Vernacular Architecture in Youlgrave

A detail of the Old Bull's Head Hotel

After a long day out to Tideswell and Hope, to see their respective mediaeval churches, I set off to the Peak District National Park again a few days later, to look at All Saints church in the village of Youlgrave, which is just over 4 km to the south of Bakewell. 

The Carboniferous geology around Youlgrave

With this being quite remote and served by an irregular bus service, which runs no more than once every two hours, this involved a bit of planning and to make the most of my time, I also decided to investigate the hamlet of Alport, at the confluence of the River Lathkill and River Bradford, where there is a good exposure of Quaternary tufa. 

The Old Hall

Arriving at Main Street on the Hulleys 172 bus from Bakewell, the early C17 Old Hall provides a good introduction to the building materials found throughout the village, with Eyam limestone used with gritstone for the walls, Ashover Grit from nearby Stanton and Birchover for the dressings and flaggy Millstone Grit for the stone roofing tiles. 

The conduit head

Continuing east along Main Street, the old Co-operative building, dated 1887, is constructed in rock faced gritstone with a Welsh slate roof and, opposite this in the centre of the road, the conduit head is built in Millstone Grit ashlar – again probably from the Stanton/Birchover area, which with Darley Dale has long since been a major supplier of top quality building stone. 

Old Hall Farmhouse

Diverting up Moor Lane to briefly look at the early C17 Old Hall Farmhouse, with distinctive mullioned windows like the Old Hall, I carried on up Church Street, which apart from the Bull’s Head Hotel is mostly lined with simple two storied terraced cottages that use either limestone or gritstone as the walling stone. 

Vernacular architecture in Youlgrave

Further up Church Street towards All Saints church, various Grade II Listed buildings include Turret House, Auburn House, dated 1734, and All Saints School and School House. The latter, dated 1888, has limestone walls and gritstone dressings with a banded blue fish-scale and red plain tile roof. 

All Saints School and School House

On the outskirts of the village, there is an interesting Arts and Crafts style lodge and stable block to Raenstor Close, built in 1911, with a garden wall to the gated principal house carved with a relief of Orpheus and reliefs of various animals.

Raenstor Close Lodge and Garden Wall