Rowsley

The River Derwent and the River Wye merge at this village, giving the impression of two separate settlements. Not surprisingly they are called Great Rowsley and Little Rowsley, but perhaps more unexpectedly it is the latter that has the larger population. The older part of this small village, Great Rowsley, lies between the two rivers, while to the east is the ‘railway village’ around the former Midland railway station. The two areas are quite distinct. The old part has gritstone cottages and farmhouses, while the newer part is clearly Victorian.

The oldest surviving structure in the village is the bridge over the Derwent which was originally a 15th-century packhorse bridge, widened to carry increasingly motorised traffic in 1925. However, there are some architectural gems and the most prominent of these is undoubtedly the magnificent Peacock Hotel whose visitors’ book includes the names of many famous guests, including royalty, who have enjoyed a brief sojourn in the luxuriant surroundings since it became a hotel in 1828. The house was built in 1652 by John Stevenson of Elton, founder in 1636 of the Lady Manners School in Bakewell. It is aptly named as a carved Peacock stands over the porch and is actually part of the family crest of the Manners family, whose descendents live at nearby Haddon Hall. The hotel was recently bought by Lord Edward Manners, from Haddon Hall. It lies to the west of the village, and is reckoned to be the most perfect house to survive from the Middle Ages in England.

The Parish Church of St Katherine dates from 1855, and contains the fine chest tomb of Lady Catherine Manners, first wife of the 7th Duke of Rutland, who died in 1859.

On the banks of the River Wye lies Caudwell’s Mill, a unique Grade II listed historic roller flour mill. A mill has stood on this site for at least 400 years. The present mill was built in 1874, powered by water from the River Wye, and was run as a family business for over a century up until 1978. Since then the Mill has undergone extensive restoration by a group of dedicated volunteers and, using machinery that was installed at the beginning of this century, the mill is once again producing wholemeal flour. Other mill buildings on the site have been converted to house a variety of craft workshops, shops and a restaurant.

On Chatsworth Road, Peak Village is an extensive shopping centre but aside from shops, it boasts a coffee house, restaurant and is home to the fascinating Toys of Yesteryear exhibition. The impressive displays feature over 6,000 toys dating from the early 1900s right up until the 1970s, including a model of the ‘Herbie’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ cars. It is also the home of the award-winning Wind in the Willows Attraction, an enchanting re-creation of Kenneth Grahame’s magical tale that brings Toad’s adventures to life and delights young and old alike.