Hope village is about the same size as nearby Castleton, the ‘Gem of the Peak District’, which attracts tourists and visitors from all over the world, especially at Christmas time to see its wonderful lights. Hope may be close by, but it has a very different character, because although tourists do come to Hope, most of them simply pass through, to get elsewhere.
The village lies where the Edale Valley meets the Hope Valley and lies at the junction of the River Noe and Peakshole water. It was the base of the Eyre family, who became major landowners in this area of the Peak and played a significant role in the history, with various branches of the family creating renowned historical places which can still be seen and visited today, such as Peveril Castle. The original Eyre was said to have come with William the Conqueror and lost a leg in the Battle of Hastings and his family crest has an armoured leg above the shield.
There are several shops and two pubs, the Woodroffe Arms and the old Hall Hotel, the latter once used to house a famous family of local landowners, the Balguys. There is a car park here with public toilets and there are further pubs along the road towards Castleton and along the Edale Road.
Hope has a railway station 1 km east of the village near to Aston, which is on the Sheffield to Manchester line and has very frequent trains to both cities.
Hope Church is mainly 14th century and has a spire unlike most other local churches. The South side of the church has some magnificent gargoyles and there is a Norman font inside. Outside, the graveyard houses the stump of a Saxon cross which indicates this was a very old settlement indeed. The village was noted in the Domesday book for having a church and a priest, which was very rare for Derbyshire in those times.
Hope has a well dressing Festival at the end of June like most of the Peak Villages surrounding it. The large car park at the centre of the village means that it is a good base those walkers and hikers who wish to walk the Great Ridge, over Lose Hill, to Mam Tor.
The village is extremely close to Castleton, which has a number of attractions for all the family. Winat’s Pass, Peveril Castle, Mam Tor and the famous Castleton caverns make Hope a great place to stay and base to explore either the White Peak or the Dark Peak. Stanage Edge is a very popular place for walkers, rock climbers and hikers and can be viewed from the village and miles around.