Welcome to Bamford village, in the High Peak

Bamford lies within the Peak District National Park, 11 miles west of Sheffield and 25 miles east of Manchester. It is surrounded by high moorland; to the north are the gritstone edges of Derwent and Bamford, and to the west lies the peak of Win Hill. The River Derwent flows through the village. 

Bamford has an interesting history. It was included in the Domesday Book and remained a small agricultural village until the corn mill was burnt down and then sold in about 1780, and converted to a water-powered cotton-spinning mill. The Moore family, who owned similar properties in Manchester, developed the mill and thus the industrial revolution came to the village. The mill is now converted to residential use and the legacy of the generous Moore family can still be seen around the village, the Anglican church, the School, the Moore Memorial Hall and mill houses for the workers. 

In 1901 work began on construction of the Derwent and Howden dams, 7 miles from Bamford, in the Upper Derwent Valley - where a temporary village for the men working on this project and their families was built. Officially named Birchinlee, it was known locally as ‘Tin Town’, because it consisted of tin shacks. Up to 2,000 people came to work on the dams project, and some families stayed afterwards - with descendants still living in Bamford today.

The later Ladybower reservoir, lying downstream of the Derwent dam, was completed in 1945 and covers 504 acres. Water submerged the villages of Ashopton and Derwent when this reservoir was filled. Some of the inhabitants of these two villages were re-housed in the Yorkshire Bridge area of Bamford in purpose-built dwellings. In drought years when the level of Ladybower falls, the ruins of Derwent village can be seen from the banks.

Bamford attracts many visitors who come to walk, fish, cycle, or simply enjoy the magnificent scenery. (Please try to come by bus or train, as carparking is limited!)  Paths and cycle tracks circle the waters of Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs, which are fringed by woodlands and steep fields. 

Spring Bank Holiday Monday is the date for the annual Bamford Sheep Dog Trials and Fell Race.  The annual Carnival with its Well Dressing, Fell Race, and parade on the last Saturday is held around the third week in July.   

Bamford has three churches: St John the Baptist (Church of England), Methodist Church, and Our Lady of Sorrows (Roman Catholic).