A stay in Tideswell can be planned around three specific themes: the building history of St John the Baptist, the annual festivals and the routes around Tideswell Dale. The different seasonal events are relevant when choosing when to travel; for walks, you can choose between a 3.2 km route and a 9-mile day pilgrimage route. This allows you to treat cultural history, festival dates and route type as separate planning priorities.
St John the Baptist and local history
St John the Baptist is known as the “Cathedral of the Peak”. Construction began around 1320 and was completed shortly after 1400; the Black Death interrupted the building work. The original wooden rood screen separates the nave from the chancel, while ecclesiastical carvings by the locally based Hunstone family form another part of the church’s furnishings. The architectural features and the long history of its construction offer different perspectives on the church.
Tides Low is designated a Scheduled Monument and includes a large Late Neolithic bowl barrow. An earlier Neolithic standing stone was incorporated into this barrow. The difference in date between the earlier stone and the Late Neolithic burial mound provides a clear sequence within the monument complex. A different kind of historical reference point is the market charter: Tideswell received a royal charter granting it market rights in 1251. Chronologically, these themes are far apart: Tides Low brings together an earlier Neolithic stone and a Late Neolithic barrow, while the 1251 charter and the church building provide other historical reference points. This juxtaposition places prehistoric monuments and later local history within a shared chronological perspective.
Festivals and their time frames
The Wakes Festival takes place every year in June, near the summer solstice, and includes a torchlight procession and a traditional web dance. The Tideswell Food Festival is scheduled for early May; its exact date may vary. Well dressings take place between late June and early July, and specific dates may also vary. The seasonal events therefore span early May to early July, with the annual Wakes Festival providing a recurring June fixture. If you are planning your trip around an event, check the specific dates in advance.
Tideswell Dale and the routes
At the southern end of Tideswell lies Tideswell Dale, with a nature reserve and a sculpture trail. The Tideswell Dale “Access for All” route is 3.2 km long and leads to Miller's Dale. It starts at a car park south of Tideswell and can be reached via the B4049 or the A6 between Buxton and Bakewell.
The Mills and Martyrs Pilgrimage is a 9-mile circular day pilgrimage route. It starts and ends at St John the Baptist and passes around the four daughter churches of the benefice. Compared with the 3.2 km route, it is considerably longer and circular, while the Access for All route leads to Miller's Dale. Flyers, information and badges for the self-guided pilgrimage route are available at St John the Baptist; check whether these materials are available before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Barlborough, Castleton, Whitwell, Hathersage, Hartington, Horsley Woodhouse, Kirk Langley, Hardstoft
For the wider travel overview: Derbyshire.
