But Jeremy Dunkin is a man who likes the best of both worlds – and after a long day in the office he enjoys nothing more than to take to the hills: walking, climbing or mountain biking around the countryside near his home.

Jeremy abandoned city life three years ago when he set up his design agency, Symbiosis, in Buxton. These days he lives just a short walk from the office and says his scenic surroundings are the perfect creative inspiration.

He uses the hours he used to spend commuting to serve as a director of business and community champion Vision Buxton and to pursue his passion for outdoor sports – as well as having more time to enjoy with wife Sarah and daughters Charlotte, three, and Hannah, three months.

Rocky edges

I moved out of London for the climbing. It was either Wales or the Peak District – the Peaks won because I figured I would be able to earn a living in the cities around.

There's something special about the feeling of standing at the top of Flying Buttress on Stanage Edge, coiling up the ropes as the sun sets. Or that moment when I finally hauled myself over the crux of Tody's Wall, realising I'd left my 'camming' devices in the rucksack at the bottom of the route – now that's an adrenaline rush when you get to the top, I assure you!

Buxton

When I worked in Manchester, Buxton was simply the end of the line – the train line, to be specific. Then I set up Symbiosis and, smitten by the charm of the town, we decided to move the business to Buxton three years later.

Why Buxton? It could simply be its proximity to the wider Peak District; the combination of stunning Georgian architecture and the area's rugged beauty.

The move certainly made the company more productive, spending four hours a day less in the car. Traffic's hell heading for Manchester and it made a lot of sense. It's still early days; we're in our third year, but no regrets so far.

My wife and I love the town and it's great for the children, too. The parks, playgrounds and the schools are good and we are on the edge of one of the best outdoor playgrounds in the world – the Peak District itself.

Architecture

The buildings are incredible. How many provincial towns of this size can boast a theatre, let alone an Opera House? There's also the Crescent, the Old Hall, the Dome and an amazing number of other architectural wonders.

I like the Octagon, where there's always something going on – from brass bands to antiques, model railways to toy fairs.

And its all set in 23 acres of landscaped gardens. That's space to play hide and seek, picnic and play ball games. You can even play crazy golf, basketball, feed the ducks or just run about as fast as you can (or at least that's what Charlotte tells me).

The great outdoors

If I have to pick one thing I love best, it has to be the Great Outdoors (I know it's a big subject).
It's the heather rising to cover your tracks, the Peak District edges, formed with a hundred eroded slices of rock, precariously balanced one on another, to create towers that just have to be climbed – from the precociously simple to daringly impossible.

And there's nothing more refreshing than a relaxing pint after a walk across Kinder from the Downfall to Edale.

Cycling tracks

I can finish work, hop on a bike and be in the heart of a national park within 30 minutes. You can't beat a white-knuckle mountain bike descent of Chapel Gate Track, from Rushup Edge, jumping the snowdrifts on your way down Grindsbrook in the middle of winter, having seen no-one else all day.

You don't have to go far to leave the people behind, either, especially when you have to start the ride in full waterproofs…

Weather

You've got to love water in Buxton – or the rain, at least. In the last six months I've not managed to start or finish a bike ride without rain; I love it.

Or maybe it's the Peak District mud I love the most, flicking off the rear tyre of your mountain bike as rocky descents force their will upon tired gears and even more tired legs – to return at the end of a day, soaked through to the skin, bruised, battered and exhausted. It's infectious. Once sampled you're hooked, honest!

Pavilion Gardens

Since Charlotte was born, the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton has definitely been one of my favourite places. Designed by Edward Milner in the 1870s and Grade II listed, it's a great place to relax, eat or play.

Highlights are a wooden stockade (a proper train, as Charlotte likes to call it) and the Pavilion itself, with its Victorian promenade looking out across the park from its vantage point.

Picturesque stone and cast iron brides span the River Wye, just put there to play Pooh sticks on Sunday afternoons.

Follow the river as it winds its way through the park and tumbles over waterfalls before disappearing under the Crescent and away.

With Green Flag status and the gardens doing their bit to help the town win a silver gilt in last year's Britain in Bloom awards, you can be sure of an adult experience, too – at least while buying the ice creams.