Bakewell, the unofficial capital
of the Peak District, is the largest town within the Peak District National
Park.
  
It stands about 120 metres above sea level (much of the Peak District
is about 300 metres high or more) and owes its existence to the River Wye.
The Wye rises on the gritstone rock of Axe Edge, flows down into Buxton through
a succession of beautiful limestone dales, past Ashford-in-the-Water and
through Bakewell to join the River Derwent at Rowsley.
Bakewell in winter (River Wye in foreground)
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On one side of the Wye valley in Bakewell, is the carboniferous limestone
of the White Peak and on the other side rise the sandstones and shales
of the Chatsworth Grit series. Bakewell's position, on the crossing point
of the river, was an early reason for the town's growth. A later reason
was the harnessing of water power from the Wye.
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Bakewell long ago........
There are traces of Mesolithic activity (around 6,000-5,000 BC) in the area around
Bakewell and it is known that Neolithic people (around 3,000 BC) brought farming
to the White Peak.
The first real evidence of settlement at Bakewell is the hill fort at Ball Cross
dating from around 1,000 BC. The Romans left little trace in Bakewell, though
they may have used the warm springs for bathing. It is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicles as Badecanwylla which can be translated as Badecca's Well or Bath
Well.
There was possibly a Saxon minster on the site of the present church. Saxon fragments,
including carved heads, can be seen at the church There are also two Saxon crosses,
the larger of which is said to have come from near Hassop Station; the smaller
was taken from the moors towards Chesterfield.
In 924 Edward the Elder (son of Alfred the Great) started building a fortification
at Bakewell, probably to protect the river crossing. The mound now known as Castle
Hill is the site of a later Norman castle.
Domesday and Beyond...
By the time of the Domesday book in 1066, Badequella was a very large parish
(much larger than the present town or parish of Bakewell) including several settlements,
a lead smelting words and a church. Two priests are listed which indicates the
importance of the town - the only other Derbyshire town with this honour was
Repton. The church was rebuilt around 1100 and was added to and altered over
the centuries.
The wood trade and lead mining industry brought prosperity to Bakewell
in the 13th and 14th centuries. This prosperous market town grew during
the Medieval period, spreading from its origins on the north slopes of
the valley onto the meadows near the river.
Trains of packhorses carried wool and many other goods to and from Bakewell and
Holme bridge was built over the river in 1664. The date of the main bridge is
uncertain.
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Haddon hall
Lying close to Bakewell, Haddon Hall has many attributes of a Medieval great
house. It was the seat of the lords of the manor of Bakewell for centuries (when
it lay inside the early larger Bakewell parish).
Originally built by William Pevril in the 12th century the Hall passed to the
Vernon family and then the Manners family through the marriage of Dorothy Vernon
and Sir John Manners in the 16th. The Manners family (first Earls and then Dukes
of Rutland) left
Haddon and it remained unchanged and unaltered until the 20th century, when the
decay was sensitively repaired and the house restored to its former splendour.
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Changes in industry
For many years, sheep farming and lead mining remained the most important industries
around Bakewell, bringing propsperity to the area. Limestone and gritstone were
quarried for local use and during the 18th and 19th centuries other industries
grew up.
- In 1772 Josiah Wedgwood started to quarry chert, a very hard stone used
to grind flint for the pottery industry.
- In 1778 Richard Arkwright built Lumford Mill, a cotton mill which was the
first factory in the world to be powered by a river (rather than the streams
of his earlier mills at Cromford). This new industry brought an increase
in population (350 workers in 1780) and changes in local employment. Arkwright
Square was built as housing for the mill workers. The mill itself burnt down
in 1868 but the water courses remain interesting.
- A significant 19th century industry was the production of marble ornaments
as an expansion of the black 'marble' industry at Ashford.
Agriculture remained important in Bakewell with a gradual increase in dairy
farming. A range of products, including cheese were once produced.
During the 20th century a variety of small businesses moved out of Sheffield
and into the Bakewell area.
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Improving communications
In 1815 the Buxton to Bakewell turnpike road opened the town up to regular
traffic and by 1818 crowds of travellers were calling at the Bakewell hostelries.
By 1829, several stage coaches travelled in and out of Bakewell every day,
from Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham, Derby and London.
The Railway Connection
With the building of the railways in the 19th century, there was a long debate
as to whether the railway should continue beyond Rowsley up the Derwent valley
through Chatsworth Park or the Wye valley past Haddon Hall and Bakewell. Eventually
in 1862 the latter route was built. A shallow tunnel was constructed behind
Haddon Hall to preserve its peace. While Bakewell station served the Duke of
Rutland, Hassop station nearby was built to serve the Duke of Devonshire at
Chatsworth.
The line from Matlock to Buxton (through Bakewell) was closed in the railway
re-organisation of 1968 and was later bought by the National Park Authority
and opened to walkers as the Monsal Trail. Planning permission has been granted
to reopen the railway line through Bakewell, linking Buxton and Matlock.
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Buildings in bakewell
Bakewell Church
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Houses in Bakewell are mostly built in local stone, some using limestone with
gritstone sills and cornerstones, some in gritstone alone (gritstone is a coarse
sandstone). A number of the buildings in the centre of the town date originally
from the Tudor and Stuart periods. These include the former Market Hall (now
the National Park and Tourist Information Centre), Bagshaw Hall, the former Town
Hall, St John's Almshouses and the Bath House. This was built in 1697 for the
Duke of Rutland who aimed to establish a spa. Unfortunately Bakewell's spring
water was colder than that in Buxton and the spa was not a success.
The Old House (now the Museum) has a timber framed medieval core, later clad
in stone. The elegant Georgian buildings include the Rutland Arms Hotel, Rutland
Terrace, Queen's Arms Hotel, Peacock Hotel and Victoria Corn Mill. Victorian
buildings include the present Royal Bank of Scotland, Trustee Savings Bank and
Burton Closes. The church was substantially rebuilt in the 1840s and many other
buildings were rebuilt or 'improved'.
Since 1951, when the Peak District became England's first National Park,
any new building has been strictly controlled. The historic core of the
town became a Conservation Area in 1980, so that the character of the
area could be maintained. Some buildings in this area have been restored
and others have been adapted to new use.
Even outside the historic core of the town, any new building must be in
keeping with the character and style of the existing buildings - using
natural stone, traditional sizes and shapes for windows, slates for roofs
and neutral colours for woodwork.
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Bakewell market
There has been a market in Bakewell 'from time immemorial' and its charter was
confirmed in 1330. Held every Monday, the market once sold butter, pots and pans,
corn, horses, cattle sheep and pigs, in various streets of the town. In 1826
the market was moved to a site in Granby Road, to clear the streets and relieve
the congestion.
It was later confined to cattle and sheep with a stall market for food and household
goods. The livestock market has now moved across the river to the new Agricultural
Business Centre. Two footbridges link it to the town centre.
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Tourism in Bakewell
About two million visitors descend on Bakewell and the surrounding area every
year, the majority of them just for a day visit. Most people browse round the
shops, walk by the river, admire the old buildings and the church, perhaps have
something to eat or drink and then continue to Haddon Hall, Chatsworth or other
places of interest. The busiest periods are Summer Sundays and also Mondays (market
day). A pedestrian survey in 1990 found as many as 2,000 people per hour walking
along the centre of the town.
Bakewell on market day
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There are plenty of places to stay in Bakewell itself, with various types
of accommodation, from hotels to small B & B establishments. An accommodation
booking service operates at the National Park and Tourist Information
Centre; all accommodation registered must meet the Tourist Board's code
of conduct. The Information Centre also provides brochures, guidance
to tourists, maps, books and souvenirs. It is very central and well used
- between 1995 and 1999, an average of 168,500 people visited the Centre
each year.
There are a number of small cafes and restaurants, pubs and hotels but there
are no large scale provisions for tourists. A greater variety of tourist facilities
and entertainment can be found in small towns around the National Park, such
as Buxton, Matlock Bath and Ashbourne.
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Traffic congestion
The large number of visitors to Bakewell provide good business for local shopkeepers
and for the restaurants and cafes. The main problem is the increased traffic
congestion. Car and lorry traffic has increased enormously over the last 25 years.
The main A6 road between Buxton and Matlock runs through the centre of the town
and this, added to visitors looking for somewhere to park, results in delays
and obstruction. This congestion is transferred to other nearby towns and villages
when the day visitors go home.
Large numbers of vehicles travel from Chesterfield and Sheffield for the Monday
market, although the resiting of the livestock market and improved parking has
reduced the traffic through the centre of the town on a Monday.
A continuous count is taken of vehicles passing along the A6 through Bakewell.
Traffic counts in 1998 show an average increase of 39% in traffic since 1980,
although this increase seems to be slowing at the busiest times.
| Year |
Jan-Apr |
May-Sept |
Oct-Dec |
|
Week |
Sun |
Week |
Sun |
Week |
Sun |
| 1986 |
6700 |
8600 |
8600 |
9400 |
7300 |
6500 |
| 1988 |
7200 |
7200 |
8900 |
9100 |
7500 |
7200 |
| 1990 |
8400 |
8500 |
9750 |
10400 |
8100 |
7156 |
| 1992 |
8650 |
8600 |
10150 |
10450 |
8650 |
7950 |
| 1994 |
8983 |
8552 |
10721 |
11421 |
8870 |
7930 |
| 1996 |
9689 |
9536 |
10700 |
11997 |
8947 |
7848 |
| 1998 |
8544 |
8944 |
10010 |
9830 |
9388 |
8295 |
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Bakewell Show
The Bakewell Show is held over two days in the first week of August each year
and draws enormous crowds, both of competitors and of visitors. Judging takes
place of livestock of all kinds (from beef cattle to rabbits) as well as a horse
show and hundreds of stalls selling goods of all kinds to use on the farm, to
wear or to eat! There is also a children's corner with rides and entertainment.
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Bakewell pudding
Bakewell puddings in the making
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The delicacy known as the Bakewell Pudding (the Bakewell Tart is a poor relation)
was invented by mistake. In Queen Victoria's reign, around 1860, Mrs Greaves
was the mistress of what is now the Rutland Arms. She instructed her cook to
make a strawberry tart with a special egg mixture stirred into the pastry. The
cook muddled the instructions and poured the egg mixture on top of the jam in
the tart instead of stirring it into the pastry. The customers enjoyed the pudding
so much, they asked for it again and so the Bakewell Pudding was invented. Two
shops now claim the original Bakewell Pudding recipe and a third also sells 'original
Bakewell Puddings'.
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Town centre redevelopment - the bakewell project
By the 1990s, the town of Bakewell was seriously
in need of some changes. The livestock market in the
centre of town brought traffic congestion every Monday,
as vehicles carrying sheep and cows clashed with through
traffic on the A6 between Buxton and Matlock and with
visitors to the town.
Parking in the town was badly organised and there were derelict sites in the
town centre. The town provided few facilities for local residents. It was feared
that Bakewell would become merely a 'dormitory' for people working in the cities
around the National Park.
The Bakewell Project was set
up in 1996 to provide a sustainable plan of action to secure the future
of Bakewell and its surrounding rural area and to tackle the economic
and social needs of the community. The partnership responsible for the
Project includes representatives from the local authorities, community,
training and enterprise council (TEC) and private sectors. Funding comes
from the Government Single Regeneration Budget, Rural District Councils,
Rural Challenge and the European Union plus some voluntary groups and
local schools. To date £18m has been spent and the Bakewell Project
has created 700 jobs plus 85 businesses in the catchment area.
What the Project has meant for Bakewell
Agricultural Business Centre
A new home for the Livestock Market is provided in the Centre (the Bakewell catchment
area contains around 2,500 farms) with space for 1,000 cattle, 2,000 sheep and
450 calves and also three livestock sales rings. The centre is more than a livestock
market however, with a Small Business advice centre, cafe and market-related
retail units, meeting rooms and exhibition space.
Biodiversity Project
A partnership, including many voluntary organisations, has been involved in restoring
and improving wildlife habitats, for species such as otters, along the River
Wye.
Community Facilities
Housed in a portacabin for around 30 years, the library finally has a permanent
home, 25 per cent larger than before and better equipped for the new millenium.
Underneath is the new swimming pool (a first for Bakewell) - part funded by a
lottery grant.
The Medway Community Centre, with a multi-purpose hall and meeting rooms, was
a self-build project relying on teams of volunteers.
Improved Shopping
The removal of the livestock market from the town centre has enabled other development
to take place. At last Bakewell has a full size supermarket with car parking
and all the facilities that shoppers take for granted. The site also includes
other shops, such as a large Boots, plus an improved stall market, offices and
both private and social housing. The development is to a high standard of design,
materials and landscaping, with natural stone walls and blue slate roofs, in
keeping with the local traditional style. Other shops and flats have been built
on the once-derelict sites in the town centre.
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| New supermarket |
New shops |
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Population of bakewell
| 19th
CENTURY |
20th
CENTURY |
| Year |
Population |
Year |
Population |
| 1811 |
1484 |
1901 |
3063 |
| 1821 |
1872 |
1911 |
3078 |
| 1831 |
1898 |
1921 |
3064 |
| 1841 |
1976 |
1931 |
3028 |
| 1851 |
2217 |
1941 |
# |
| 1861 |
2704* |
1951 |
3356 |
| 1871 |
2283 |
1961 |
3506 |
| 1881 |
2502 |
1971 |
3790 |
| 1891 |
2748 |
1981 |
3839 |
|
|
1991 |
3818 |
* Population increased by railway labourers
The population, which has been gradually increasing over the last two centuries,
has now stabilised. Because of its popularity with retired people, 32 per cent
of the population are now of pensionable age. This brings an increasing demand
for medical services.
Local people have to travel to Sheffield or Chesterfield for casualty services,
appointments with consultants or for operations. An older population relies more
on public transport and this increases demand for reliable bus services - there
has been no rail service since 1968. Suitable housing for older people is also
a priority
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Modern housing needs
At the time of the 1991 Population Census there were around 1700 dwellings in
Bakewell. Between 1977 and 1994, permission was given for 240 dwellings to be
built in Bakewell and 219 dwellings were completed. Many new homes are bought
by commuters travelling to work in Sheffield of Manchester, and by retired people.
There is also a demand for houses to buy as second homes or holiday lets. The
popularity of Bakewell pushes house prices up and there is little low cost housing
for local people.
To ease this situation, 41 low cost starter and family homes have been built.
It is the policy of the National Park Authority to restrict most new housing
to that which meets local needs.
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Skidmores grocery shop
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Station Yard
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Business in Bakewell...
A good mix of trade and commerce, industry and agriculture has maintained the
bustling character of Bakewell and so far prevented it from becoming merely a
tourist town.
There are over 70 shops in the town selling every type of goods from sausages
to screwdrivers, coats to carpets. Many shops sell gifts and rely on the tourist
trade for much of their business.
A number of restaurants, cafes, hotels and pubs cater for both local shoppers
and visitors alike. Professional services are offered by accountants, solicitors,
dentists and others.
A range of goods is manufactured in Bakewell, from industrial knives to photo
frames and the services provided span builders to photographers, engineers to
hairdressers. All these businesses provide employment for local people.
Three further business are related to the mineral extraction industry and there
are 8 farms within Bakewell parish. Around 2,000 jobs are provided in Bakewell
and about 1,500 Bakewell residents are in employment.
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