A large and popular Derbyshire Dales village set in the limestone uplands near Buxton (which is six miles to the west), Tideswell, in the heart of the Peak District National Park, has plenty going for it.
Its appeal comes not least from an aesthetical perspective, with the village boasting a number of fine old buildings as well as being home to a remarkable church.
The magnificent church of St John the Baptist is, with some justification, widely referred to as the ‘Cathedral of the Peak’. Built entirely in the 14th century, it contains many notable monuments, brasses and woodcarvings.
Tideswell is well known for being a thriving community which offers much more than initially meets the eye. The village also has a reputation for its fine food and drink offerings, such as the AA Rosette-awarded The Merchant’s Yard on St John’s Road.
This picture-perfect Derbyshire village was once important for its markets and was also a centre for a variety of local industries including quarrying, lead mining, cotton and velvet mills, which helped bring wealth to the area.
Today it continues to be a focal point for surrounding communities with a small industrial estate, craftwork, furniture and piano manufacture providing employment in the area.
Set in wonderful walking country and surrounded by sprawling countryside, Tideswell makes an excellent base for a multitude of walks and is a good place for a refreshment stop in one of the traditional village pubs or cafes.
At the southern end of the village is Tideswell Dale, where there is a nature reserve with car park, toilets and a picnic area featuring a delightful sculpture trail. There are also excellent sports and recreational facilities in the village itself.
PROPERTIES
According to Rightmove, the UK’s largest online real estate property portal (rightmove.co.uk), a total of 22 properties within the Tideswell area have been sold in the past year, selling at an overall average price of £313,977.
Of the properties sold in the past 12 months, 12 (the most sold) were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £285,833. Semi-detached properties fetched on average £355,833, with detached houses selling for an average of £397,500.
The highest price paid over the past 12 months was a semi-detached property on Mires Lane, which fetched £670,000 in December 2024.
Overall, according to Rightmove, the historical sold prices in Tideswell over the past year were 23% down on the previous year and 13% down on the 2022 peak of £360,914.
According to Rightmove, at the time of writing there are currently 32 properties up for sale in and around Tideswell, ranging in price from £1.2m for a nine-bed detached property to £285,000 for a two-bed terraced property.
Available statistics from the 2021 Census records Tideswell Parish’s population as 1,552, which is a marginal decrease of 0.59% from the 2011 Census figure of 1,647.
WHAT TIDESWELL OFFERS
A move to Tideswell means you’re not just buying into a wonderful location, you’re also tapping into a wonderful community, with regular events complimenting the larger-scale annual traditions which take place here.
On the Saturday of the May Day Bank Holiday, for example, Tideswell Food Festival is held in the village with an array of demonstrations, stalls, entertainment, fun for the whole family and, of course, food.
As with many Derbyshire villages, Tideswell has a strong and proud tradition of well dressing which goes back hundreds of years, with the dressings and famous Wakes Week traditionally held in late June to early July.
There is also a fine musical tradition in Tideswell and the Male Voice Choir and other local societies hold regular concerts in the stunning church.
Shopping, eating and drinking in Tideswell is also a joy, with the village rightly proud of its offerings to locals and visitors alike – with much of it focused on championing great independents and quality local produce. A full list of current amenities can be found at visittideswell.co.uk
Tideswell has a charm about it which is in keeping with many villages in the area, yet it’s a village which – despite being understandably popular with tourists – has managed to retain its sense if identity and community spirit.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Grade I listed Church of St John the Baptist is described in Randall Rawlins’ Survey of the Parish Churches and Chapels in the County of Derby as ‘without exception, the most perfect and beautiful specimen of pointed architecture to be found in the county - or perhaps in any other parish church of its size in the entire kingdom’.
The church is unusual in having been constructed entirely in the 14th century, without any significant alterations being made since that time, although a restoration was carried out in 1873 by John Dando Sterling, described comfortingly by the Manchester Courier as ‘a genuine restoration rather than a reconstruction’.
These days, this iconic Derbyshire landmark is supported in no small part by the charitable The Friends of St Johns, Tideswell group, which was established to support the maintenance of the building.
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