Lynsey Coombs, a history student at Newcastle University, downloads a historical guide onto her iPodWalkers in the Peak District can now plug in their MP3 players and get a guided walk, free of charge.

Accompanying maps can also be printed out at the download centre, which national park authorities say is only the second in the country. The audio guides have details of landscape, archaeology, geology, wildlife and folklore.

Lynsey Coombs, a history student at Newcastle University, downloads a historical guide onto her iPod 

The downloads are available at Bakewell Visitor Centre. There are 13 trail descriptions and three podcasts covering the Peak District National Park, ranging from prehistoric rock art at Gardom’s Edge to film locations in the Hathersage area.

The MP3 files can be chosen from a touchscreen menu. Some mobile phones are also capable of downloading the files. The equipment is provided by Peak Experience, an organisation set up to extol the virtues of the area and provide details of its attractions.

Peak Experience project officer Dan Boys said: “The download centre is a brilliant way of acquiring your very own personal walking guide, for free, which you can use at your leisure.

The Peak District landscape “The guides are packed with information about the landscape and buildings, covering historic and archaeological sites, geology, wildlife and folklore.

“They can already be downloaded from our website, via your computer, but this offers an instant download facility for people who pop in to the visitor centre and did not know about it beforehand.”

The Peak District landscape

The download centre will be at Bakewell Visitor Centre, in Bridge Street, until April, and will then move to the Castleton Visitor Centre.