Ashford in the water is the perfect spot for a fantastic holiday. Located just north of Bakewell on the River Wye, it is a very unique Derbyshire and Peak District village with some age old traditions, as well as some new ones.

Peak District tourism attracts millions of visitors to the area each year and Ashford should definitely be on your Peak District Accommodation shortlist.

There are many places that are worthy of a visit here such as the Holy Trinity Church which like many others in the region is centuries old. There are some spectacular places to visit while you are on holiday, such as The Holy Trinity Church. Some sections of the Holy Trinity Church date back to the 13th century. The church had to be rebuilt in the late 1800’s, but a few items of the past still survive.

The north arcade still stands, which originates from the 14th century. The west tower, south door, and lower section of the church still have the Norman tympanum which shows the tree of life with a hog and wolf face to face.

The church also features a chalice from the 1600’s, an octagonal Perp font, and a Jacobean pulpit.

An ancient custom from the 1700’s was to hang funeral garland made of white paper that had been cut into rosettes and attached to a wooden frame, then carried in front of the coffin in the funeral procession, then hung up on the roof of the church, which four of them are still hanging there today.

Ashford was once known as a village that made candles but that industry has long been obsolete and today, a house stands in place of the old factory that once stood, which is located on Greaves Lane.

The main attraction of the Peak District is the beautiful Sheep Wash Bride, which was originally used as a packhorse bridge; later sheep herders washed their herds there before they were sheared.

Ashford has long been known for all of the black marble that is produces. Once the marble is polished to a shine, it is used in mosaics, jewellery, table tops, and clocks. You can find black marble tables in the Ashford Church and throughout the U.S., as this type of marble has become very popular.

One of the most fascinating things in Ashford dealing with the culture of the village of the well dressing that happens on Trinity Sunday. On this day, six wells are dressed, which means they are layered with leaves and other natural objects that can be found nearby. The objects are then placed on a bed of clay to create a picture.

Notable properties in the area include Ashford Hall which overlooks a beautiful lake that is part of the River Wye. Built in 1785 by Joseph Pickford, Ashford Hall has a lot of history and today it is privately owned and belongs to the Olivier family.

Just a short distance down the road from Ashford is a Georgian T shaped house known as Thornbridge Hall, it was privately owned until the middle of the 20th century where it changed hands and became a teacher’s training college, then after a period of time then it became an educational center, it is now once again privately owned and used as and antique shop.

If your not staying at holiday at one of the holiday cottages in Ashford definitely make sure it is on your list of places to visit especially if you are taking a holiday during Well Dressing week.

Visit the Peak District Tourism blog for more Peak District Tourist Information

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London, the capital of England, is nearly as well known for its unique opportunities for shopping as it is for its varied culture and long history Travelers from all ’round the planet fly to London to enjoy the immense number of boutique stores, department stores and specialist markets. With the strong Dollar and weak £ visitors from America will discover goods are far cheaper as it has been, it is the same situation for those tourists arriving from other countries in Europe as the UK Pound is also struggling against the Euro.

Famous Stores In London

Probably the most well known of London’s department stores is knightbridge’s Harrods the world’s largest having a total of 18,000 m2 of floor space.  The motto of Harrods department store is “all things for all people, everywhere” or ‘Omnia Omnibus Ubique’. Harrods has gained a reputation for being luxurious and exclusive and most well known are the toy department and food hall

Another department store worthy of a mention is Selfridges.  situated on Oxford Street, the department store opened for the first time in 1909. Named after, and built by the entrepreneur Gordon Selfridge the store had been purposely designed in order that all of the items on sale could be far more easily accessible to the purchaser which had not, until then, been done before.

Key Shopping Areas In London

Covent Garden has built an excellent reputation for its specialist and unusual shops and is considered a hip place to frequent. As well as the fantastic stores there are also a number of eating places and restaurants in Covent Garden.

Another London market place which is well worth a mention is Camden Market. Although there have been various markets in Camden at various times the present market only appeared in 1974. Camden’s market is actually a number of various adjoining markets of various types altogether providing an immense variety of wares.

London Streets Famous For Shopping

Chelsea’s high street is the Kings Road which is one of London’s most chic and stylish streets in which to go shopping. The Kings Road has long been associated with fashion and the manager of the punk band the “Sex Pistols” once owned a clothes shop/boutique there making the road popular with punks as a place to hang out and be seen, in more recent times the Kings Road is much more subdued but still well worth a visit.

Sloane Street is another London road with a strong association with shopping which is named after Sir Hans Sloane who bought much of the surrounding area in 1712.

Staying In London

Getting to London is amazingly easy, being the capital of England transportation links are amazing and London’s underground rail network makes everywhere easy to get to.

London accommodation appears everywhere and is very easy to find but annoyingly it can prove to be slightly costly. It is generally the wisest idea to book your London hotels online and you will discover a fantastic choice of London hotels, guest houses and apartments at http://www.londonhotel4u.co.uk/.

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