Staying in a one of the cottages in Ashford, a town which is located on the banks of the river is a great choice your Peak District holiday.It is located north of Bakewell and is a very unique part of Derbyshire as well as the Peak District so there is plenty to do in easy reach of the village.

Peak District tourism attracts millions of visitors to the area each year and Ashford should definitely be on your Peak District Accommodation shortlist.

If you like to explore visit The Holy Trinity Church like many others in the region is centuries old. Some parts of the church go back to the 13th century but much of it was rebuilt in the 1800’s as it had become so old. Fortunately some of the original architecture has withstood the test of time.

From the 14th century, the lower section of the west tower, and the south door still has the original Norman tympanum depicting the tree of life, and in the center is a hog and wolf facing each other.

The church also features a chalice from the 1600’s, an octagonal Perp font, and a Jacobean pulpit.

In the 1700’s, a custom of hanging funeral garland made of paper that was attached to a wooden frame and carried in front of the procession and hung on the church roof, is still alive and well today. There are four of these garland pieces still hanging.

The village once was an industry for candle making; however, there is only one house in the place of the old factory, located on Greaves Lane.

The main attraction of the Peak District is the beautiful Sheep Wash Bride, which was originally used as a packhorse bridge; later sheep herders washed their herds there before they were sheared.

Ashford has long been known for all of the black marble that is produces. Once the marble is polished to a shine, it is used in mosaics, jewellery, table tops, and clocks. You can find black marble tables in the Ashford Church and throughout the U.S., as this type of marble has become very popular.

One of the most fascinating features in Ashford is the revived custom of well dressing, which takes place on Trinity Sunday, this very special event has 6 wells that are dressed with layering leaves and many other natural objects in a bed of clay to form a picture. There are approximately 12,000 or so spectators that visit the church during Well Dressing Week.

There is also Ashford Hall, which overlooks a beautiful lake that is part of the River Wye. Ashford Hall was built in 1785 by Joseph Pickford of derby, and belongs to the Olivier family.

Just a short distance down the road from Ashford is a Georgian T shaped house known as Thornbridge Hall, it was privately owned until the middle of the 20th century where it changed hands and became a teacher’s training college, then after a period of time then it became an educational center, it is now once again privately owned and used as and antique shop.

If your not staying at holiday at one of the holiday cottages in Ashford definitely make sure it is on your list of places to visit especially if you are taking a holiday during Well Dressing week.

Visit the Peak District Tourism blog for more Peak District Tourist Information