At first glance the visitor could be forgiven for thinking that there was nothing special about the peakland village of Tideswell, and yet there is surely much more to it than actually meets the eye.

It is a former very busy market town, whose charter dates back to 1251.

Over the ensuing years, Tideswell’s market gradually fell into decline, whereas its shops still remain quite plentiful to serve the local inhabitants.

According to Doomsday records, a chapel once stood where the present parish church of St John the Baptist now stands in the centre of the village. This was built during the fourteenth century and known throughout the Peak District as, the ‘Cathedral of the Peak‘.

A number of wells are dressed each year and during these celebrations, the village has a carnival and later, a torchlight procession in the evening.

Tideswell is an excellent place from which to go and explore the wonderful Peak District landscape, especially as there are so many quiet lanes and public footpaths radiating outwards from the centre of the village.

Nearby are the villages and hamlets of Wheston, Litton, Wormhill, Little Hucklow and Millers Dale just waiting to be explored.

Of course, the village itself has quite a lot to interest the visitor. The architecture consists of many types and designs of building that have made use of the local limestone with the additional use of sandstone.

There is also the village’s social history to explore. Armed with a copy of Tony Hill’s excellent and profusely illustrated book, Tideswell Traders, many an interesting hour can be whiled away searching for and exploring the many leads set out in this fascinating potted history of local village life.