Chelmorton

Chelmorton sits on the White Peak plateau of the Derbyshire Peak District, a few miles south-east of Buxton, and is widely reckoned to be one of the highest villages in England. Its parish church, St John the Baptist, stands at around 1,200 feet above sea level, and locals like to point out that its 15th-century spire is the highest church spire in the country. The village itself is little more than a single street, Main Street, running gently uphill from the old railway line towards the open moorland of Chelmorton Low, with a cluster of stone cottages, a pub and the church forming its modest centre.

What makes Chelmorton genuinely unusual is not its size but its shape. Look at a map and you can still trace thirteen long, narrow field strips running away from both sides of the village street up onto the surrounding hillsides, a pattern laid out in medieval times, and possibly earlier, when the village farmed its land in open communal strips. Most of England's strip fields were swept away by enclosure centuries ago, but Chelmorton's survived largely because the thin limestone soil was never considered worth the bother of reorganising. The result is one of the best-preserved medieval field systems in the country, still bounded by dry stone walls and still legible from the air or from the flanks of Chelmorton Low above the village.

Top things to do in Chelmorton

Chelmorton is a place to walk, look and pause rather than a destination with a long list of attractions, and it rewards visitors who come for a slow wander through its fields and lanes rather than a packed itinerary.

• The medieval strip fields — Walk up the footpath behind the church onto Chelmorton Low and look back down over the village to see the thirteen ancient field strips radiating from Main Street, one of the clearest surviving examples of this farming pattern in England.
• St John the Baptist's Church — A part-Norman church with a mid-18th-century gritstone tower and spire, said to be the highest church spire in England, plus a 15th-century weathervane shaped like a locust and a porch built from old coffin lids.
• Five Wells Chambered Cairn — A Neolithic burial chamber on the hillside above the village, reputed to be the highest surviving prehistoric tomb in Britain, with two burial chambers still visible and wide views out across the White Peak.
• Chelmorton Low — The open limestone hill rising behind the village, criss-crossed by footpaths and part of the Limestone Way, and a good spot to get your bearings across the surrounding plateau.
• The Church Inn — The village pub, standing opposite the church on the site of a former blacksmith's, and the natural stopping point for walkers passing through.
• Deep Dale and Horseshoe Dale — A pair of quiet limestone dales just outside the village, less visited than Monsal or Miller's Dale but with the same dramatic White Peak scenery, popular with walkers exploring on foot from Chelmorton.
• The Limestone Way — Chelmorton lies directly on this long-distance trail, which threads across the White Peak plateau and makes the village a natural stop for anyone walking a section of the route.

Getting to Chelmorton

Chelmorton lies just over a mile off the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne road, roughly four and a half miles south-east of Buxton, and is easiest to reach by car, following signs from the A515 down the narrow lane into the village. There is very limited parking in the village itself, so visitors are encouraged to park considerately or use nearby walking routes such as the Monsal Trail car parks and approach on foot. Buxton, the nearest sizeable town, has a rail link to Manchester, and from there Chelmorton can be reached by taxi, bike or on foot via the surrounding footpaths and the Limestone Way. There is no direct bus service into the village, so most visitors arrive under their own steam, which suits Chelmorton's quiet, off-the-beaten-track character.

Best time to visit Chelmorton

Chelmorton's exposed position on the plateau means it can feel the weather more than lower-lying Peak District villages, so late spring through early autumn (May to September) is the most comfortable time to visit, with long daylight hours for walking the surrounding dales and fields. Summer brings the best chance of clear views from Chelmorton Low and Five Wells, while autumn adds colour to the limestone dales nearby. Winter can be atmospheric, with the strip fields dusted in frost or snow, but conditions on the exposed hillside can turn quickly, so visitors should come prepared for wind and cold at any time of year.

Where to stay in Chelmorton

Accommodation in Chelmorton itself is limited to a handful of self-catering cottages and farm stays, in keeping with the village's small size, so many visitors choose to base themselves nearby in Buxton, Bakewell or one of the surrounding White Peak villages and visit Chelmorton for the day or as part of a longer walk. Camping and glamping options in the wider area range from simple farm campsites to more comfortable pods and yurts, giving visitors a chance to spend a night under Peak District skies close to the village's ancient fields.

Food and drink in Chelmorton

The Church Inn, standing opposite St John the Baptist's Church, is the village's one pub and its main focus for food and drink, serving cask ales and pub meals to locals and walkers passing through on the Limestone Way. Beyond the pub, Chelmorton has no shops or cafés of its own, so visitors wanting more choice generally head into Buxton, which has a good range of cafés, restaurants and independent food shops just a short drive away.