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‘Most beautiful’ village in the Peak District is not very well known | Travel News | Travel
In the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District sits a lovely overlooked village. The pretty, chocolate box village of Ashford-in-the-Water, nestles on the River Rye very close to the pretty village of Bakewell, famous for its tarts.
It is also home to the much-photographed, low-arched Sheepwash Bridge which spans the crystal-clear waters of the River Wye.
It is overhung by willow trees and was built in the 17th century was once used by the pack horses who carried malt from Derby.
The name, Sheepwash was literally coined from the act of washing sheep in the river’s waters before chemical dips were introduced.
These days, it’s a favourite spot from where to watch the rainbow trout swim by and there is now no traffic on the bridge.
The village itself is made up of picturesque cottages, a couple of pubs, and a lovely church which is home to relics that date back to the 1200s.
One superb piece is a laid tabletop, as well as ancient pottery. Garlands that date back to ancient times, made from white paper which were carried at the funerals of unmarried girls are still strung from the rafters.
It was a thriving village in the past thanks to lead mining and candle making and Candle House sits on the site of the old factory.
In the 19th century, the village also had a thriving stocking industry and the area of the village where the factories were was called Rattle because of the noise the machines created.
The village’s limestone cottages were once owned by the spectacular Chatsworth estate but due to expenses incurred, the estate had to sell them off in the 1950s so lucky locals could buy them for themselves.
One of the most charming homes in the village is The Rookery – an imposing residence dating back to the 16th century and was the first home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
The town is also an ideal place to base yourself for exploring the neighbouring areas such as the market town of Bakewell and Monsal Dale which is home to a beautiful viaduct. Here you’ll also find great biking trails and walking routes.
A huge cruise operator is launching routes to four new destinations this year. StarCruises is jumping on the trend of school holiday cruises, with new trips in southeast Asia.
The cruise line will operate two, three, and five-night cruises from Singpore and Kuala Lumpur between May 22 and June 26. They will be going to new island destinations Con Son, Tioman, Benoa, and Lombok using the Star Voyager ship, which was previously the Pacific Explorer for P&O Cruises. Con Son is the largest island in the Con Dao archipelago off of Vietnam, Tioman is off the east coast of Malaysia, Benoa is a 4km peninsula in southern Bali, and Lombok is an Indonesian island east of Bali. Bookings for the school holiday sailings open on February 23. StarCruises already goes to destinations across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The operator relaunched last year after collapsing in bankruptcy in 2022. It had been in operation for over 30 years and is credited with pioneering modern cruising in Asia.
A regrowth plan saw the company rebrand away from Resorts World Cruises back to its original names and acquire three ships. One of these ships had a refitting that cost £37 million.
Michael Goh, president of StarCruises and Dream Cruises, said: “We are thrilled and honored to return to our roots with the launch of the revitalized StarCruises and Dream Cruises brands, offering an enhanced cruising experience.
“To celebrate this milestone, we are also excited to introduce the Star Voyager, as she embarks on her maiden voyage from Singapore, exploring the wonders of Southeast Asia.
“Our itineraries are colourful, diverse and appealing, and go beyond the beaten track. What makes Star Cruises and Dream Cruises different is that we localise our operations while maintaining an international atmosphere.”
The company is reportedly looking to promote its Asian cruises in the Middle East, as they are of growing interest to Gulf travellers seeking short-haul fly-cruise options.
Education
American visits ‘UK’s favourite motorway services’ and sums it up in one word | UK | Travel
YouTuber Cara visited a service station that is considered among the best (Image: Magic Geekdom/YouTube)
An American visited a “beautiful” service station that is often considered one of the best in Britain. Tebay Services in Cumbria was opened by John and Barbara Dunning in 1972 after the M6 was built through their land.
Their farm still surrounds the service station and the livestock can often be seen grazing as weary motorists stop for a break during their journeys. The service station now has its own farmshop complete with a butcher, serving meat from the Dunning family farm, and a kitchen serving homemade sandwiches, salads and seasonal soups.
Tebay services (Image: LancsLive)
YouTuber Cara, who runs the Magic Geekdom channel, tours the UK documenting her travels. She says her viewers encouraged her to check out Westmorlands Farmshop and Kitchen Tebay during a recent trip to Cumbria after it was voted the second-best service station, behind Gloucester, last year.
Cara decided to stop at the northbound side of the service station because it is “older” and has “nicer views”. After initially scoping out her surroundings, she remarked: “What a lovely place, I think you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere like this in the US.”
Once inside the services Cara was met with a host of locally-grown strawberries and cherries. She then decided to check out the farmshop, describing the sandwiches on offer as “really good looking”.
Cara found it “amazing” how much locally-sourced produce was available in the store, likening it to the supermarket Booths. She found herself tucking into a chicken shawarma wrap and a raspberry lemonade.
Tebay was crowned the second-best service station (Image: Reach)
Sampling the drink, she said: “That’s good, it’s tart, I like it. I don’t drink lemonade very often over here so maybe it’s this tart, it’s not as sweet as in the US.”
She added: “For £10 that was pretty filling. It was a pretty tasty meal and probably the best meal I’ve had at a service station.”
After her visit, Cara concluded: “It is a pretty cool service station, I think cool is the right word. The only farm shop I’ve ever been to was in the Cotswolds and it was pretty fancy and this was kind of on par with that.”
Despite its success Westmorland Farmshop and Kitchen currently faces an uncertain future. According to LancsLive, National Highways plans to replace eight bridges on a five-mile stretch of the motorway.
Tebay services sells a range of cakes and bakes (Image: MEN)
Both the north and southbound carriageway will have to close for two years during the work. Sarah Dunning says that while the farmshop has its own access road, major works on the motorway do hit visitor numbers.
She told The Telegraph: “Nobody is disputing that the bridges need replacing but this is going to hurt businesses, residents and farmers who use the junction as part of their everyday life. We know from previous experience that roadworks on this scale are going to affect footfall.”
She added: “People will have to go seven miles north to the next junction and drive all the way south again to get to Tebay, which they are not going to want to do. Over the course of four years or more, people are going to change their travel habits – and for businesses, that could be not just damaging but final.”
National Highways has previously said it would consider temporary slip-roads while the work was underway. It said: “Junction 38 will still remain open to traffic, apart from during a limited number of occasional overnight or weeknight closures. Our aim is to cause as little disruption as possible.”
The world’s “most welcoming city” has been revealed – and it’s merely three hours from the UK. Data from Booking.com revealed which cities worldwide are the most hospitable to tourists seeking a holiday. Britain has secured several positions in the rankings, with Harrogate ranking as the UK’s most welcoming city. Nevertheless, claiming top spot for the “world’s most welcoming city” is the town of Montepulciano in Italy. Situated amongst the Tuscan hills, the town boasts far more heritage than its modest size might suggest.
Montepulciano is a compact town with a population of barely 14,000 residents, perched atop a hill overlooking verdant countryside bathed in Italian sunshine. Tourism has been a fundamental component of the local economy since World War 2, with its heritage dating back to the Renaissance.
The town’s fascinating past even influences its architecture, which was moulded by the Renaissance itself, bestowing upon it the prestigious title the “Pearl of the Cinquecento”. The structures were carefully designed by the architects of the period, so wandering through the town’s narrow lanes feels like travelling back through the centuries.
Among the most spectacular buildings Montepulciano has to offer is the magnificent Duomo, constructed between the 16th and 17th centuries. The town’s celebrated city hall was also created by renowned Renaissance architects from neighbouring Florence.
Montepulciano is also an exceptionally pedestrian-friendly destination, with the majority of its streets designated as car-free zones. If you’re keen to soak up the vibrant atmosphere of the town, stroll along the main thoroughfare, which extends for just under a mile and brims with charming local independent shops and eateries aplenty.
Beyond the small-town appeal that Montepulciano already possesses, its culinary and beverage scene also attracts visitors from across the globe. A thriving wine heritage surrounds the town, with its esteemed noble wine awarded protected status within Italian gastronomy.
And if that weren’t sufficient, the town retains some concealed treasures and age-old customs that have endured throughout the centuries. Known as the ‘Bravio delle botti’, participants roll an enormous wine barrel through the town’s streets in a tradition dating back to the 14th century.
To reach Montepulciano, Britons can fly to neighbouring Perugia, with Ryanair providing direct flights. UK passengers can fly directly to Perugia from London Stansted Airport, with flights taking approximately 3 hours to reach the sun-drenched region, before continuing on to Montepulciano.
But Ryanair isn’t the only airline connecting British travellers to Perugia, as British Airways also operates a service from London Heathrow Airport to Perugia. However, it’s worth noting that the Heathrow service only runs seasonally, whilst the Stansted service operates year-round.
The complete list of Booking.com’s Most Welcoming Cities on Earth is as follows:
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