Derbyshire Dales

Derbyshire Dales is an administrative district spanning areas within the Peak District, encompassing market towns like Matlock, Bakewell, and Ashbourne alongside smaller villages and farmland. The landscape combines rolling valleys with stone buildings characteristic of this English upland region.

The district was created in 1974 by merging several former local government areas, including zones around Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock, and Wirksworth. This consolidation brought together historically separate valley communities under a single administrative framework.

The name references the river valleys and rolling terrain that define the area. People here identify with rural heritage and craft traditions that remain visible in the villages and market towns throughout the district.

The district is managed from Matlock, where visitors can find local services and information. The area is best explored by car, as the valleys and villages spread across regional road connections.

Within sections of the Peak District National Park contained in the district, a separate national planning authority has jurisdiction, creating an unusual administrative split. This quirk shows how environmental protection operates alongside local governance in this region.

Location: Derbyshire

Inception: April 1, 1974

Capital city: Matlock

Shares border with: High Peak, South Derbyshire, Amber Valley, North East Derbyshire

Website: http://derbyshiredales.gov.uk

GPS coordinates: 53.05000,-1.70000

Latest update: December 20, 2025 15:28