Derbyshire Dales
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Derbyshire Dales from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Derbyshire Dales' most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry.
Pilsbury Castle Hills motte and bailey castle
Hartington Town Quarter
Pilsbury Castle Hills is a well-preserved motte and bailey site, crucial for studying Norman Britain and the feudal system, with intact archaeological remains.
Thornbridge Hall
Ashford in the Water
Thornbridge Hall's gardens, originally designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, surround a historic house transformed through Jacobean-style renovations, featuring extensive...
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth
Chatsworth House, a historic country house in England, features gardens and landscapes by prominent designers like Lancelot Brown, Joseph Paxton, and Jeffry Wyatville, reflecting centuries...
Magpie, Dirty Red Soil, Maypit, Horsesteps and Great Red …
Ashford in the Water
Magpie, Dirty Red Soil, and related lead mines are key historical sites illustrating Derbyshire's mining tradition and 19th-century technological developments.
Heights of Abraham
Matlock Bath
The Heights of Abraham, developed in 1787 by the Simpsons, features picturesque landscapes, historic caverns, and significant structures like the Upper Tower House and Victoria Prospect...
Entrance to Long Sough west of Allen's Hill
Cromford
Long Sough, a significant water-draining sough in Derbyshire, is rare outside the region, notable for its preservation and historical link to Arkwright's Mill.
Sudbury Hall
Sudbury
Sudbury Hall, owned by the Vernon family, is a historic estate featuring extensive pleasure grounds, gardens designed by William Sawrey Gilpin, and 18th-century parkland.
Conksbury deserted medieval settlement
Over Haddon
Conksbury is a well-preserved medieval settlement in Derbyshire, notable for its archaeological significance and extensive historical documentation, including references from the Domesday...
Tideslow Rake lead rake and lime kiln
Tideswell
Tideslow Rake is a visually impressive lead mining site in Derbyshire, featuring well-preserved historical mineworks and a lime kiln for creating quicklime.
Building 18 at Cromford Mill
Cromford
Late-C18 cotton-spinning mill by Sir Richard Arkwright, extended in the later C18 and altered in the C19 and C20.
North Lees Chapel
Hathersage
North Lees Chapel, potentially dating from the 16th century, is a significant archaeological site as the sole remaining Roman Catholic field chapel in the Peak District National Park.
Bonsall Leys lead mines
Bonsall
The Bonsall Leys lead mines highlight post-medieval Derbyshire's small-scale, low-tech lead mining, with complex and diverse remnants showing historical and technological development.
Lumsdale Mills and associated water management features
Matlock Town
Lumsdale Mills is a multi-period, multi-industry complex dating from at least the beginning of the C17.
Roman Catholic Church of St Michael the Archangel, bounda…
Hathersage
A Catholic chapel, likely incorporating the remains of the late-C17 Mass House, rebuilt in 1798-1806, with C19 alterations and extensions, and internal remodelling during the C20 and C21.
Sheepwash Bank and Dennis Knoll prehistoric settlement an…
Hathersage
Sheepwash Bank and Dennis Knoll are crucial Bronze Age sites on Derbyshire's East Moors, showcasing extensive, well-preserved settlement and agricultural features significant to prehistoric...
Chatsworth Estate Office and Village Institute
Edensor
The building, dated from 1776-7 and attributed to Joseph Pickford, serves as the Chatsworth Estate Office and Village Institute, originally intended for wealthy travellers.
Whitworth Institute
Darley Dale
The Whitworth Institute, built in 1890, commemorates Sir Joseph Whitworth. It includes a Grade II listed building with public facilities and a park with diverse recreational areas.
Church of St Giles
Matlock Town
Medieval parish church retaining west tower, with chancel of 1859, nave 1871 by B. Wilson, and south aisle and chapel 1897 by Currey.
Fox Hole Cave
Hartington Middle Quarter
Fox Hole Cave is a significant Palaeolithic site in Derbyshire, known for well-preserved artefacts and in situ deposits, dating human activity to the Late Glacial interstadial.
Nether Haddon medieval settlement and part of an open fie…
Nether Haddon
Nether Haddon medieval settlement, with its well-preserved remains, reveals significant insights into medieval rural life, Romano-British field systems, and the history of lead mining.
Cackle Mackle and Stadford Hollow lead mines on Longstone…
Great Longstone
Cackle Mackle and Stadford Hollow mines represent a well-preserved example of Derbyshire's lead mining, featuring diverse archaeological remains that illustrate historically significant...
Fin Cop promontory fort, bowl barrow and eighteenth centu…
Ashford in the Water
Promontory forts are rare Iron Age settlements, valued for understanding prehistoric social organization.
Medieval settlement including part of open field system, …
Mapleton
Mapleton medieval settlement shows diverse hamlets and farmland with well-preserved ruins, illustrating medieval agrarian life and dispersed settlements on England's West Midland Plateau.
Derwent Gardens
Matlock Bath
Derwent Gardens, a late 19th-century public park, is part of a scenic group with Lovers Walks and Willersley Castle, linked to Matlock Bath's spa and tourism history.
The Grey Ditch
Bradwell
The Grey Ditch, an early medieval boundary, is a significant archaeological site in the Peak District, offering insight into historical territorial demarcations in England.
The Warren Romano-British settlement, 320m north west of …
Hathersage
The Warren Romano-British settlement is notable for its construction on gritstone in the Peak District, featuring terraces and orthostat-bound enclosures dating to the Roman period.
Arbor Low henge, large irregular stone circle, linear ban…
Middleton and Smerrill
Arbor Low henge is a well-preserved ritual site featuring a large stone circle, diverse features, and a Class II designation for its national importance.
Calver weir and water management system 200m north east o…
Calver
Calver Weir and water management system, vital for powering a cotton mill, showcases historical engineering and technological changes in the 19th-century industrial landscape.
The Rutland Arms Hotel
Bakewell
The Rutland Arms Hotel, a coaching inn of 1804 built for the Duke of Rutland, extended in 1895.
A chambered tomb and two bowl barrows on Minning Low
Ballidon
Chambered tombs are important Neolithic monuments used for communal burial. Minning Low includes the largest tomb in Derbyshire, demonstrating evolving burial customs into the Bronze Age.
Wirksworth County Infants School and Attached Railings an…
Wirksworth
School. 1851-2. By H.I.Stevens of Derby.
Church of Holy Trinity
Middleton
The Church of the Holy Trinity by Newton was constructed in c.1844 with a single storey vestry to the west added in c.1925.
Willersley Castle
Cromford
Willersley Castle, created in the late 18th century for Sir Richard Arkwright, features picturesque landscapes and historical significance, serving as a Methodist holiday center since 1928.
Haddon Hall
Nether Haddon
Haddon Hall, a historic manor with origins before 1087, features well-preserved medieval architecture and terraced gardens dating back centuries, nestled in a scenic parkland setting.
Former Stables at Chatsworth House
Chatsworth
Designed by James Paine, the Former Stables at Chatsworth House, built between 1758-63, showcases distinctive rock-faced sandstone and ashlar architecture in a grand courtyard formation.
Lees and Dove Rakes, Booth Lee Pipes and Sterndale Sough
Brushfield
Lees and Dove Rakes, Booth Lee Pipes and Sterndale Sough are lead mines worked from the C17 and C18.
Derbyshire Dales through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Derbyshire Dales changes over time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Derbyshire Dales
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground.
Bakewell
Haddon Hall, Bakewell, 1927
Bakewell
Haddon Hall, Bakewell, 1953
Bakewell
Granby Croft and environs, Bakewell, 1927
Bakewell
Rutland Square, Bakewell, 1948
Longford
Longford Hall and Gardens, Longford, 1946
Longford
Longford Hall and Gardens, Longford, 1946
Ashbourne
Town Hall Yard and environs, Ashbourne, 1949
Ashbourne
The town centre, Ashbourne, 1949
Bakewell
Lumford Mill, Bakewell, 1927
Bakewell
Lumford Mill, Bakewell, 1927
Derbyshire Dales in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Derbyshire Dales' past.
Charles George Harper Collection
Ashbourne, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
A view from the north-east looking across Church Street towards St Oswald's Church, showing The Mansion and Owlfields Almshouses
Eric de Mare
Millers Green, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1956
General view of a Tape Mill in Millers Green with a chimney in the background.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Monsal Dale, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1959
A scenic view of Monsal Dale in Derbyshire, looking north-west along the River Wye in the valley from a high viewpoint at Monsal Head near Little...
John Laing Collection
Chatsworth Park, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 03 Jun 1996
A woman posed with her foot on a marble carving known as 'The Colossal Foot', during a visit of Laing's North West Senior Citizens Club to Chatsworth...
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company
Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 05 Jul 1926
Cows lying in a field on the south-east side of Thorpe Cloud, with a stone cottage standing at the foot of the limestone hill
Alfred Newton and Sons
Dove Dale, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1896 - 1920
GENERAL LANDSCAPE VIEW SHOWING LIONS ROCK AND RIVER
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Matlock Bath, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1900 - 1930
GENERAL VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE PAVILION AND DERWENT GARDENS
Eric de Mare
Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1945 - 1980
General view of the Sheepwash Bridge in Ashford in the Water.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1959
A picturesque view of a river in a valley, at an unidentified location in the Derbyshire Dales, with a couple walking beside the riverbank and a...
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company
Osmaston Park, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: circa 1888 - 1890
The south-east front of Osmaston Manor viewed from the gardens
Alfred Newton and Sons
Dove Dale, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1896 - 1920
GENERAL LANDSCAPE VIEW SHOWING RIVER RUNNING ALONG VALLEY FLOOR
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Matlock Bath, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1902 - 1907
GENERAL VIEW ALONG THE RIVER
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Derbyshire Dales.
8 Places Connected to Jane Austen
Mentions Chatsworth House
Discover the life of Jane Austen, her literary legacy, and the locations associated with her novels and film adaptations, including Pride and...
6 Evocative Literary Locations
Mentions Chatsworth House
Many authors and the characters they created have lived in and loved England, evoking streetscapes, landscapes and buildings throughout their work.
How to Lay Out a Garden: the Legacy of Edward Kemp (1817 -1891)
Mentions Chatsworth House
Edward Kemp was one of the most prolific and influential landscape designers of the Victorian era.
It’s Love – actually!
Mentions Chatsworth House
Explore some historic places that have provided a backdrop to some of our favourite romance films.
“I’m Sorry But What Is a Scheduled Monument?”
Mentions Arbor Low henge, large irregular stone circle, linear bank and bowl barrow
We’ve had Scheduled Monuments (sometimes known as Ancient Monuments) since 1882 when the Ancient Monuments Protection Act was passed.
7 Buildings That Tell the Story of the Brontë Sisters
Mentions North Lees Hall, The Vicarage and Garden Walling
Here we look at the list entries updated in 2016 to reflect their associations with the Brontë family.
17 Remarkable Historic Places Listed in 2024
Mentions Bridge at Cromford Mill
Celebrating 17 historic gems that were examined, protected and added to the National Heritage List for England in 2024.
Derbyshire Dales' social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area.
Tudor House, Town Street, Brassington, Derbyshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
This house is dated 1615. It has 2 large gables typical of this early Stuart period and mullioned windows.
Tudor House, Town Street, Brassington, Derbyshire
Tomb of Catherine Mompesson, Chrurchyard, Eyam, Derbyshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
Catherine Mompesson died during the outbreak of plague in 1666. She was the wife of the Vicar of Eyam.
Tomb of Catherine Mompesson, Chrurchyard, Eyam, Derbyshire
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Period: 1920s (1920 - 1929)
A view of the front of the shop.
The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop, Bakewell, Derbyshire
The Hall, Church Lane, Somersal Herbert, Derbyshire
Period: Tudor (1485 - 1602)
This small country house was built in the early 16th century. It was partly encased in brick in 1712 and restored in 1899.
The Hall, Church Lane, Somersal Herbert, Derbyshire
The Greyhound Hotel, Market Place, Cromford, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
The Greyhound Hotel was orignally built as a fine town house in 1778.
The Greyhound Hotel, Market Place, Cromford, Derbyshire
The Great Cross, South Church Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Period: Anglo Saxon (Britons/English/Vikings) (410 - 1065)
The shaft of a Saxon cross dating from the early 9th century. The cross that would have been at the top of the shaft is missing.
The Great Cross, South Church Street, Bakewell, Derbyshire
The Arkwright Houses, Cromford, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This row of eleven houses was built in 1776-7 by Richard Arkwright to house his textile workers.
The Arkwright Houses, Cromford, Derbyshire
Tape Mill, Millers Green, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
The Tape Mill in Millers Green is a complex of buildings of various dates, including some by Richard Arkwright together with later additions...
Tape Mill, Millers Green, Wirksworth, Derbyshire
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