From the wild moorland in the north to the magical caves you’ll find in the south, one thing’s for certain - the Peak District is full of stunning places to visit. Among the national park’s natural wonders are dozens of picturesque villages, each one with its hidden gems.
Nestled in the White Peak, around a 90 minute drive from Greater Manchester, is Youlgreave, one of the largest villages in the Peak District. It sits on the hillside above the confluence of the rivers Bradford and Lathkill and overlooks miles upon miles of vibrant green countryside.
When you arrive at Youlgreave you might spot something rather odd - in fact you may find you’ve not arrived in Youlgreave at all. The road signs in the area have different spellings, so depending on what you see you may find yourself in Youlgrave, Youlegreave or Youlgreave.
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Throughout the years the village’s spelling has varied significantly, with wild variations such as Zolgreve and Yellegrave even recorded. But its name isn’t the only quirky feature of the village.
Youlgreave is home to the smallest detached house in Great Britain. Thimble Hall is a tiny building where each room is less than 8ft square. Dating back to the 1750s, the house at one point was home to a family of eight.
In 1999 the Grade II listed property made national news when it was sold at auction for £39,500. It attracted bids from all over the world and the illusionist Uri Geller even tried to buy it, but in the end ice cream manufacturer Fredrick’s of Chesterfield had the winning bid. The house was last used as a dwelling in the 1930s and has also been used as an antique shop, butchers and cobblers.
Another historical feature found in the village is Conduit Head, a huge circular water tank. It was used to store water which was collected from the River Bradford and then distributed to villagers. Today the village uses one of the few private water companies in Britain.
Nowadays Youlgreave is a popular tourist destination in the Peak District thanks to its scenic location. The village has three pubs to choose from: The Bull’s Head Hotel, George Hotel and Farmyard Inn. Near the centre of the village is Peak Feast, a long-standing family bakery where you can buy tasty treats to eat in or take away.
There are several holiday cottages within the village while the youth hostel is housed in an impressive Victorian three-storey building which was previously used by the Youlgreave Co-op. As hostels go it's rather pretty and it still has Co-op signs in the windows.
Youlgreave is a great starting point for walks in the local area and several long distance routes pass through it: the Alternative Pennine Way, the Limestone Way and the White Peak Way. Lying east of the village is the pretty hamlet of Alport, while there are also scenic walks you can do along the River Bradford.
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