Baslow

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Baslow is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, lying between Sheffield and Bakewell. It is situated on the River Derwent just north of Chatsworth House. A seventeenth century bridge spans the river in the village, alongside which is a contemporary tollhouse.

The village may be (informally) considered as having three parts, as described below.

1 Bridge End
2 Nether End
3 Over End
4 Outside the village
5 External links

[edit] Bridge End

Bridge End is the original settlement, clustered around the church and the ancient bridge and ford across the River Derwent. The church boasts a Saxon coffin lid in the porch entrance, but the oldest part of the current building, the north aisle, dates from about 1200. The tower was constructed in the 13th century but the rest of the church is newer and was the subject of an extensive restoration in the 19th century.

Just behind the church lies the old bridge. Built in 1603, this is the only bridge across the Derwent which has never been destroyed by floods.

The village green in Nether End.

[edit] Nether End

The eastern end of the village is called Nether End and contains an entrance to Chatsworth park. The area is popular with tourists and visitors to the village due to a concentration of hotels pubs and restaurants, tea rooms, a caravan site and a pedestrian entrance to Chatsworth Park. Just outside Nether End (and the village itself) you come to the so-called "Golden Gates"; a set of gates dating from the 1st Duke's rebuilding of Chatsworth, which were moved here by Sir Joseph Paxton for William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire in the 19th century to make a new entrance to the park, which was extended northwards towards Baslow in the 1830s. They are now only rarely used; most usually when large public events are held in the park.

[edit] Over End

The third area of Baslow is called Over End and is a residential area on the hillside to the North of the village. Its only feature of interest is Baslow Hall, which was once occupied by Sebastian de Ferranti, the radio and electrical pioneer and inventor. Previously, this section of the village was the site of a large Hydropathic Hotel, but this was demolished in 1936.

[edit] Outside the village

The edges around Baslow, such as Froggatt Edge, offer fine walking and rock climbing, with splendid views over the Derwent valley. To the North of the village, Baslow Edge was once quarried for gritstone and features the Eagle Stone, an isolated 6-metre high block of gritstone. Tradition has it that the local men had to climb this rock before they were worthy of marriage! It's not particularly easy, so there must have been quite a few bachelors around. Just behind it there is a monument to Wellington, raised in 1866 by a local worthy, Dr Lieutenant Colonel E M Wrench.