makes possible.

  1. 1 River Derwent: Lifeblood of the Valley Start here. The river explains the landscape, the heritage, and why the towns are where they are
  2. 2 The History of Bank Road A short local history that gives you a mental map of the town
  3. 3 Cromford Mills Understanding Cromford helps make sense of the whole Derwent Valley
  4. 4 By place The full overview of what's where — a practical map of the area covered on this site

About this site

What Piggy in the Middle is

Piggy in the Middle is the children's game where one person is caught between two others, trying to intercept. It's a useful metaphor for the reality of balancing work, parenting, and home education — you're perpetually in the middle, intercepting competing demands, trying not to drop anything.

This site is an honest account of living that way in a specific place — Matlock, Derbyshire — and what that place makes possible. It's grounded in the real rather than the aspirational: actual venues, actual trails, actual seasonal rhythms. The Matlock setting is not incidental. Place is the anchor.