A Taste of the Peak District |
Accommodation, activities and attractions of the Peak District of the UK |
||
|
|
|
||
Bakewell is the largest town in the Peak District and is often referred to as as the ‘Capital of the Peak District’. It is a market town of Saxon origin.The name of Bakewell is believed to originate from ‘Badeca’s well’.Bakewell businesses
|
Bakewell grew up around 3 fords over the river Wye, a short distance south of Ashford-in-the-Water. These fords were eventually superseded by bridges. Holme bridge to the north of the town was originally a pack horse bridge and it dates from the 17th century. The main bridge in the centre of the town dates back to the 13th century and may have been built wide enough for carts to cross. Both bridges have pedestrian refuges, built atop the ‘cutwaters’ (ship-shaped bases to the supporting arches designed specifically to allow easy passage of the river water, especially in times of winter floods).Bakewell Church was largely rebuilt during Victorian times but if you look closely there are remnants of earlier versions. For example, the western front is in partially Norman as is the west end of the nave. The eastern part of the church and also the south transept date from the 13th century. The chancel stalls with their misericords and also the font date from the early part of the 14th century. There is a collection of Saxon carvings which date from the ninth century - it is possible that Bakewell had a school for Saxon carvers. The Saxon crosses in the churchyard were originally placed elsewhere in the parish and were probably used as preaching crosses. |
Probably the reason that Bakewell is a household name in the UK is the pudding (often incorrectly called a tart) that is named after the town in which it was invented. The pudding was invented by accident at the Rutland Arms Hotel. There are various stories concerning the origin of the pudding, one suggests that the cook misunderstood some instructions and ended up pouring an egg mixture on top of the jam of a jam tart. The visitors complimented the landlady on her unique pudding - so the cook’s job was safe and the Bakewell Pudding was invented. The main Bakewell pudding shop is a charming ‘olde worlde’ building, even if you do not purchase a pudding, it is worth seeking out for its architecture. Other shops also claim to have the original recipe, naturally it is a secret wherever you go!Bakewell is an important cross-roads of the A6 - which carries on northwards to Buxton, Manchester and the Lake District - and the A619 to Baslow, giving access to the North Eastern Peak District, Sheffield and Chesterfield. |
|
|
View hotels centered on Bakewell - click here |
|
||
|
|
|
||
