The market town of Bakewell lies nestled in the lush green valley of the river Wye, where for more than a thousand years the settlement has grown and blossomed into the exciting place we can see today.

The visitor cannot fail to notice the parish church of All Saints, its impressive spire which dominates the local landscape, is a church that is known to have its origins from with in the Norman and Saxon periods of British history.

Much of the County of Derbyshire has through the centuries been in the charge of the landed gentry. Without exception is the town of Bakewell, under whose feudal administration laws were upheld at court in the nearby Haddon Hall, the family seat of the Earls of Rutland.

According to legend, it was here that Dorothy Vernon eloped with John Manners to be married in Leicestershire. Today, a reminder of this is ever present at Haddon Hall where a terrace is named after her, ‘Dorothy Vernon Walk’.

Of further note within the town, is the thirteenth century bridge that spans the river Wye on the A619 road to Baslow.

This was widened during 1823 in order to cope with the increased flow of traffic, no doubt due to the opening of the Buxton and Chesterfield turnpike roads in 1810-12. A splendid view of this magnificent bridge can be had from the riverside walks leading to Granby road.

Bakewell’s busy market is held on Mondays, when the local population swells with the addition of shoppers mixing with its visitors.

The present Peak District National Park Authority’s tourist information office is housed in the old market hall, and although it has been changed slightly with a restoration in the nineteenth century, the original building dates from the Elizabethan period.

A visitor today can enjoy a pleasant number of hours exploring the maze of streets and alleyways, complete with their assortment of fascinating shops that combined, make up Bakewell’s lovely town centre.