Peakshole Water is a stream in the Derbyshire Peak District of England, named after its source, Peak Cavern.

It flows through the village of Castleton to join the River Noe in nearby Hope

Peaks hole Water is a stream in theDerbyshirePeak District of England, named after its source,Peak Cavern. It flows through the village ofCastleton to join the River Noe in nearby Hope. Despite its name, much of its flow actually emerges from the Russet Well, a resurgence in a garden on the east side of the gorge below the main Peak Cavern entrance, described as the "main resurgence of the Castleton area", which drains a series ofswalletson the other side of the Pennine watershed belowRushup Edge. The resurgence has been explored bycave diversto a depth of 82 feet (25 m) but further exploration was halted by a constriction.^[1]

The River Noe flows into the DerbyshireDerwent, which in turn leads to theRiver Trentand thence to theHumberestuary and theNorth Sea.

The stream once powered a corn mill in Castleton which remained in use until about 1920. The 10–12ft diameter water wheel survived until the 1950s.^[2]Little is left of the mill, apart from the wheel pit and the mill pond.^[3]A public footpath leads from Castleton past the mill and follows close to the stream as far as Pindale Road south of Hope.^[4]The stream has one main tributary,Odin Sitch, which rises aboveOdin Mineon the slopes ofMam Torand joins Peakshole Water north of the visitor centre in Castleton.^[5]

Why is Castleton so popular?

The village is popularfor its show caves, history, shops, Christmas lights, garland ceremony, Winnats Pass, Cave Dale and for those wishing to walk on the numerous footpaths in the area. Surrounded by hillsides and overlooked by Mam Tor (the shivering mountain) and the ancient Peveril Castle.

Castleton is a beautiful village situated in the Hope Valley, in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Surrounded by hillsides and overlooked by Mam Tor (the shivering mountain) and the ancient Peveril Castle, the village is popular for it’s show caves, Blue John stone, history, shops, Christmas lights, walking and the annual garland ceremony in May.

Our visitor centre has been fully refurbished in 2017 and is now the premier visitor centre in the Peak District National Park, with exciting new information displays, a dedicated space for Castleton Historical Society’s museum, improved retail area, an area for activities, as well as a new café.

You'll find a warm welcome for people of all ages and abilities, particularly those living with disability, wheelchair users, families with young children or elderly relatives. We also encourage visits from school, youth and community groups.

Come and enjoy the exciting digital interpretation displays including the interactive wall – the first time this technology has been used by a national park. Experience the Castleton story as told by our friends at Castleton Historical Society (CHS) and their artefacts. You can get a taste of the area too as you'll find that our new café uses local products and local food suppliers.

You should visit Castletonfor its stunning scenery, which includes the iconic Mam Tor and Winnats Pass, and its historical attractions like the NormanPeveril Castleruins. It's also a popular destination for outdoor activities like walking, hiking, and caving, with four notable show caves (Blue John, Peak, Speedwell, and Treak Cliff). The village itself offers a charming atmosphere with quaint shops and cafes, as well as a variety of pubs and local eateries.

Scenery and outdoor activities

• Walking and hiking:The area is renowned for walking, with routes like the Great Ridge Walk and theCastleton Caverns Trail.
• Hiking nearby peaks:Take in the views from the top of Mam Tor or walk through the dramatic Winnats Pass.
• Caving:Explore the four show caves, each offering unique experiences:
  • Blue John Cavern:Famous for its semi-preciousBlue John stone(9, 13, 15)
• Speedwell Cavern:Features an underground boat trip along an old canal
• Peak Cavern(Devil's Arse):Known for its massive cavern entrance
• Treak Cliff Cavern:Also mines and processes Blue John stone

• Other activities:The Peak District offers a wide range of other outdoor pursuits, such as cycling, mountain biking, climbing, and paragliding.

History and culture

• Peveril Castle:Visit the atmospheric Norman ruins of this historic castle overlooking the village.
• St Edmund's Church:A historic church with interesting features like ancient wall paintings and specific bible editions.
• Garland Ceremony:Check the calendar for special village events like the traditional Garland Ceremony.

Village charm

• Shopping:Browse the array of independent gift shops and cafes selling local crafts and items, including those made from Blue John stone.
• Food and drink:Enjoy the local pubs, cafes, and restaurants for a bite to eat or a relaxing drink.

A Peak Cavern walk can bea short, accessible stroll from Castleton to the cave entrance, or a longer, more challenging circular hike through Cave Dale. The short walk is about 350m along the stream through the village, while the longer walk is a 6km circular route that includes the steep and rocky path ofCave Daleand offers views ofPeveril Castle.

Closure of Castleton Museum
With great sadness, CHS announces the closure of Castleton Museum, which has been housed within Castleton Visitor Centre for over 20 years. The space occupied by the Museum’s displays will become available for commercial use but a small area will be reserved for wall-mounted displays. Storage of some of the archive of documents, photographs and artefacts is also available but the bulk of the collection will be dispersed.
The Museum will be open as normal through the October half term and we hope that families will enjoy this last opportunity to visit during a school holiday. The museum will finally close before Christmas. More details of this development can be seen

Many aspects of Castleton’s past are featured among the displays, including its archaeology, geology, industry, inhabitants and its significance as a Norman fortified town. One of the most eye-catching displays traces the story of its famous annualGarland Ceremony. The three costumes shown below, which were worn during the ceremony by the Garland King, span the period from early 1800s, possibly as early as 1790, to 2000, the earliest being a coachman’s coat, turned inside out and decorated with ribbons and rosettes.

The latest additions to the Museum’s display area are three new display cases acquired with the help of a grant from the Arts Council. These cases have been designed specifically to allow the contents to be changed more easily than the larger display so a particular theme can be highlighted and objects, documents and photographs from the Museum’s large “behind the scenes” archive can be displayed for a short period.

The new cases have been used to feature the history of Castleton Hall in the Market Place and to exhibit items and photographs concerned with Castleton’s ancient Garland Ceremony, celebrated each year usually on May 29^th.

To link with Remembrance Day In November 2023, the display featured items mainly from the First World War including some personal items not on display before and photographs of some of Castleton’s serving men. More details can be found using the tag ‘temporary display cabinets’on theCHS Blog.

History of the Museum
In the mid 1980sCastleton Museum was originally housed in the Methodist Church and was moved to a more spacious and accessible location in the newly built Visitor Centre in the early 2000s. Some of the displays on view before the recent refurbishment are shown below.

THEMED DISPLAYS

The museum’s collection of artefacts, photographs and documents provide a rich resource for displays created by CHS members to commemorate special events and highlight the Museum’s collection. A few of these are illustrated below.

November 2018: The People of Castleton during the War
This display of photos and information demonstrated how the war impacted the lives of many families in the Villageand attracted much interest from visitors, in particular on Remembrance Sunday when a manned display offered the opportunity to handle a variety of artefacts such as cigarette boxes,engravedwith a message from the Parish Council, given to local service men. Photos below.

World War 1 Exhibition 2014
The CHS Exhibition featuring the memories & photos of the people of Castleton during World War 1 was opened on August 1^stby Mary Bagley of PDNPA & Peter Harrison of the CHS. This project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and gathered together a varied collection of material about the village during the war.

Anyone who was not able to see the exhibition or would like to see it again can browse through the posters via this linkCastleton’s Men at War.

The children of Castleton Primary School made a contribution to the exhibition with their own work, shown below, inspired by the theme of ‘Poppies’.

2014Castleton Christmas Tree Festival

In 2014 our contribution to the annual Christmas Tree Festival at St Edmunds Church remembered World War One with a theme of Christmas Cards from the war years. The source of the text regarding the Christmas truce on the front line and images for our decorations was“Picture Postcards from the Great War 1914-1918” byTony Allen.

This year’s AGM was held on Thursday 19th January. We met in the Village Hall for a concise meeting followed by a pie and pea supper (very yummy) enhanced by BYO drinks. Maria as Chairman told members about the most significant activities of the past year including the changes at the Visitor’s Centre where the Museum will be re-established together with wider interpretation of the Peak Park, in a few months time. She also remembered Peter Harrison, our much missed late Chairman, who died suddenly last summer.

Before everyone left they were shown a few slides to finish off the evening – Jean talked about some recently acquired photos of village people, and Angela went through a selection of photos from the archaeology of 2016. There was a good turnout from members and guests, and it was a very enjoyable evening in the company of friends.