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Bonsall
Bonsall is an ancient village that can be found amidst the limestone hills two miles south west of Matlock and about the same distance from the A6 at Cromford. The best approach to this delightful White Peaks village is along the A5012 which winds steadily up the Via Gellia valley on its way to Grangemill, and eventually to Buxton, providing all travellers with spectacular views. The road to Bonsall climbs northward from beside the Via Gellia Mill and up the steep Clatterway before levelling out at the Victorian gothic Fountain beside the village recreation area, currently part of a village regeneration scheme.
The Dale can be found to the left of the main road as it continues up Yeoman Street to the Market Cross in the centre of Bonsall village. The road then continues to twists and turns up High Street towards Uppertown before winding it's way over Bonsall Moor towards Winster. The name of Bonsall stems from an Anglian settler named Bunt, and `Bunteshalle' (nook of land belonging to Bunt) grew to be a thriving community long before it was mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1087.
The size and prosperity of the village can be attributed almost exclusively to the numerous industries which once flourished beside the Bonsall Brook, and to the now defunct lead mining industry which two centuries ago provided the area's main employment. Geographically the village follows all of the twists and turns of the Bonsall Brook, from it's rising at the highest point above Uppertown to it's cascading plunge down the Clatterway. Though these days the brook is culverted and runs beneath High Street and Yeoman Street before emerging beside the Clatterway, it was once a major feature of the village with a series of picturesque stone bridges allowing access to the cottages from the street.
Bonsall is best explored on foot and this delightfully intriguing hill-village which seems to grow out of the limestone has hidden surprises around many corners. Indeed many of the visitors are those on Peak District Walking routes who cannot resist the impressive and picturesque village. The spectacular cliff top paths that climb the surrounding hills link the originally separate settlements of Nether Bonsall and Upper Bonsall together and forming a network which both encloses and criss-crosses the entire parish. The biggest attraction to Bonsall is the Parish Church of St.James whose battlemented tower rises proudly on the hillside high above Yeoman Street. Built originally about 1230, it was extensively restored by Ewan Christian in 1863.
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