Rude names, railways and a mass trespass - how the Peak District became a tourist attraction

Rude names, railways and a mass trespass - how the Peak District became a tourist attraction7 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleCaroline LowbridgeEast MidlandsGetty ImagesSome of the former Peak District railway lines are now walking routes, like the Monsal TrailThe Peak District became the UK's first national park 75 years ago, but the area has been attracting visitors for much longer.One of the oldest tourist attractions is the Devil's Arse - one of four caves in Castleton that are accessible to the public."It makes a huge farting noise basically," says John Harrison, director of the site, as he explains where its name originates."It was always known as the Devil's Arse and then in Victorian times, with their sort of prudish outlook on life, it became offensive."They changed it to the Devil's Hole - which is probably worse - and then Peak's Hole and then Peak Cavern."When we took it on it was Peak Cavern and we changed it back to the Devil's Arse."John HarrisonTourists have been visiting the Devil's Arse for centuriesWhen the cave floods, the rising and falling of the water sucks through air and makes a sound uncannily similar to flatulence."It can flood two or three times a year - sometimes more, it depends on the weather - but it's happening more often at the minute, so it's being heard more regularly," says John.The Devil's Arse was named as one of Seven Wonders of the Peak back in 1636, in a book by philosopher Thomas Hobbes, which shows people have been visiting the cave and the wider Peak District for centuries."They tended to be very well-heeled gentry who'd come and stay at the likes of places like Chatsworth and be taken on a tour of the Peak District," says John.But then railways came along in the 19th Century - including the line that connects Manchester and Sheffield, which opened in 1894 and is still known for its incredible scenery."...