Foolow
Foolow is a small but delightful village in the White Peak area of the Peak District. It offers quiet, country lanes, pretty limestone cottages, a village green with a medieval cross … even a picture-perfect duck pond, complete with white Aylesbury ducks.
The sweet little church of St Hugh is well worth a visit. It was once a smithy, but was consecrated as a church in the late 19th Century. Foolow also has an architecturally interesting Wesleyan chapel dating from 1836.
The Bull’s Head pub is situated in the centre of the village and serves honest, locally-sourced food and real ales. It was one of five pubs in the village in its mining heyday, but is now the last survivor. The Barrel Inn in the nearby village of Bretton is also within easy walking distance, however, and is reputedly the highest pub in Derbyshire, as evidenced by the spectacular views from its front lawns.
Foolow is surrounded by the most glorious Peak District countryside of gently rolling hills, ancient dry-stone walls and tumbledown barns. This is a haven for walkers, with a great many easy routes to follow on mostly level, well-made trails, all offering beautiful views.
It is perhaps hard to believe from the idyllic setting now, but Foolow was once a thriving centre for lead mining. Rich veins of lead were discovered along the edges to the north of the village and led to the opening of a number of mines in the early 18th Century, which in turn brought miners and their families into the area. The Watergrove Mine, located to the south of the village, was in use until 1853.
… But perhaps the most notable aspect of Foolow is that it is home to Let’s Go Peak District’s very own Villager Jim!
