Castleton
 Castles |
Castleton is a large village, magnificently sited at the western entrance to the Hope Valley, which sweeps down to Grindleford Bridge near the Yorkshire border. Originally laid out as a planned town, the shape of the village has changed little over the years, and it has become a popular tourist centre. The mainly 17th century Church of St Edmund was heavily restored in 1837, but does retain the original box pews and a fine Norman arch as well as a Breechers Bible dated 1611.
The hills to the west of Castleton are famous for their caves, while the Blue John Mine and Caverns are a popular attraction; apart from the natural beauty of the caverns with their unique Blue John mineral formations, there are also collections of original 19th century mining tools.
Speedwell Cavern can only be approached by water, using boats moving along canals originally cut by lead miners in the 18th century. Within the cavern is a ceaseless rush of waterfalls plummeting into the so called Bottomless Pit. The enormous gaping entrance to Peak cavern leads into a number of natural rock chambers including Roger's Rain House, where water flows continuously down the walls, Devil's Cavern and the Orchestral Chamber with its remarkable acoustic properties. Standing above Peak Cavern is Peveril Castle. Originally called Castle of the Peak, it was built as a wooden stockade in 1080 by William Peveril, illegitimate son of William the Conqueror. Later rebuilt in stone, the keep was added by Henry II in 1176 and remains among the best preserved and most complete of Norman castles in Britain.
Castleton is overlooked by Mam Tor, a high ridge of rock some 1696ft in height - the name means ‘Mother Hill' and on its summit are the remains of an Iron Age fort. The Tor is locally referred to as ‘Shivering Mountain' because of the apparent movement of the cliff face - this is due to erosion causing shale to fall into the valley below.
Closeby is the village of Hathersage, which has connections to both legend and literature. In the churchyard lie the reputed remains of Little John, chief henchman of Robin Hood. Whatever one may believe, in 1780 the grave was opened and a 32" thighbone was discovered - the occupant was well over 7ft tall! Charlotte Bronte stayed at Hathersage Vicarage for some considerable time, and the village later appeared in the guise of the village of Morton in ‘Jane Eyre', the local North Lees Hall is also believed to have featured in the same novel.