St Oswald’s Church, the Tissington Trail and Shrovetide Football give Ashbourne three distinct themes to shape your stay. They are complemented by the Ashbourne Historical Centre & Local Information Point in the Town Hall. You can think of the choice as one between cultural history, outdoor activity and a long-standing sporting tradition. Which of these appeals most to you will determine what to focus on first when planning.
Finding your way around
The Ashbourne Historical Centre & Local Information Point is in the Town Hall. It is a specific place to go for local information. The Tissington Trail, by contrast, starts at the leisure centre car park in the town centre. These are two different points of reference for your plans: the information centre and the start of a route. If you would like to get your bearings in Ashbourne first, you can take the information centre into account; for a trip along the trail, its own starting point is the one that matters.
St Oswald’s Church and Ashbourne’s history
St Oswald’s Church is a Grade I listed building dating back more than 800 years. Alongside the Tissington Trail, it gives your trip a clear cultural and historical focus. The church is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00; opening times may change. If visiting is important to your stay, check the times in advance. Its designation and long history make it appealing to travellers interested in historic buildings.
The Tissington Trail: on foot or by bike
The Tissington Trail runs for more than 13 miles to Parsley Hay and starts in Ashbourne town centre at the leisure centre car park. Its named start and end points make the route easy to follow; its length sets it apart from a short detour. The trail is suitable for cyclists and walkers of all experience levels and is mostly made up of well-compacted gravel. How you travel and the surface are therefore practical points to consider when planning. You can weigh up whether you would rather tackle the route by bike or on foot, and how much room a route of more than 13 miles should take up in your stay.
Shrovetide Football as a focus in its own right
Shrovetide Football offers a different emphasis. The game is played over two periods of eight hours each—a format that takes up more time in your travel plans than a short activity. The tradition has been played almost every year since at least 1667. Together with the church, which dates back more than 800 years, it offers another way to experience Ashbourne’s culture: through a long-standing sporting tradition rather than a historic building.
Which focus suits your stay?
The different parameters can help you decide how to plan your visit: for the church, the daily opening window—which may change—is important; for the trail, the distance of more than 13 miles and the choice between cycling and walking are key; and for Shrovetide, the format is defined by two eight-hour periods of play. This way, you can decide first which focus matters most for your visit, rather than treating all the themes as a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Whitwell, Shardlow, North Wingfield, Buxton, Birch Vale, Willington, Horsley Woodhouse, Peak Forest
For the broader travel guide: Derbyshire.
