The National Stone Centre is located on the outskirts of Wirksworth in Derbyshire. It’s also situated very close to the High Peak Trail. Consequently, this makes it an ideal stopping point for walkers of the trail. Also, many will agree, that taking in the Stone Centre and a bite to eat at the Blue Lagoon Café can make for a pleasant break.

In fact, the National Stone Centre is situated in a 40-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Further, it’s known for its geological formations, offering outdoor and indoor activities for all.

There is plenty of parking at the National Stone Centre site and coach parties are very welcome. With this in mind, you can take a look at the Address or Map to get a better idea of the location.

Blue Lagoon Café

Depending on the weather you can choose to eat your food indoors when it’s too cold or wet. Otherwise, you can soak up that amazing view and eat your food on the outside terrace. Just below the terrace is a children’s play area.

The staff at the Blue Lagoon are friendly and happy to prepare you hot and cold food which is always fresh. An added bonus is that they source the food locally where possible. You can enjoy the speciality teas as well a good cup of coffee. Especially, if drunk with the all-day breakfast.

The Shop

Sooner or later, you may find yourself in the Rock Shop. Here, fossils, crystals, natural stone household items, books, maps, cards and other unique and unusual treasures can be found.

Groups Welcome

Without a doubt, groups of all kinds are welcome. Whether you are interested in geology, palaeontology, natural history, ecology or industrial archaeology, we have something for everyone. Guides can be provided for groups. Further, the groups can be adults, schools or students from universities.

Courses – Dry Stone Walling

The National Stone Centre also has very popular courses on dry stone walling. These are held over a weekend and cover the basic skills of dry stone walling. However, there are also so more advanced skills included. You can find the price of this course on the NSC website.

Courses – Stone Carving

Comparatively, you can learn some of the traditional skills of stone carving. In this case, there are more courses available which you can see here.