THE HOLGATE SCHOOL 
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 

'VIRTUAL VISITS'

BAKEWELL, IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

Bakewell is a small market town with a population of 3,800. It is situated in the middle of the Peak District National Park.  This is an area of countryside (a rural area) so there are very few other large settlements.

1.

Bakewell has been a market town since the 13th century.  It is also on the main A6 (Manchester to Derby and London) road, so it gets a lot of through traffic.  Many of the buildings in the town are built of the local sandstone (called Millstone Grit).  The shops in the centre of Bakewell attract customers from the local area and also tourists.

2.

Transport to Bakewell is important.  This is a rural area. People from villages and farms rely on good transport links to do their shopping.  Encouraging people to use buses cuts down on traffic on the roads, and congestion in the towns.

3.
One of the original reasons for the site of Bakewell was that it was a place where travellers could cross the River Wye.  This stone bridge has carried traffic over the river since the fourteen century.  The narrow bridge is not well suited to modern traffic.  The town of Bakewell grew up on the sloping ground overlooking the bridge.

4.

Another reason for the growth of Bakewell was the livestock market.  Until 1998 animals were sold at a market in the town centre.  This caused problems because there were a lot of lorries coming to the town to bring animals to the market, and the town centre became congested.

5.

This is a view of the same  place 3 years later.  Since the animal markets closed, the site has been redeveloped with a supermarket and car-park.  The materials for the building have been chosen to match the style of older buildings in the town.

6.
In 1998 a new market was built on the edge of Bakewell.  The site includes a business centre, coach parks and car parking.  It has been linked to the town centre with a new bridge across the river.  The new building is a very unusual design and this has caused a lot of argument.

7.

Moving the cattle market from the town centre has allowed  the middle of Bakewell to be redesigned.  Small pedestrian courts have been built, with a lot of small shops, and no traffic.  They have also built a new swimming pool and a new library.  

8.

A lot of derelict buildings have been replaced.  Access has been improved to allow extra development to take place, which takes pressure off 'green belt' sites in the National Park.  The new buildings are made of stone, to match the old town.  These new flats have encouraged people to move into Bakewell.  They are in an attractive location next to the river. 

9.

Being next to the river brings a risk of flood damage.  Flood defences like these are planned, and can be put into place in a couple of hours if the risk is great.

10.
The railway station in Bakewell closed in the 1960s, and the rails were taken up.  The site was unused for many years.  Now the area has been redeveloped.  The original station building has been reused as offices.  Part of the old goods yard has been developed as an industrial estate, and the rest as a car park.  This has created some jobs in the town.  The route of the old railway track has been converted into a long distance footpath and cycle track.  This helps to attract visitors to Bakewell, and to keep traffic off the roads.

11.
In the area around Bakewell, tourism is very important.    Just to the west of Bakewell is the stately home known as Chatsworth house.  Visitors are attracted to the house and its gardens.  They can also walk freely in the parkland around the house.  Each visitor spends money in the shops and services, and that creates jobs.

12.

Many of the people in this part of the Peak District live and work on farms.  Sheep roam the hills and cattle are found in the valleys.  There are not many crops grown in this area.  The stone walls which surround the fields and the old barns and buildings are an important part of the landscape.

13.
Some local jobs are in the timber industry.  People work in the forests, in the offices and also in transport firms.  The other main industry of this part of the Peak District is stone quarrying.  The Peak District has most of the UKs reserves of Limestone.  Limestone is used in building and for making roads, and crushed to make cement.