Hopton

Hopton is the ancestral home of the famous Derbyshire family of the Gells. They are recorded as holding an estate at Hopton since at least the 14th century, until it was sold in 1989. Their influence is apparent throughout both Hopton and neighbouring Carsington. The Sir Philip Gell Almshouses were built between 1719 and 1722 for two men and two women. The Gell family made their fortune in the nearby limestone quarries and they were also responsible for the construction of the Via Gellia, a road which runs along a valley to the west of Cromford.

This village, now by-passed by the main road, is dominated by the Carsington Water reservoir. The land rises to the north of Hopton and here can be found the Hopton Incline, once the steepest railway incline in the British Isles. Lying on the High Peak Railway, carriages were hauled up using fixed engines on their journey from Cromford to Whaley Bridge. It is now part of the High Peak Trail.