The Conservation Village of Winster, Derbyshire
May 26 '02
The Bottom Line Winster's charm and its historic surroundings in the hill country of Derbyshire make it an idyllic location as a base for exploring nearby attractions.
"Please tell others about us." With that request from our B&B host, my mother, sister, daughter, and I left the Peak District village of Winster. We had spent three days and nights enjoying local hospitality at the Dower House, our B&B lodging, and at The Old Bowling Green, an excellent public house where we took our evening meals. We had chosen Winster to serve as our base for exploring Derbyshire, and it proved a pleasant choice indeed. This review is written in an effort to honor the request of our good host.
Winster Village
Winster is an ancient lead-mining village located in the hill country of what is now the Peak District National Park. Tracing its history back at least to 1086, when it was listed in the Domesday Book, Winster reached its heyday as a mining center and market town during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nearby Mill Close, the last of the pits worked by local miners, closed operation in 1938. In the years since, Winster has provided services to visitors coming to the Peak for rest and relaxation and has been become a bedroom community for families preferring village life to the more suburban attractions of Derbyshire's larger towns and cities.
Many of the village's attractive stone houses and shops date from the 17th and 18th centuries, with a few dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Access by automobile comes by way of the B5057, a winding and often narrow country road. A popular walking trail, the Limestone Way, passes through Winster, and the Tissington and High Peak cycle paths pass along the periphery of the village. The village itself is spread along Main Street (the B5057) and follows East Bank and West Bank Roads up a steep hillside. The "gennels," a warren of narrow alleyways and side streets between East and West Bank, lead through a charming residential area that once housed the families of miners.
Winster's official status as a "conservation village" ensures that its historic charm will endure. It will never be impressed with the more obnoxious characteristics of modernity: no golden arches, no neon shop lights, and no prefabricated synthetic structures erected next to its 18th-century cottages. The principal inconvenience associated with a stay in Winster involves negotiating the twists and turns of the region's steep, narrow roadways.
The Dower House
The Dower House--a three-story, 16th-century country house once belonging to the Kedleston estate--looks directly down Winster's Main Street toward the Market House. The property is adjacent to and shares a wall with the village churchyard. Operated by Mrs. Marsha Foster-Biggin as a 5-star, Gold Award-winning bed-and-breakfast establishment, the Dower House offers large and pleasant rooms, a variety of breakfast options, and an attractive walled garden complete with a small fish pond and a cat named Percy.
Only one of the Dower House's three spacious guestrooms is en suite, but private baths for the other two rooms are close by and comfortable, with old-fashioned fixtures that are entirely appropriate for the setting. Each guestroom has its own eclectic decor, including antique furniture--one room has a four-poster bed--comfortable seating (upholstered chairs and, in one room, a full sofa), and carefully selected wall and window treatments. All guestrooms have color television, full tea and coffee service, and hair dryers.
The house is thoroughly guest friendly. Except for the fee paid on departure, it is altogether possible to believe that one is truly an invited visitor in Marsha's home. The garden and three large rooms on the ground floor--foyer, sitting room, and dining room--are all fully accessible. An honor bar located in the stairwell is generously stocked with a variety of labels and mixers. Tea and coffee supplies are restocked daily--and more often, if desired. Moreover, during our three-night stay Marsha and her husband John provided our party with over-the-counter cold relief from the family medicine cabinet, impromptu lessons on local lore, "celly" tape to wrap a parcel, directions on how to reach various nearby points of interest, and a full measure of courtesy and hospitality.
At its current rate of £80 per room per night, double occupancy, the Dower House is relatively expensive for B&B-style accommodation. Nonetheless, based on the quality of the services provided and of the surroundings, such a rate is more than justified. For reservations and further information on the Dower House, contact John and Marsha at 011-44-1629-650931 (from the United States). When you call, don't forget to ask after Percy--who, of course, is the true owner of the house.
The Old Bowling Green
Given the perils of the narrow country road that connects Winster to the outside world, our group had no wish to travel abroad after dark. The solution for where to find dinner thus became The Old Bowling Green, which is within easy walking distance of the Dower House. In fairness, there is a second pub/restaurant in Winster, the Miner's Standard, which enjoys a comparable reputation. But we were on foot, and the Standard was up that steep hill and further away than the Bowling Green. After our long days of touring, we opted for ease.
Established in 1472 and located next to the historic Market House on East Bank, the Bowling Green offers a lounge bar/pub area with a large fireplace, plus restaurant seating in the parlour and conservatory dining rooms. (Guests accompanied by children are asked to select tables in non-smoking dining areas.) During summer, there is also an outdoor beer garden.
As a traditional free house, the pub offers a varied selection of free ales and keg beers from a wide range of brewers, as well as a goodly number of malt whiskies. This visitor noticed the largest bottle of Jameson (a personal favorite) she's ever seen. Mounted upside down behind the bar and specially fitted to facilitate dispensing its contents, the Jameson reassured me that the Bowling Green is a serious pub--despite, or perhaps in accord with, the gentle and oft-practiced humor of its proprietors.
The food was tasty and wholesome, though not always "simple"--easily exceeding standard pub fare. After taking our meals at the Bowling Green for three nights running, our party sampled a fair percentage of the menu. The fish and chips won high praise all around. I loved the baked stilton dish, created from a variety of fresh vegetables and wonderful English stilton. Mother appreciated the potato and leek soup, though she longed for another option after the second night. My daughter highly recommended the steak-and-ale pie. And on our third and final night, my sister persuaded us all (in honesty, with scant resistance) to indulge in an exploration of the "pudding" list. Dishes we didn't try include peppered pork, a lamb casserole seasoned with Mediterranean spices, and for the adventurous at heart, black pudding. Our evening's tab for four people was always under £30--a bargain by any standard.
The Bowling Green's advertisement promises a warm and friendly welcome. In our experience, owners David and Marilyn Bentley followed through admirably in delivering on that promise. David chatted with us at length, putting us at our ease and giving special attention to Mother. Marilyn kept busy behind the bar, making sure our orders were handled efficiently. For more information on The Old Bowling Green, call the Bentleys at 011-44-1629-650219 or visit their web site at www.bowlinggreen.co.uk.
Local Points of Interest
On the whole, Winster served us well as a base for our excursions in and around Derbyshire. The village is less than 10 miles from Bakewell and Matlock. Derby, Buxton, Ashborne, and Chesterfield are within a 25-mile radius. Nearby attractions, several of which we visited, include--
~ Great houses such as Haddon Hall, Sudbury Hall, Chatsworth, Eyam Hall, and Kedleston;
~ Ancient Neolithic sites, including the Nine Ladies and Arbor Low stone circles;
~ A wide variety of local museums, including the Carriage Museum at Darley Dale, the Mining Museum at Matlock, and the Black Death Plague Village at Eyam;
~ Local festivals, such as the Winster Gallup, and the unique custom of well dressings, practiced at Bakewell and in a number of Derbyshire villages;
~ The baths at Matlock and Bakewell; and
~ A wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, caving, rock climbing, and water sports.
Chances are, whatever your inclinations, there will be something in the area to hold your interest. Like us, you will likely find three days too short a time for your visit to the Peak District.
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DAnneC
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Location: Small Town America
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Loves history, travel, gardens, and words in general
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