Ashford in the Water
Ashford in the Water is a very pretty Derbyshire and Peak District village, situated on the River Wye, one and a half miles north-west of Bakewell. Its main attraction is the sheep wash bridge which is both picturesque and ancient. It was originally a medieval packhorse bridge and it is only until recently, that sheep were washed here prior to shearing. The lambs would be penned within the stone-walled pen on one side of the river, whilst the mothers would be thrown in at the other side. They would naturally swim across to their offspring, thus ensuring a good soaking. The bridge is also a good vantage point for watching the rainbow trout in the river below.
Ashford contains many old, picturesque cottages, some of which were once owned by the Chatsworth Estate and sold off in the 1950s to pay for death duties.
Lead mining was one of the main industries in the area, with Ashford being a centre up until the late 19th century. However Ashford is better known for another ore that was first quarried here in 1748 by Henry Watson, which is Ashford marble, a unique limestone. When polished, the black marble provided a perfect background for mosaic and inlaid patterns. Amongst other things it was used for vases, clocks and jewellery. A wonderful example of an inlaid table top is in Ashford church. Henry Watson also invented a machine for cutting and polishing marble. His factory continued working until the early part of the 20th century.
Ashford Hall was built in 1785 to a design by Joseph Pickford of Derby fame. It belongs to the Olivier family and overlooks a picturesque lake formed out of the river Wye.
The village has two pubs, The Ashford Arms Hotel, a plush 18th century coaching inn and the Bull's Head, known as the Turk's Head in the 19th century and run by the same family since the 1950's. The corner shop at the end of Church Street has been in existence for over 100 years.
