The village of Castleton in Derbyshire's Peak District grew up at the foot of the hill on which William Peveril, who was the illegitimate son of William the Conqueror, built his castle towards the end of the 11th century. Hence "castle town". The lovely Grade II*-listed Church of St Edmond in Castleton dates from the early 12th century after the completion of the castle, as the village gradually grew. The tower was subsequently built in the 14th century.

Throughout the 12th century the patronship of the church was held by the custodian of the castle and the connection between the church and the castle was so close at that time that it was known as the church of Peak Castle.

The church is dedicated to Saint Edmund, King of East Anglia. He was martyred after his defeat by the Danes in AD 869.

Tags:   Derbyshire Castleton Peak District St Edmund's Church, Castleton Norman architecture medieval buildings Grade II*-listed buildings

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This valley is immediately to the north of the Hope Valley in Derbyshire's Peak District, where last Thursday we stayed overnight at Castleton. The two valleys are divided by the Great Ridge, part of which is pictured. This runs east from Mam Tor to Back Tor and Lose Hill. The village of Edale is a short distance from here.

Tags:   Derbyshire Vale of Edale Edale Peak District National Park landscapes

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This is one of the delightful old stone cottages in the pretty little village of Castleton, which is at the western end of the Hope Valley in the High Peak district of Derbyshire. It is surrounded on three sides by hills.

The village is famous for the semi-precious stone Blue John, which is mined locally, and for its four caverns which are open to the public. These were enlarged as the result of lead-mining, which was once an important local industry. Many of the cottages in the village once belonged to lead miners. The area is one of outstanding natural beauty and attracts numerous hikers and ramblers.

Tags:   Derbyshire Peak District Castleton cottages stone cottages

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This is the final shot from our brief visit to the Peak District earlier this month. The Cheshire Cheese in Castleton in Derbyshire is a former farmstead dating from 1660 that became a coaching inn in the mid-1700s. We stayed there for the night having booked through one of the hotel booking sites, and found our ground floor room to be extremely comfortable and well equipped although it lacked a decent view. The food was good quality "pub food" and the portions were certainly generous, with a hearty full English breakfast. There was a convenient private car park just across the road, and they kindly allowed us to leave our car there while we explored Castleton the next morning. It was good value for money and I'd happily stay there again.

The inn's website provides a brief history:

"The present building was built in 1660 by the Hall family, who have lived in Castleton since medieval times and become one of the village’s most prominent benefactors.The building, once a farmstead, passed down through various members of the family until 1748 when, known as ‘The Wagon and Horses’, it came into possession of a full license.

It was not until 1847 that it finally became ‘Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn’. The name came about because the inn was used as a resting point for horses and riders who were transporting salt from Cheshire to the rest of the country. By means of payment for their stay they would pay using Cheshire Cheese, hence the name."

Tags:   Derbyshire Castleton Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn Peak District inns pubs 17th century buildings accommodation

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On our way home from the Peak District last week I took a wrong turning and ended up going past Monsal Head, near Bakewell, towards the south of the Peak District National Park. The Headstone Viaduct at Monsal Head is 300 feet long with five 50-foot span arches. It was used by the Midland Railway line between 1863 and 1968, and connected London and Manchester. The viaduct crosses the River Wye, which during the Industrial Revolution powered the cotton mills at Cressbrook and Litton.

Tags:   Derbyshire Monsal Head Peak District National Park old railway viaducts Midland Railway Line viaducts bridges River Wye valleys

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