Bakewell Carnival

04/07/2024 - 07/07/2024

Web: www.derbyshirecentre.co.uk/rallylist

Ashford in the Water is a very pretty, chocolate box village in the heart of the White Peak, visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. It is home to the most photographed bridge in Britain, which has the gloriously crystal clear waters of the River Wye flowing free underneath. It's a tiny place and is made up of ancient picturesque cottages, two pubs, a stunning hotel with a riverside setting, a beautiful church, which houses relics dating back to the 1200s and a village store and delicatessen, who boasts they have the best home-made pickles in Derbyshire. Home to the lucky few, the cottages were once owned by the Chatsworth estate. These were sold off in the 1950s to pay for death duties. With the famous Sheep Wash Bridge adorning many a postcard and photograph, tourists flock to hear how sheep were washed in the water before chemical dips were introduced. Lambs were kept in the walled pen on the other side, which is still in good working order and used in demonstrations today, to entice their mothers to have their bath and swim to the other side. The bridge makes a great vantage point for watching the huge rainbow trout meandering leisurely on their way below your feet. We are so lucky that Bakewell still have thier carnival week traditions to share with your children and grandchildren. They offer an opportunity to bring the community together and bridge gaps between generations with shared memories, festivities and the sharing of traditional practices like the art of well dressing.