The Peak District’s Historic Border Country is a unique blend of town and country – a place where, just a short drive from bustling shops and markets, you can explore magnificent historic houses or a 17th century castle, discover sleepy villages and meandering river valleys, wander through meadows or stride out across rugged moorland. Here at the crossroads of England is where you’ll find Chesterfield, renowned as much for its markets as for its dramatic landmark, the iconic crooked spire of St Mary and All Saints church. 

 

At 228 feet high, the famous crooked spire of St Mary and All Saints Church towers over Chesterfield town centre and you can even take a trip to the top, but it’s equally impressive from ground level. Legends of how the spire came to be twisted are as colourful as they are varied - some say the devil himself twisted the spire in anger after the Bolsover blacksmith had driven a nail into his foot; others claim that the spire twisted itself while turning to witness an extremely rare sight in the town… that of a virgin being married in the church!

 

Chesterfield open-air market, with the Market Hall in the backgroundGranted a charter by King John in 1204, the origins of the town’s market can be traced back at least as far as 1165, when the Sheriff of Derbyshire recorded its takings of ‘one pound, two shillings and seven pence’ - a prince’s ransom in today’s terms! That long-standing tradition continues to this day and Chesterfield’s open air market, one of the largest in England, sits right at the heart of this thriving community, still occupying the same town centre site it did in King John’s reign.

 

Visit on Monday, Friday or Saturday and you’ll find more than 200 stalls packed into the town centre, while Thursday is the day to rummage among the stalls at the flea market, snap up a bargain and perhaps uncover a valuable antique. There are also farmers’ markets on the second Thursday of every month.

 

Renishaw Hall and GardensHome to the Sitwell family since the early 17th century, Renishaw Hall is set in acres of stunning gardens and provided inspiration not only to its famous literary owners, Dame Edith, Sir Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell, but also to novelist DH Lawrence and major British artists John Piper and Rex Whistler, all of whom were drawn to the Hall’s grandeur. The remarkable Italianate gardens, designed in the 19th century by the eccentric George Reresby Sitwell, are open to the public and there are also woodland trails, lakeside walks, a sculpture park, museums and galleries to enjoy.

Many visitors to the Peak District and Derbyshire head for Chatsworth, one of the finest and certainly the best known stately home in England - its sumptuous interiors, spectacular gardens and historic ‘Capability’ Brown-designed parkland are a great draw for visitors from around the world. However, not many know that its history is inextricably linked to two of the Border Country’s other great historic houses, Hardwick Hall and Bolsover Castle.

 

Bolsover CastleElizabeth 'Bess' Hardwick - was given the original Chatsworth as a gift by her second husband, Sir William Cavendish. A series of astute business deals and four financially advantageous marriages left her an incredibly rich and powerful woman, second only to Queen Elizabeth the First. Changes to Bess's original Chatsworth House started in 1686 but continued for generations before becoming the building it is today... the ‘Palace of the Peak’.

 

Hardwick HallAfter her last marriage to the Earl of Shrewsbury, Bess bought back her old family home at Hardwick and built the last and greatest of her houses – Hardwick Hall. Perfectly symmetrical on all four sides, the Hall’s many windows gave rise to a local rhyme - ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’! Now owned by the National Trust, Hardwick Hall’s collection of tapestries and needlework is second to none, but it will always stand as a monument to the stubborn, strong-willed woman who built it and who died there on 13 February 1608 – Bess of Hardwick.

 

However, the story doesn’t end there. Elizabeth’s youngest son, Charles, bought a Norman fortress on top of a hill in nearby Bolsover, had it demolished and then started work in 1612 on the ‘Little Castle’. Despite its name, Bolsover Castle was an elegant mansion and was finally completed by Elizabeth’s grandson, William who later became the Duke of Newcastle. Today, the Castle is owned by English Heritage and you can see the past come to life with fighting knights, armed redcoats and battle re-enactments.

 

Travel back in time more than 30,000 years at Creswell Crags, the most northerly place on earth visited by our Ice Age ancestors. Neanderthal and Stone Age humans lived and hunted here, decorating the walls of caves deep within the crags with remarkable paintings and engravings. The historic nature and sensitivity of the site means that most of the caves aren’t open to the public, however tours of the Robin Hood Cave run all year and a visit to the Education Centre tells how our remote ancestors lived in Ice Age England.

 

Whether you're a seasoned hiker looking for a challenge, a weekend rambler in search of a short stroll or a keen cyclist looking for traffic-free trails, the Peak District’s Historic Border Country has a wide variety of landscapes to explore - saunter through woodland carpeted with bluebells at Linacre Reservoir, discover grasslands rich with meadow flowers and clouds of butterflies in the Moss Valley, follow the sleeping dormouse round the Ford Circuit, or the Cavalier’s Head that marks the way round Whittington and the Handleys.

 

Wandering through the sleepy villages is a great way to relax and you might even turn up the occasional surprise... Ault Hucknall is the final resting place of philosopher Thomas Hobbes; Ashover, it is said, is where the arrows for the battle of Agincourt were made and in the streets of Old Brampton, time really does pass slowly…the church clock counts 63 minutes to the hour!

 

Chesterfield Trail Guides Trail Guides are a superb way of discovering the secrets and stories behind the landscapes, towns and villages of the Peak District's Historic Border Country. Each trail includes a route, descriptive text and interpretation, map, difficulty ratings for walkers and cyclists, as well as things to see and do along the way.   Click the links below to download pdfs of the following trails: Bike, Birdsong, Wildlife and Water Hidden Villages Hustle & Bustle to Birds and Bluebells Rags, Riches and Renaissance Halls

For something a little more energetic, the beautiful Cordwell Valley has great trails, with superb displays of colourful rhododendrons in late spring, or you can climb Ashover Rock, known locally as The Fabrick, at Alton - at almost 1,000 feet above sea level, the panoramic view from the top takes in six counties!

 

If you prefer wheels to boots, slip into the saddle and head for the Five Pits Trail, which follows the path of the old colliery railway lines, explore the Cuckoo Way which runs alongside Chesterfield Canal into the town, or set out along the strenuous Trans Pennine Trail – the famous coast-to-coast route passes through the Historic Borders Country from Rother Valley Country Park to Chesterfield.

 

For more information including where to stay and what’s on in the Peak District's Historic Border Country, visit www.visitchesterfield.info – or contact Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre - tel: 01246 345777/8 or email: tourism@chesterfield.gov.uk