Tideswell
| Tideswell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The George Hotel, Tideswell. | |
| OS grid reference | SK154748 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BUXTON |
| Postcode district | SK17 |
| Dialling code | 01298 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Tideswell is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District, England (location map). It lies six miles east of Buxton, off the B6049, in a wide dry valley on a limestone plateau, at an altitude of over 1,000 ft above sea level. The population was 1717 in 1991, making it the second largest habitation within the National Park, after Bakewell.[1]
There is some debate as to how the village got its name. Some say it originates from a Saxon chieftain named Tidi[2], others that the name comes from a "tiding well" situated in the north of the village.
In the Middle Ages, Tideswell was a market town known for lead mining.The Tideswell lead miners were renowned for their strength and were much prized by the military authorities. George III is reported to have remarked when a group of miners were paraded before him in London-
" I don't know what effect these men will have on the enemy, but Good God they Frighten me".
Tideswell is now best-known for its fourteenth century parish church, the Church of St John the Baptist, known as the "Cathedral of the Peak", which contains three 15th century misericords. A sundial lies in the churchyard; it lies on steps which Neville T. Sharpe hypothesises may be those of the village's market cross. A market and two-day fair were granted to the village in 1251.[3]
The town has a week-long festival near the summer solstice known as the Wakes, culminating in "Big Saturday" which includes a torchlight procession through the streets, led by a brass band playing a unique tune called the Tideswell Processional[1] , and townsfolk dancing a specific weaving dance.
Tideswell is locally called "Tidza" (or "Tidsa")[4], and the folk known as "Sawyeds" [5] due to a traditional story that when a farmer's cow got its head stuck in a gate, the farmer got it free by sawing off its head Today this story is re-enacted raucously and colourfully each Wakes by a local mummers group called the Tidza Guisers.
The town has a football team, Tideswell United and they play in the Hope Valley League 'A' Division. They also run a reserve side competing in the Hope Valley League B Division called Tideswell United Blue Star. The ground has floodlights for midweek games, one of few sides at such a low level to use them.
The village has a long theatrical tradition, Tideswell Theatre being formed over 200 years ago to perform leading plays of the time. It was revived in 2002 to bring quality professional theatre, music, dance and comedy to the area. Tideswell Community Players are one of the oldest drama groups in the country, formed in 1929. Until the 1960s the village also had its own cinema, The Picturehouse. Tideswell Cinema was revived in 2005 to bring film once more to the community, with screenings for three seasons at Bishop Pursglove School's school hall before relocating in 2008 to upstairs at The George Hotel.
Notable people
- Blessed Christopher Buxton Martyr, studied here at Tideswell Grammar school under Nicholos Garlick[6]
- Ric Lee, drummer of the blues/rock band Ten Years After, resided in Tideswell and participated in the male voice choir
- Rev. J. M. J. Fletcher (Vicar of Tideswell) - historian[7]
- Blessed Nicholas Garlick Catholic priest and martyr was a schoolmaster here in the sixteenth century[6]
- Judy Leden, stunt flyer and three times world hang-gliding champion.[8]
- William Newton, poet and philanthropist was buried here.[9]
- Samuel Slack Notable bass singer born 1757 of local fame, reputedly sang before King George III [10].
- Michael Bradbury, father of TV presenter Julia Bradbury, was born here.
References
- ^ Peak District National Park Factsheet 16: Population & Employment in the Peak District National Park
- ^ Tideswell English Place Name Society database at Nottingham University
- ^ Neville T. Sharpe, Crosses of the Peak District (Landmark Collectors Library, 2002)
- ^ Tideswell page at Cressbrook.co.uk
- ^ Tideswell page at VisitPeakDistrict.com
- ^ a b public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913
- ^ Crockford's Clerical Directory (1935)
- ^ Judy Leden, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, accessed March 2009
- ^ William Newton at the Dictionary of National Biography now in the public domain
- ^ " Peakheritage.org.uk
External links
- Derbyshire UK - Tideswell
- Peak District Online - Tideswell
- Description of Tideswell Church.
- Link to interesting search of Google Books on Tideswell with several good books fully online mentioning Tideswell.
- The Feudal History of the County of Derby Vol.5 Section 9, by John Pym Yeatman, G4TIFF page images, plus poorly OCRed HTML, This has a lot of information on Tideswell during the 11 thru 13th Centuries.