Welcome To Bakewell With e-travelguide.info

Make the most of your time in Bakewell, use the information provided on this web site by clicking on the links above to plan your visit.

As the only true town in the Peak District, Bakewell attracts many day-trippers, walkers and campers as well as locals who come to take advantage of its many amenities. A stone built town set along the banks of the River Wye, Bakewell has a picturesque setting with the beautiful medieval five-arched bridge serving as the main crossing point for traffic across the river. Although it only has around 4000 inhabitants, Bakewell is generally acknowledged as the capital of the Peak District National Park.

However, for most people it is a dessert that makes the name of Bakewell so famous. Please remember it is referred to locally as a pudding and most definitely not as a tart! It is said to have been invented accidentally in the kitchens of the Rutland Arms Hotel when what was supposed to have been a strawberry tart turned into something altogether different.

Bakewell has been a Roman settlement, and an Iron Age fort has been discovered close by. The town is also home to 12 fresh water springs, which gave the town its name – Bad kwell means bath spring.

The market town for the whole central area of the Peak District, Bakewell’s market day is now Monday and the cattle market is one of the largest in Derbyshire. The annual Bakewell Show, held every summer, started in 1819 and has now become one of the foremost agricultural shows in the county. Across the River Wye stands the enormous, new Agricultural and Business Centre, where the livestock market takes place.

The large parish Church of All Saints was founded in Saxon times. Its graceful spire with its octagonal tower can be seen for miles around. The churchyard and church itself contain a wonderful variety of headstones and coffin slabs and a most unusual cross. It is over 1200 feet high and stands an impressive 8 feet high. On one side is a picture of the Crucifixion and on the other are the Norse Gods Odin and Loki. A case of having your religious cake and eating it.

Contact: 0118 971 4700