BY STEPH COOKE
Hartington is a pretty village in the south of the Peak District National Park. Its name is thought to derive from the Old English for either Stags Hill or Heorta’s Hill. Hartington was an important village in the Middle Ages, being granted a market charter in the 13th century, and becoming the centre of trade for the surrounding villages and hamlets. Although the market is long gone, Hartington remains exactly what you would expect from a Peak District village – attractive stone cottages, cosy pubs serving good food, rural lanes and a traditional duck pond.
A cheese creamery, known locally as the Cheese Factory, was founded in the late 19th century by the Duke of Devonshire, and although the creamery closed in 2009 you can still buy delicious cheeses and other local produce from a shop on the site.
Take a stroll around Hartington’s rural lanes and your eyes will be drawn to the handsome, elegant buildings around the square. This includes the impressive Bank House, built by a former mill owner and used by villagers as a bank in days gone by. A pleasant hour or two can be whiled away on one of the benches beside the peaceful and photogenic duck pond in the centre of the village. Free parking is available in the marketplace, there is also a car park a short distance from the Charles Cotton Hotel.
If you’re feeling peckish you’re in luck. Head to Beresford Tea Rooms for a delectable selection of cakes, or the Farm Shop and Café where you’ll find local goods to take home and a selection of original gifts. Hartington boasts a couple of excellent pubs for a hearty meal – the Devonshire Arms and the 17th-century Charles Cotton Hotel.
If you’re a history buff, you’ll want to check out the Neolithic stone circle of Arbor Low, a short distance from the village. Head north out of Hartington and you might be able to pick out the earthworks which are all that remain of Pilsbury Castle, a former Norman motte and bailey fortification.
St Giles Church is an attractive sandstone building dating from the mid-13th century. It was originally built to serve a much larger parish but over the years the surrounding villages have become parishes in their own right and have acquired their own churches.
The imposing grade 11-listed Hartington Hall is a 17th-century manor house built for the Bateman family but is now a Youth Hostel with a public restaurant. Rumour has it that Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed at the hall during the Jacobite Rising.
Hartington is ideally situated to enjoy the best of the National Park. Dovedale with its famous stepping stones is within easy reach, and a short walk will take you to the lovely wooded Beresford and Wolfscote Dales.
If cycling’s more your style, The Tissington Trail and High Peak Trail, two former railway lines now converted into cycle tracks, meet at nearby Parsley Hay. Together they offer 30 miles of off-road walking and cycling. Pop into the old railway signal box which has been restored and serves welcome refreshments to thirsty cyclists and walkers.
Steph Cooke is a travel writer and keen long-distance walker