Vernacular Architecture in Tideswell

A gryphon outside the former NatWest Bank

As I discovered when investigating Baslow and Stoney Middleton in March this year, unless using the relatively frequent services on the routes from Sheffield to Bakewell and Castleton, it is not easy to explore the Peak District National Park by bus. 

The routes to  Tideswell and Hope from Treeton

Having already been on very enjoyable field trips to Poole’s Cavern, Monsal Dale and Rushup Vale with the Sheffield U3A Geology Group – with the last one ending up with a walk to Hope – I decided to go and have a look at Tideswell, which I last visited more than 20 years ago when surveying the RIGS in the Peak District National Park. 

The geology around Tideswell

My original plan was to arrive at 12:35 on the Stagecoach No. 65 but, with the return buses to Sheffield at either 13:36 or 16:37 not suiting my timescale to explore St. John the Baptist’s church and the vernacular architecture in Tideswell, I decided to catch the Hulleys No.173 to Hope, where I had made arrangements for St. Peter’s church to be opened for me – after which I would then return to Sheffield on the First Mainline No.272. 

A view along Queen Street

All of this of course depended on the First Mainline No. X54 bus, from Harthill to Sheffield, turning up on time in the first place – a route that has been cut from 2 buses per hour to a notoriously unreliable hourly service, with the timings for the morning ‘rush hour’ now being quite ridiculous. 

Fountain Square church

Having arrived in Tideswell as planned, on Queen Street, I set out to have a quick look at its vernacular architecture and historic buildings, which essentially use local Carboniferous Limestone for the walling and Millstone Grit for the dressings - with stone tiles for the roofs of the older buildings and Welsh slate for the later buildings. 

The former Church of England school

This combination of stones is a typical pattern in the villages of the White Peak and it is the more prestigious buildings that tend to be built entirely with Millstone Grit which, unlike the Carboniferous Limestone, can be carved into intricate ornamental details. 

A gothic style window at Pursglove Lodge

Most of the Grade II Listed vernacular buildings that I encountered aren’t of great architectural merit, although they do contribute significantly to a large Conservation Area; however, I saw a couple of buildings that I particularly liked – Blake House and the Oddfellows Hall – and, next time I visit Tideswell, I will further investigate the area around High Street and Market Square.

Market Square