tourist information

The Bull’s Head Hotel is an ideal centre for walking, touring and visiting local places of interest and is situated in the long narrow village of Youlgrave. The village lies between two beautiful dales with their respective rivers, the Lathkill and the Bradford. Youlgreave is situated in some of the finest scenery in the Peak District. Youlgrave is famous for its well dressing. This takes place at Midsummer each year with five wells being dressed with biblical pictures. The midsummer date is thought to link to St John the Baptist’s day and is considered to be the most suitable time to give thanks for water. It is considered to be amongst the finest example of well dressing in the Peak district.

The village has many names. Youlgreave and Youlgrave being the two most common. These names are thought to derive from the Saxon 'Iolograf' meaning 'Yellow Grove'. 'Pommie' is a well known and often used nickname used by locals.

Long before you reach the village, you will see the splendid 15th century Norman perpendicular tower of the parish church. The church is a gem, handsome in design and has a wealth of content. It has particularly fine Norman work and the tower has eight pinnacles. This not only commands the attention but the church cheekily stands forward so that the main road has to go around it!

The Old Hall in the village was built in 1650 of mellow cotswold coloured stone.

Nearby is Chatsworth House, garden, farmyard and adventure playground, Chatsworth, Bakewell, Derbyshire. Tel. 01246 582204. Chatsworth is one of the premier tourist attractions in the UK and is the home of the Duke of Devonshire. The house was built in 1707 for the 1st Duke of Devonshire onto a much earlier building designed by his great great grandmother Bess of Hardwick. It has fine collections of paintings, furniture and sculpture. In 2003 they celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Paxton. The garden has beautiful waterworks and five miles of lovely walks. Well worth a visit.

Haddon Hall, Bakewell, Derbyshire. Tel. 01629 812855. Haddon Hall has been home to the Manners family for 800 years. Little has been added since the reign of henry VIII. Over recent years it has been used as a popular location for film and television productions such as the feature films 'Elizabeth' and 'Jane Eyre' and TV productions 'The Prince and the Pauper' and 'Moll Flanders'. The gardens are believed by some to be the 'most romantic gardens in England'. Frequent special events are held at Haddon Hall.

Nearby is Bakewell. This is a popular tourist town in the Peak District. It has many fine buildings and a 700 year old bridge made of the attractive local brownstone. Most buildings date back to the 17th and 18th century. The Market Hall, Holme Hall and Bath house are of note. The Bath House was built in 1697 by the Duke of Rutland and is fed by warm springs known since Roman times. Bakewell is famous for its Bakewell Tart which originated when a customer of the Rutland Arms ordered a Strawberry Tart but the cook made it upside down, with the egg mixture on top of the strawberry jam instead of using it in the pastry!

Matlock with is neighbour, Matlock Bath is also a popular Peak District town and is a magnet for tourists in the summer months. It is situated in a narrow limestone ravine which the river Derwent passes through. Local mill owner, John Smedley perfected a 'mild water cure' in 1853 using various sources of tepid spring water all of different temperatures. International tourists used to visit the hydro to 'take the cure'. At the end of the 19th century there were some 20 hydros operating in Matlock. Smedley also built Riber Castle, the mock-fortified building to the east of Matlock Bath above sloping meadows.

You will find Youlgrave a village which you are reluctant to leave.