Talk of the Dales

Castleton’s Secret Gardens have become something of a village institution and hard-working and generous gardeners will be opening their private plots to visitors again this June. Visitors come from far and wide, Trinidad, Australia, Japan and many other countries. Locals come too and participants have got to know many ‘regular’ visitors. For the gardeners it is a great opportunity to meet other gardeners, both novice and experienced to exchange ideas and pick up useful tips.

Our start point for this section was Poole’s Cavern, referred to as one of the seven “Wonders of the Peak,” by writer Charles Cotton in 1681. Heading up through woodland which forms part of Buxton Country Park, I noticed new artwork on the Sculpture Trail that helped me take my mind off the ascent, emerging to the iconic view of Solomon’s Temple atop Grin Low. The current folly is said to be the rebuild of an original structure erected in the early 19th century by Solomon My

Come along to this beautiful Peak District village and wander around its beautiful gardens. Birchover is situated on a hilltop, beneath Stanton Moor with its 9 Ladies Stone Circle. This well-established event takes place over the weekend of 20th and 21st June from 12.30-5pm, with around 20 gardens open for you to visit, varying in style from traditional cottage gardens to modern examples. Home-made cakes, sandwiches and teas will be served in the Village Hall. As you walk a

River Network celebrating their 3 year anniversary with a special team-building day out in Cleethorpes Against a backdrop of highly polarised political opinions and posturing and division. And as Derbyshire confronts the complex issues of homelessness and anti-social behaviour (ASB), a local charity is celebrating a significant milestone with a proven blueprint for success. River Network Housing has just marked its three-year anniversary, showcasing its unique supported hous

An engaging recital of classical and Spanish guitar music. Richard Haslam is a Derbyshire-born classical guitarist, based in Manchester. He completed a postgraduate degree in music performance at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, under the tutelage of Australian guitarist, Craig Ogden in 2017, having previously earned a B.A. (Hons) in music from the University of Hull in 2013. Since completing his studies, Richard has given recitals as both a soloist and withi

The sunny bank holiday weekend was perfect for Ashgate volunteers to enjoy the fun and entertainment at Barn Farm Campsite in Birchover. Starting at 12 noon on Saturday, visitors to the site enjoyed a wellbeing area, locally grown plant sales, jewellery and craft stalls with also a visit from Matlock Fire Crew in their new Fire Engine. The children enjoyed photos with the fire crew, trying on the suits and learning about the fire fighting equipment. There was a fabulous, co

It is so exciting for Bakewell to be holding the 22nd Day of Dance which will take place on Saturday 27 June, filling the beautiful town again with music and dance from around the world. The Well Heeled Appalachian Dancers will be hosting this event which draws so many people into the town and gives Bakewell a real buzz. It has been described as the best event ever held in the town. It is a day not to miss, there is the monthly Farmer's Market, it heralds the start of Bakew

Once again, the ancient village of Edensor will be welcoming visitors for a traditional village fete in a tradition going back many decades, and as before, many of the residents will be opening their prized gardens for public viewing. In recent years, notwithstanding an enforced break as a result of the pandemic, well over a thousand people attend the event throughout the day, with proceeds donated to several worthy charities. The origins of the day were a little humbler tha

Beeley in Bloom is back for 2026 with more heritage, art and craft themes added to the popular open gardens. The honey-coloured sandstone cottages of Beeley trimmed with Chatsworth blue are a pretty backdrop to this annual community fundraiser. This year around 12 of Beeley’s gardens will be open so take the opportunity to look behind the scenes of one of Chatsworth’s charming estate villages. The gardens range in style from quaint back yards to traditional cottage gardens.

If you’re worried about potential food shortages, or about the rising cost of fresh produce, now might be a good time to start growing some of your own vegetables. Growing your own produce can save you money – and this is true even when the cost of food isn’t spiralling. Vegetable seeds are often cheap to buy – from as little as 75p for a packet of salad leaf seeds, for example. You can save money on equipment by reusing plastic food pots and fruit trays to sow seeds in, or

For the next few walks, Nellie and I will be following a loop closer to home because the persons responsible for creating the boundary of the Peak District National Park 75 years ago got a bit carried away with their compasses, drawing a line around Buxton. This will take us south and back into O.S. OL24. We left Whaley Bridge through the suburb of Dowry, picking up the Goyt Way which is a particularly scenic walking trail through the Goyt Valley following part of the 225-mi

Thanks to a grant from ‘Better Derbyshire Dales’ which has allowed Baslow Tennis Club to permanently mark out the courts, Pickleball has restarted every Sunday afternoon from 1pm to 4pm on the multi user games area at Baslow. A trained coach is helping new players learn the ropes and these sessions are open to all, novices and experienced players alike. The game is easy to learn, it’s great fun and, for the more experienced, it can be fast and furious! There’s lots going on