Ashford in the Water is a very pretty Derbyshire and Peak District village, situated on the River Wye, one and a half miles north west of Bakewell.
Its main attraction is the Sheep wash bridge which is both picturesque and ancient. It was originally a medieval packhorse bridge .
Ashford is better known for an ore that was first quarried here in 1748 by Henry Watson, which is Ashford marble, a unique limestone. When polished, the black marble provided a perfect background for mosaic and inlaid patterns. . A wonderful example of an inlaid table top is in Ashford church.
Another ancient custom that once took place in the village was that of hanging funeral garlands from the roof of the church. Four garland still hang, the oldest from 1747. They would be carried before the coffin of a young virgin in the funeral procession, before being hung up.
Well dressing in Ashford is a homage to the abundance of water. Six wells are dressed, by layering petals, leaves and other natural objects into a bed of clay to form an impressive picture. The custom had fallen into disuse in Ashford until about 40 years ago, when thanks to a lady called Ida Thorpe, it was revived.The high standards were set by her are continued to this day as the hoardes of visitors pouring into Ashford around Trinity Sunday bear witness. On average, around 12,000 people pass through the church during well dressing week.
Ashford Hall was built in 1785 to a design by Joseph Pickford of Derby fame. It belongs to the Olivier family and overlooks a picturesque lake formed out of the river Wye.
A short distance away from Ashford is Thornbridge Hall, a Georgian T shaped house. In private hands till the mid 20th century, it became a teacher training college, then a multi purpose educational centre , a conference centre, and is now privately owned again and used to some extent as an antiques sales shop. It contains woodwork from Derwent Hall and Church.
The village has 2 pubs, The Ashford Arms Hotel, a plush 18th century coaching inn and the Bull's Head.
property in ashford is simular to that of many little villages around derbyshire, a small village with a mixture of old detachedhomes and newer treeced properties that are a little more afordable as the detached property can fetch a high price.
postcodes for ashford in the water: DE45
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