Ashford in the Water

(6.2 miles)

Ashford is a sleepy little village lying on the River Wye, just upstream of Bakewell. It has a long history, and from the Iron Age or earlier was one of the major crossing points on the Wye. The river and the bridges across it are major features of Ashford. Sheepwash Bridge dates from the 17th century and has a pen next to it for the purpose of washing the sheep, a practice which continued until quite recently. Downstream, Mill Bridge is dated 1664, but is newer than Sheepwash Bridge.

The church has a 14th century tower and font, but was heavily restored in the 1870s, and most of the building dates from then. In the church is the grave of Henry Watson (d. 1786), who was responsible for the commercial exploitation of Ashford Black Marble. Not a true marble, this impure limestone comes up an attractive shiny black colour when polished, and it was quarried from Kirk Dale and Rookery Wood just outside Ashford, and used at an early date in both Hardwick Hall and Chatsworth. However, Watson's invention of machinery for cutting and polishing the marble allowed it to be mass-produced and it became very fashionable. Watson's machinery used water power from a mill on the River Wye near the foot of Kirk Dale, which closed in 1905, though the foundations may still be seen. Examples of Ashford Marble are on display in Buxton Museum.