Ashford-in-the-Water
Encyclopedia
Ashford-in-the-Water is a village
in the Derbyshire
Peak District
, England
, and on the River Wye
. It is known for the quarrying of Ashford Black Marble
(a form of limestone
), and for the Maiden's Garlands made to mark the deaths of virgins in the village until 1801. Some of these are preserved in the parish church
which itself dates back to the 13th Century. In the churchyard lies the base and stump of the market cross
, which may date from the fifteenth century.
The tradition of well-dressing
continues in Ashford as in many other villages in the Peak District. Each year slabs of clay are decorated by village volunteers using petals, leaves and other plants to create a striking picture. The finished designs are then displayed at the six wells around the village and the event is marked by a church service and precession through the village to bless the wells. The event takes place around Trinity Sunday and is hugely popular with thousands of visitors flocking to see the dressed wells.
It was mentioned as a Royal Manor in Domesday Book
. The village passed to the Cavendish Family in the 16th century (from the Nevilles) and finally sold off in the 1950’s to pay death duties.
The village is now bypassed by the A6 road, returning peace and tranquillity to Ashford.
when it was first built. Lambs were placed in the pen on one side of the river and the ewes swam across the river to get to them. The shepherds made sure the sheep had a good dunking on the way across! This was an easy way to clean the fleece before shearing. Take a good look into the waters beneath the bridge - it is possible to see a good number of large trout swimming around.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and on the River Wye
River Wye, Derbyshire
The River Wye is a limestone river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It is in length, and is one of the major tributaries of the River Derwent, which flows into the River Trent, and ultimately into the Humber and the North Sea....
. It is known for the quarrying of Ashford Black Marble
Ashford Black Marble
Ashford Black Marble is the name given to a dark limestone, quarried from mines near Ashford-in-the-Water, in Derbyshire, England. Once cut, turned and polished, its shiny black surface is highly decorative. Ashford Black Marble is a very fine-grained sedimentary rock, and is not a true marble in...
(a form of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
), and for the Maiden's Garlands made to mark the deaths of virgins in the village until 1801. Some of these are preserved in the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
which itself dates back to the 13th Century. In the churchyard lies the base and stump of the market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
, which may date from the fifteenth century.
The tradition of well-dressing
Well dressing
Well dressing is a summer custom practised in rural England in which wells, springs or other water sources are decorated with designs created from flower petals...
continues in Ashford as in many other villages in the Peak District. Each year slabs of clay are decorated by village volunteers using petals, leaves and other plants to create a striking picture. The finished designs are then displayed at the six wells around the village and the event is marked by a church service and precession through the village to bless the wells. The event takes place around Trinity Sunday and is hugely popular with thousands of visitors flocking to see the dressed wells.
It was mentioned as a Royal Manor in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. The village passed to the Cavendish Family in the 16th century (from the Nevilles) and finally sold off in the 1950’s to pay death duties.
The village is now bypassed by the A6 road, returning peace and tranquillity to Ashford.
Sheepwash Bridge
The Sheepwash Bridge is exactly as its name suggests as well as having been a packhorse bridgePackhorse bridge
A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry packhorses across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers.Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes that...
when it was first built. Lambs were placed in the pen on one side of the river and the ewes swam across the river to get to them. The shepherds made sure the sheep had a good dunking on the way across! This was an easy way to clean the fleece before shearing. Take a good look into the waters beneath the bridge - it is possible to see a good number of large trout swimming around.