Walking, Painting Or Navigating For A Peak Easter

Not a lot of people know this, but the Peak District National Park has its own Centre for Environmental Learning at Losehill near Hope.

It's a designated Eco-centre saving energy and using locally-sourced material where possible and it runs a range of courses and special interest holidays covering a variety of activities.

This Easter, for example, you can choose between walking, painting and navigation at Losehill Hall. The Easter Walking Weekend, runs from 14-17 April and includes a daily walk led by expert walking guides of up to12 miles in the National Park.

Then there's the Spring Colour Splash, from April 14 - 17, when professional painter and tutor Noel McCready will explore the structure of landscape and how to paint it - suitable for beginners and the more experienced.

Finally, if you're prone to getting lost, there's the Bronze Navigation Skills course, April 14 - 16, when you can learn the basics of map-reading, using a compass and orientation.

Losehill Hall, near Castleton, has a restaurant and bar, and prices include all tuition, freshly-cooked meals, packed lunches and accommodation in en-suite rooms. Costs per person: £235 for the Spring Colour Splash and Easter Walking Weekend, and £175 for the Navigation Skills (£10 discount for sharing a room). There's also a free taxi service to and from Hope station which is on the line between Manchester and Sheffield.

For more information, call 01433 620373, e-mail holidays.losehill@peakdistrict.gov.uk or visit www.losehillholidays.org.uk