Bakewell Off The Beaten Path

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The church is not exactly out of the way but it is up the hill, so some tourists may think 'seen one church seen them all'. The entrance to the church is what makes it so fascinating....stones piled on top of one another , some clearly sarcophogi. I haven't yet researched when they date from but they must be saxon or celtic and many have a key symbol. The churchyard also has 2 ancient crosses with beautiful intricate patterns and some gravestones dating from the 17th century.

The Monsal Trail runs for some 15kms from near Bakewell to 5kms from Buxton. For the most part it follows the route of the old Midland Railway, although there are some deviations, owing to the stretches where the tunnels were. These have now been closed off for safety reasons.
At Monsal head you will find one of the Peak Districts gems - the view down Monsal Dale. This is a good starting point for a variety of walks but note that the way down (and therefore back up) is very steep.

There is a car park at Monsal Head for 150, and also a pub, cafe, and hotel.

Near Ashford in the Water
Access is via the A6 Buxton to Bakewell Road, then taking the turning towards Chesterfield, along the A6020.

Situated around Bakewell are many small old villages, most of wich consist of maybe one or two local village pubs and perhaps a small corner shop. At around the end of August a lot of the small villages for example Tideswell have Well Dressing. These are pictures or scenes made up from flowers. This tradition dates back to the pagan times and is well worth a look if you see Well Dressing advertised whilst on your travels. Chances are you wont spend all day looking at these but it is worth a quick look if passing.
You will see hand made advertisements on the road side whilst driving giving you the dates and location. The villages are quite easy to find as long as you have an AA map etc etc.