Litton Mill in Miller’s dale

Litton Mill in Miller’s dale within The Peak District, was quite notorious for the appalling way it treated its young labour force, which consisted of mainly pauper and orphaned children. They had often been brought here from places as far away as London and had to put up with long hours, meagre food, cramped accomodation, beatings and general abuse by the owners of the mill, the Needham family. Many died as a result of the harsh treatment they recieved at the hands of Ellis Needham and his sons. They were buried away from the mill to try and hide the truth about what went on, though in reality in those days, few people cared as long as these children were not a burden on local parishes.

Sheep Wash Bridge

One of the main attractions of Ashford in the Water is it’s Sheep Wash bridge which is both picturesque and ancient. It was originally a medieval packhorse bridge and it is only until recently, that sheep were washed here prior to shearing. The lambs would be penned within the stone-walled pen on one side of the river, whilst the mothers would be thrown in at the other side. They would naturally swim across to their offspring, thus ensuring a good soaking. The bridge has been closed to traffic for a number of years now.