Bamford is becoming a very popular and sought after destinations for holidays in the Peak District National Park, and even if you are not staying here during your holiday it is well worthy of a visit if you are in the vicinity of the high moorlands.
More modern than some of the other villages around the area Bamford also has an 18 hole golf course at Sickleholme.
This is a village with a lot of history, going back to the Domesday Book. Until 1780, Bamford was a largely agrarian village. However, the corn mill burned and was sold and converted to a water powered cotton mill.
The mill was developed by the Moore family, who owned mills in Manchester as well. The arrival of the mill meant nothing less than the beginning of the industrial revolution in Bamford. Although the mill is now a residence, the Moore family built much in Bamford which is still in use today – a church, school and housing for mill workers are all part of their legacy to the village.
The Howden and Derwent dams were built in 1901 and are a mere seven miles from Bamford, in the upper Derwent valley. A temporary village was built for the workers and their families here, called Birchinlee (but more popularly known as Tin Town due to the construction of the housing). About 2,000 workers were involved in the dam construction project and to this day, some of their descendents reside here.
Completed in 1945, the Ladybower Reservoir covers over 500 acres downstream of the Derwent dam. When the reservoir was filled, the villages of Derwent and Ashopton were flooded and some of the residents had to be relocated at Yorkshire Bridge. In years of drought conditions, the ruins of Derwent can be seen in the Ladybower Reservoir.
It is precisely these historical attractions and magnificient scenery which draw visitors to Bamford every year for fishing, hiking and biking through the area. There are walking and biking trails surrounding the Derwent, Howden and Ladybower reservoirs which are also ringed by breathtaking scenery.
Built to commemorate the new millennium, the Bamford Touchstone Sculpture Trail comprises a five mile walk around the edge of the village of Bamford. There are maps available to this trail at the village post office, as well as at all of the public houses in Bamford.
Bamford was a milling town, as were many of the villages which lie within the Peak District. These cotton mills have seen a lot of history and now serve as luxury flats for residents of the village.
All around the Peak District National Park, there is ample accommodation choices on offer – village and country pubs, cottages, pine lodges, bed and breakfasts and well-supplied parks for camping and caravans.
