Two Dales, the location of our b and b accommodation, is a beautiful, picturesque village in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales - the gateway to the Peak District National Park, which is just five miles away.

Although tiny, the village offers an excellent range of facilities for visitors and residents alike. Amenities include a post office, butcher, small supermarket, bank (Royal Bank of Scotland), garden nursery, garage, doctors' surgery, regular bus services, a chemist and a pub - the Plough Inn. There is even a forest country park in the village, along with the Sydnope Fishery for anglers.

During the 18th Century, Two Dales was known as Toad Holes - meaning "fox earths" - changing to its present-day name because of the local dialect.

Two Dales fits snugly into a valley formed by two wooded dales - Hall and Sydnope. The Hall dale is owned by the Woodland Trust and Sydnope is enhanced by a series of old mill ponds. The old mill is still used today - but makes animal feeds instead of flour. A stroll along Sydnope Hill leads walkers to the Potter and Fancy Dams.

Two hundred years ago, the village was isolated and the main road was the packhorse route from Chesterfield to Newhaven. In 1789, Ladygrove Mill was built - powered by the Sydnope Brook to spin cotton. Daniel Dakeyne's family went on to build several grand houses - Knab House, the Green House (now Ladygrove House) and Holt House, all within a few hundred yards of the mill.

Sydnope Hall is set in secluded woodland above the dale head. These days, it has been converted into privately-owned appartments. It has a garden, reputed to have been built by Paxton. Another impressive building is the old Church of England Schoolroom - only two minutes' walk from Hazel House. It is now used as a bakery.

Although a village in its own right, Two Dales is one of several parish villages which make up the town of Darley Dale. It is also in the Derwent Valley, which recently won World Heritage Status from the United Nations, meaning you'll be staying in an area on a par with the Taj Mahal and The Pyramids!

Darley Dale has a wealth of history and has been home to famous characters including the family of Charles Darwin, author Crighton Porteous and, more recently, world snooker player Nigel Bond.

By far the most famous son of the town, though, was Sir Joseph Whitworth (1804-1887) - the Victorian mechanical engineer. He lived in Stancliffe House with his second wife, Lady Mary Louisa, who also used to live at Hazel House. After her husband's death, she paid for the building of Darley Dale's Whitworth Hospital, the Whitworth Institute and Park and established scholarships at the area's schools. She died in 1896.

Among Darley Dale's attractions are Peak Rail, which runs vintage steam train services from Darley Dale to Matlock. In 1968, the line from Matlock to Buxton was closed and lifted - but part of this was reopened in 1975 by rail enthusiasts. Trains began running again in 1991 and an extension meant the the first passenger services started in 1997.

The Red House Stables Working Carriage Museum has one of the finest collections of original horse-drawn vehicles in Britain. There are around 20 horses and 40 carriages, including a stage coach and Royal Mail coach. The carriages are not just hidden away in the museum but are regularly used and are a familiar site on the roads of the area. Rides are available by appointment.

The spa town of Matlock is only a few minutes down the A6 and picturesque Bakewell is just seven miles in the opposite direction. Both offer an excellent range of shops, restaurants and pubs.

The Matlock Lido swimming pool and gym, Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall and Matlock Bath with its cable cars and Gulliver's Kingdom family theme park are all within four miles.

TWO DALES LINKS

Historic Pictures

Ladygrove Mill


DARLEY DALE LINKS

Darley Dale Town Council

Peak Rail

Red House Carriage Museum

St Helen's Church

Two Dales photograph by Lindsay Colbourne