17th Century Bonsall
Around 150 years ago Bonsall was a farming village surrounded by lead mines and busy outworker frame-knitting workshops. Many people also worked in the cotton spinning mills at Cromford and the Via Gellia. The Clatterway gets its name from the clatter of spinning wheels in the cottages approaching the village.
Nowadays, although the village is surrounded by farms, the lead mines have long since closed down. People travel as far as Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield for work.
The village centre has a stone cross surrounded by charming 18th Century cottages and one of the village pubs – The Kings Head. There is a Jacobian manor house nearby. The other pub in the village is the Barley Mow, home of the famous Annual Hen Racing event! On the hill overlooking the village is St James Church dating from the 13th Century. Each year, at the end of July, the many wells in the village are adorned by well-dressings during the week of the Bonsall Carnival.
Bonsall has a fascinating history which is being researched by the Bonsall History Project group.
One of Derbyshire's most fascinating bookshops is in the nearby village of Cromford.
For more information for things to do in Derbyshire and the Peak District, see websites:
http://www.derbyshireguide.co.uk
http://www.peakdistrict.org
http://www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/TourismTravel/
http://www.derbyshireuk.net
http://www.hotelsandguesthouses.net