Our history
The history of the Peak District National Park is closely tied to the history of all Britain's national parks. The Peak District National Park was designated a national park in 1951, making it the UK's first, but the story of Britain's national parks started in the 1880s with the first attempt to introduce a freedom to roam.

Our purposes
The Peak District National Park Authority has been given the task of looking after the national park and it does so to an agenda set out by central government. It works in partnership with other organisations and individuals to deliver the two statutory purposes and duty.

Members
There are 30 members of the National Park Authority. Our members come from a range of backgrounds and offer a wealth of knowledge and experience. What they all share is a passion for the national park.

Staff
The Peak District National Park Authority is a public body made up of two groups of people: members and staff. Staff are sometimes called officers. Approximately 280 staff work for the Peak District National Park Authority.

We employ people who are specialists in ecology, archaeology, property, planning and rangers. We also employ specialist support staff who provide the core infrastructure including finance, IT, communications and human resources.