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Millers Dale
Located on the River Wye between Buxton and Tideswell Miller's Dale is a quaint hamlet that appeared thanks to the Industrial Revolution and the development of the railway. Miller’s Dale gets its name from the abundance of water-mills that once flourished here, and there was probably a mill here at the time of the Norman Conquest, although Miller’s Dale is not recorded in the Domesday Book. The earliest mention of a mill in the Wye Valley comes from the late thirteenth century Tideswell parish register which records the grant to a Tideswell miller of land to erect a corn mill. This mill was later owned by the monks of Lenton Abbey who farmed in nearby Monks Dale, and following the Dissolution, the ownership was transferred to the Duke of Devonshire.
Between Miller’s Dale and Monsal Dale there were two large cotton mills, Cressbrook Mill which commenced operations under William Newton in 1783, and the notorious Litton Mill built originally in 1782, and under owner Ellis Needham, noted for the inhumane conditions suffered by its workforce of pauper children.
Miller's Dale is perfect to start any exploration of the gorges of the Wye and the high limestone plateau around it. Ravenstor, towards Litton Mill, is a fearsome overhanging limestone cliff on which local rock climbers practise, and there is more rock-climbing in Chee dale, upstream of Miller's Dale. There are two Nature Reserves near Miller's Dale. Priestcliffe Lees and Station Quarry belongs to Derbyshire Naturalists' Trust, while Monk's Dale (a dry tributary valley of the Wye) is a National Nature Reserve. Both are rich in classic limestone flora and fauna of the area. There is a small church and a pub, the Angler's Arms that is popular with those enjoying Peak District Walking and Peak District Climbing. Opposite the station is the Wriggly Tin Cafe, and 1km away is Ravenstor Youth Hostel.
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