Ilam Derbyshire DE6 2AZ
You'd be forgiven for thinking you were at a magnificent castle when you first arrive at this grand Gothic manor. Boasting extensive grounds and plenty of room to explore YHA Ilam Hall offers a memorable base for an amazing residential. We offer everything you need to be comfortable during your stay, with two lounges, a spacious dining room, classroom, fantastic games room and great social areas. There is limited Wi-Fi and over half of the bedrooms are en suite.
Keep tummies from rumbling when you sit in our dining room and enjoy a meal from our delicious groups menu. We offer a scrumptious hot and cold breakfast and evening meals, plus we can provide you with packed lunches to take out on your adventures.
Whether you want to challenge your pupils with orienteering, focus on team building activities, test endurance on a hike up Thorpe Cloud, hunt for mini-beasts, learn about the wonders of the beautiful Peak District, or visit the famous Dovedale Stepping Stones, there is lots to do here. We offer a range of national curriculum-linked activities in our discovery package. Or for groups wanting a self-led residential our activities can be added on to your stay as a half day or full day bolt-on. We also offer geography focused activities delivered by Educational Rangers from the Peak District National Park.
Nearby you'll find cycling routes such as the Tissington Trail and Manifold Trail and we are also close to Alton Towers and Carsington Waters - which can add another layer of excitement to your stay!
Current special offers for school groups
£40 full-board deal
Valid at selected hostels during September and October 2026, we're offering a fantastic £40 per person, per night (including VAT) full-board deal.
That's around a 30% saving on our standard prices. A class of 30 can enjoy a residential for £1,200 per night at 29 hostels across England and Wales.
What's included?
- All meals, including our much-loved YHA breakfast.
- Accommodation.
- Leaders come free!*
*When you book a full-board package, you'll also get a free leader place for every 10 paying guests aged under 26.
valid until: October 2026
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What activities are available during educational visits in 2026?
Connecting to nature package - Pupils get the chance to combine nature-based activities with ways to develop mindfulness skills in the great outdoors. Days will be filled with activities such as finding minibeasts, fire-lighting, pond-dipping, scavenger hunts, environmental art and shelter-building. Evenings will be spent around the campfire, toasting marshmallows, telling stories and singing songs under a starlit sky.
Discovery package - Our discovery packages allows teachers to offer a flexible programme of fun and challenging activities. These could include: archaeological dig, egg rockets, environmental art, fencing, habitat building and navigation.
Geography package - Carry out fieldwork as part of the national curriculum with our geography package. Your students can get hands on with the world around them, with activities like fossil casting and limestone studies. With YHA's brilliant locations, you can make the most of physical and human landforms with no extra travel or transport costs, making it great value for money.
Multi-activity package - Full of challenges for the brain and body our multi-activity packages are designed to engage participants through practical PE-based activity. This package offers a mixture of adventurous and on-site activities that make the most of the great outdoors and the hostel locality.
Adventure bolt-on - There are a near-endless number of opportunities to explore, discover new things and try unusual activities. This package offers a range of adventurous activities on a half-day or full-day basis so you can make your residential trip suit you. Activities include: abseiling, canoeing, high ropes, kayaking and quad biking.
YHA bolt-on - These activities are perfect for teachers to add on as an 'extra' particularly for self-led groups. The benefit of having hostel grounds is that we can offer space to lead activities without you needing to travel anywhere. Activities include: team challenges, shelter building, archery, guided walks and fire lighting.
Discovery package - Our discovery packages allows teachers to offer a flexible programme of fun and challenging activities. These could include: archaeological dig, egg rockets, environmental art, fencing, habitat building and navigation.
Geography package - Carry out fieldwork as part of the national curriculum with our geography package. Your students can get hands on with the world around them, with activities like fossil casting and limestone studies. With YHA's brilliant locations, you can make the most of physical and human landforms with no extra travel or transport costs, making it great value for money.
Multi-activity package - Full of challenges for the brain and body our multi-activity packages are designed to engage participants through practical PE-based activity. This package offers a mixture of adventurous and on-site activities that make the most of the great outdoors and the hostel locality.
Adventure bolt-on - There are a near-endless number of opportunities to explore, discover new things and try unusual activities. This package offers a range of adventurous activities on a half-day or full-day basis so you can make your residential trip suit you. Activities include: abseiling, canoeing, high ropes, kayaking and quad biking.
YHA bolt-on - These activities are perfect for teachers to add on as an 'extra' particularly for self-led groups. The benefit of having hostel grounds is that we can offer space to lead activities without you needing to travel anywhere. Activities include: team challenges, shelter building, archery, guided walks and fire lighting.
What size groups do we cater for?
YHA Ilam Hall has 126 beds, so we can cater for both large and small groups.
On-site classroom facilities?
Yes We do have the ability to provide a classroom-like environment. You can tell us your group size and any specific requirements in the form below.
Is there first aid on site?
Yes, and we are also committed to ensuring we meet stringent health and safety standards - please contact us if you need any further details
Access for visitors with disabilities
At YHA Ilam Hall we strive to cater for everybody. We have two accessible bedrooms on the ground floor of The Lodge with accessible en suite bathrooms. We also have two shallow steps into porch, a platform lift, an accessible reception desk, ground floor bedrooms and en suite bedrooms.
Anything else?
YHA Ilam Hall has been awarded the Quality Badge by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
Who are YHA?
We are YHA.
We transform young lives forever through travel and real adventure.
Because where you go changes who you become.
We believe every child should have the same chance to discover, explore and grow. That's why we're committed to providing bursary support for schools and colleges that are struggling to meet the costs of a residential. Please make an enquiry and we'll get in touch.
Teacher Checklist
Get Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge AALA Licence Duke of Edinburgh Award
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