Distance from Swainsley Farm:12 miles
Livestock and open market day: Monday
Supermarket: CO-OP
Bakewell, home of the famous almond flavoured tart, nestles under wooded hills on the banks of the River Wye. The river is crossed by a 13th century 5-arch bridge which is still open to traffic. Unspoilt and very picturesque, Bakewell is a lovely old town (the largest in the Peak District National Park). The architecture of its fine old buildings is complemented by a large variety of small shops, excellent eating places and pubs.
Bakewell Show is held in early August and is Derbyshire’s premier agricultural show.
Elegant Chatsworth House and Park is 4 miles east of Bakewell and the medieval manor of Haddon Hall (...‘the most perfect house in England’..) with its beautiful gardens is 2 miles south.
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Distance from Swainsley Farm: 11 miles
Market Day : Tuesday
Supermarkets : Morrisons, Sommerfield, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer
Buxton is a fine spa town set in the Derbyshire hills. It was founded by the Romans in 79AD and is famous for its hot springs and baths. Spring water flows freely from St Annes well for use by the general public.
Over the years the town has benefited from the patronage of the Dukes of Devonshire and has many magnificent 18th and 19th century buildings including: The Crescent, Pavilion Gardens, Opera House and Cavendish Hospital (now the Buxton campus of the University of Derby). The Opera House has a varied programme of plays, music festivals, operas, concerts and pantomimes throughout the year.
Buxton is a thriving market town with many small shops and well known high street names : Marks and Spencer, Woolworths, Boots, Next etc. There is a wealth of cafes, restaurants and pubs.
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Distance from Swainsley Farm: 13 miles
Matlock owes much of its development to the Victorian interest in hydrotherapy - the treatment of ailments with water therapies (many of the town’s grand buildings were hydrotherapy hotels). Located on both banks of the River Derwent, the town is set around Hall Leys Park which provides a lovely setting for recreational activities including bowls, miniature golf and a miniature railway. The town centre is busy with many small shops and places to eat.
South of Matlock is Matlock Dale, a dramatic limestone gorge overlooked by High Tor (which provides some of the severest rock climbing in the country). From the foot of High Tor runs a cable car across the gorge upto the Heights of Abraham where visitors have wonderful views of the dale and Matlock Bath. This historic little village, which was a health spa in Georgian and Victorian times, has many attractions including the Peak District Mining Museum and Gullivers Kingdom (for small children). From the end of August to Late October Matlock Bath hosts the Venetian Nights which includes illuminations and firework displays.
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Distance from Swainsley Farm: 11 miles
Market Day: Thursday
Supermarket: Sainsbury’s
Ashbourne is a prosperous market town of mediaeval origins situated in a green valley on the east bank of the River Dove, It has a considerable legacy from the past in the form of its fine 13th century church, Elizabethan grammar school and numerous groups of 17th century almshouses. Located at the meeting point of six turnpike coaching roads, Ashbourne retains its cobbled market place with alleys and yards which are a delight to explore. It has some of the finest Georgian buildings in Derbyshire.
A thriving agricultural town, Ashbourne is renowned for its boutiques, antique shops, bistros and speciality food shops. Every year at Easter the Shrovetide Football Game takes place - this event has been held for nearly a thousand years and bears little resemblance to normal football. The rough and boisterous game takes place over two days with the town centre boarded-up and goals placed three miles apart. Anybody can take part and there are few rules - not for the faint hearted!
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Distance from Swainsley Farm : 9 miles
Market Day : Livestock on Tuesday, open market on Wednesday, antiques/crafts on Saturday
Supermarkets : Morrisons, CO-OP
Leek is situated in the Staffordshire Moorlands (part of the southern uplands of the Pennines) and is overlooked by a spectacular rocky escarpment known as the Roaches. It is an ancient borough and takes its name from Dieulacres Abbey founded in 1214 on the banks of the river Churnet. During the 17th century silk manufacturing and dying was established and continued to flourish in the town. In the 19th century William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, visited Leek many times and his distinctive designs were used in numerous silk products. Morris and his associates have left a significant mark on the art and architecture of the town.
Centred around the old, cobbled market place, the town has many excellent small shops, cafes and pubs. A number of former mill buildings have become home to a flourishing trade in antiques.
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