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Ashford In The Water
Ashford-in-the-Water nestles mainly on the east bank of the meandering River Wye as it winds slowly south-eastward towards the town of Bakewell, which is a mile and a half downstream. This picturesque village is home to the famous and much photographed medieval Sheepwash Bridge which is the site of the original `ford by the ash trees'; the origin of the village's name and one of several ancient bridges which span the river here. Demonstrations of sheep-washing are still sometimes given and are a popular attraction for tourists who come in considerable numbers, drawn from the passing A6 by the beauty and natural charm of the riverside setting.
Described as a Royal Manor in the Domesday Book, `Aisseford' passed to the Nevilles in 1408, and then to Sir William Cavendish, the forebear of the Earls and Dukes of Devonshire in 1550. It remained under ducal control for the next 400 years until the houses were sold off individually in the 1950`s to help pay death duties, and today`s 800 or so residents reap the benefits of the skilled local crafstmanship employed for four centuries by various members of the Cavendish family. The village grew up round the ford over the river on the ancient route of the Portway and was once encircled by lead mines, and though today it seems devoid of industry, it has a long industrial heritage. A corn mill existed here 900 years ago and Ashford had woollen mills in 1339. The Wye drove many mills in the past but perhaps the best known are the marble mills, established by Henry Watson in 1748.
Ashford `Black Marble' - which is really a form of highly polished limestone, was mined on the edge of the village at Rookery Wood. It was worked from prehistoric times and a dressed slab was found in a tumulus on Fin Cop, north of the village. It was also used in many medieval churches,- and for the chimney-pieces at nearby Haddon Hall in the 1590`s. A wonderful example of an Ashford Black Marble fireplace can be seen in the quaint and comfortable Tea Rooms at the rear of The Barn Gift & Craft Shop; this excellent olde worlde emporium also doubles as Ashford Post Office and is a real nostalgic delight to visitors.
The limestone dwellings in Ashfor add to it's charm and are perfectly placed around the beautiful central setting of Holy Trinity church, with it's square battlemented tower, and the ancient Old Tithe Barn standing beside it. The church was virtually rebuilt in the Victorian era and only the Norman tympanum, Jacobean pulpit, tower battlements and north transept remain of the original building. The Old Hall was built by the Neville family, then Lords of the Manor in 1408 and used to stand in the garden area behind the Tithe Barn, but was demolished in 1937.
Across the road stands the rambling 17th century coaching inn, the Ashford Arms, - (formerly the Devonshire Arms) and just around the corner is the Bull`s Head, the other of the villages two remaining public houses.
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