Lofty villages: Chelmorton
Chelmorton is the only significant village on the limestone plateau to the east of Buxton that dates from before 1800. This village was supplied with water from a spring arising at the contact between an impervious bed of lava and the surrounding limestone. Each croft property originally had its own walled strip of land. The surrounding open fields were enclosed at a later date. A lead vein (Grove Rake) cuts the lava close to Chelmorton and was mined by villagers. In contrast, hamlets such as Wormhill, Tunstead, Peak Forest, Hollinsclough, and Earl Sterndale remain little more than close clusters of farmsteads. |
Dove Holes village owes its existence to the early lime industry, which began in the area in the 16 th century. The villages of Peak Dale and Harpur Hill were largely built to house the workforce of companies producing lime in the 19th century and Harpur Hill was overlooked by a massive Hoffman lime kiln. This village expanded during World War II where it served as an RAF base. Aviation fuel stores were located in former quarries. These were conveniently located at highest point on a petrol pipeline which ran from Merseyside refineries to military airfields in the East Midlands. Buildings at the old base were used subsequently by the High Peak College, an institution which is now part of the University of Derby.
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