Printer's Cottage welcomes you to Tideswell
Tideswell (known locally as 'Tidza') is one of the most ancient settlements in the central Peak District area, located 9 miles east of Buxton, in a wide dry valley on a limestone plateau, at an altitude of over 1000ft.
Tideswell pre-dates the Roman era, and was ruled by the Saxons after the Romans had departed. In the 7th century Tideswell was named 'Tidi's Wall' after the Saxon Chieftain Tidi whose burial ground is at Tideslow to the north. The name remained with a variety of spellings until the 17th century and in the Domesday Book is listed as Tidesuuelle, a Royal demesne, part of the enormous parish of Hope, given by William the Conqueror to his illegitimate son, William Peverell who occupied Peverell Castle at nearby Castleton.
In 1207 Tideswell was granted to Thomas Armiger, and was host to the 'Great Courts' of the Royal Forest of the Peak during the reign of King Edward I, and Records show that Edward I, Edward III and Henry IV all visited Tideswell at various times during ther reigns.
In 1251 Tideswell was granted a market charter and became a principle market for wool, lead and local produce, resulting in a rapid growth in population and prosperity. The markets are no more, but the town's prosperity at the time is reflected by its magnificent medieval church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist and often referred to as the 'Cathedral of the Peak', which was started and completed in the 14th century. No major external alterations have been made since 1400 and it looks little different today as it did 600 years ago.
The textile industry came into prominence in Tideswell Village around the 19th century when small factories were involved in the hand weaving of silk scarves and handkerchiefs for the Macclesfield silk industry, whilst the nearby mills at Cressbrook and Litton produced cotton. The mills were quite notorious for the appalling way they treated their young labour force, which consisted of mainly pauper and orphaned children. They had often been brought here from places as far away as London and had to put up with long hours, meagre food, cramped accommodation, beatings and general abuse by the owners. Many died as a result of the harsh treatment they received, and the bodies were buried away from the mill in an attempt to hide the truth about what went on.
Tideswell is famed today for its Wakes Week, the annual well dressing festival, an ancient custom involving the decoration of the village wells with flower petals which takes place on the Saturday nearest to the 24th June (St. John the Baptist day). There was at one time another local custom which has since died out that was known as 'sugar cupping'. On Easter Sunday liquorice was embellished with sugar or honey and given to children to take with water from the wells in the village.
Tideswell is a hotchpotch of character cottages, individual houses and architectural gems, all contained within a tight network of alleys, lanes and narrow roads around a combination of 'squares'. On a corner in the centre of Tideswell is the National Westminster Bank, the building originally having been constructed as the District Bank in 1905 on the site of the old smithy and guildhall. There are many other notable buildings in Tideswell including the spectacular Oddfellows Hall of 1872 which stands in an elevated position at the rear of the market square.
In the centre of the village, Bank Square Gardens are dedicated to Norman Gratton CBE, JP, MA, and Chairman of the Peak National Park 1956-77.
At the side of the Manchester Road, and contained within a private garden, is the Ebbing and Flowing Well referred to as the third of the Seven Wonders of the Peak. The well ceased to function however when a new drainage system was laid early in the 1900's, although Hutchinson's Guide to the village in 1809 reported that it was choked up even then. At one time the well was another theory as to how Tideswell gained its name.
Behind the church are the buildings of the former Robert Purseglove Grammar School which was founded in 1559 by the distinguished churchman and educationalist who was deprived of office twice because of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The present building which dates in part from 1742 incorporates Eccles Hall and Blake House, both acquired in the 19th century to accommodate staff and students. The school was finally closed in 1927 and its former 'halls of residence' now provide a home for the books of Tideswell Library.
East of the church is the George Inn which was built in 1730 and has the most attractive 18th century Venetian windows. The Hon. John Byng (later Viscount Torrington) on a visit here in 1790 wrote:
"At Tideswell I stopt at a comfortable public-house, The New George, where being instantly served with cold roast beef and pigeon-pye, I felt very contented".
More than two hundred years later the 'New' has been dropped and the only pigeons to be found are those that occasionally roost on the rooftop!
Tideswell offers a wide range of amenities, including the Vanilla Kitchen tea shop supplying fresh home baked goods, local butcher, baker, chemist, Post Office, small Co–op, newsagent and craft shop and gallery. There are a number of pubs in addition to the George Inn, including the Horse & Jockey, serving fresh home cooked food and a good range of real ales.
A walk around the centre of the village reveals a plethora of architectural features including mouldings, mullions, decorated gables and impressive facades, mainly utilising the local limestone or Derbyshire gritstone with a smattering of red brick sourced from the south of the region.
The area around Tideswell is littered with places to visit and explore. See the Towns & Villages, Where to Go and What to Do pages for more information and suggestions.
