The best hikes from bus stations around Ashbourne

Old railway tunnel from Tissington trail to Ashbourne town

Beautiful tunnel which is very photogenic from Ashbourne end

Great place for a drink mid route

In the Memorial gardens, on the corner of Cokayne Avenue and Park Road, you will find the impressive sandstone gateway to the park, comprising a classical arch with pillars and fluted columns, welcoming visitors to the ornate formal gardens planted in memory of Ashbourne’s war casualties. Pass the bandstand site and in the other corner of the gardens is a statue of the Salvation Army co-founder, Catherine Booth, who was born in Ashbourne. The Henmore Brook flows just beyond the playground, giving lots of opportunities to spot wildlife on Fishpond Meadow.

The Ashbourne Tunnel runs below the town of Ashbourne itself, and serves as the begining – or, alternatively, the ending – of the Tissington Trail: a 13-mile hike, much of which comprises of disused railway lines, connecting the towns of Ashbourne and Parsley Hay. Recently renovated with speakers that transmit authentic steam-powered engine noise, Ashbourne Tunnel is a highly evocative experience that is sure to transport visitors back to the age of industry. Ashbourne was first included in the North Staffordshire Railway line in 1852, as the trade of limestone grew around the town. At the end of the 19th century, this line was taken over by the London & South Western line, who were seeking a line south of Buxton, and connected Ashbourne to the junction at Parsley Hay. This saw the construction of the Ashbourne Tunnel, which was first opened in 1899.

It was built from 1849 to 1852 by H. J. Stevens for John Goodwin Johnson, a local magistrate. It was a private residence for over a century and then became a hotel in 1982. It is still a hotel which provides accommodation and restaurant services and caters for special events particularly weddings.

It is an 18th century church, of limestone, small, aisleless and endearingly idiosyncratic with a squat west tower which carries a dome, surmounted by a disproportionately large lantern (this in turn evidently once carried an urn, which now lies damaged at the foot of the tower). The nave is lit on each side by three arched lattice windows, one with tinted glass the rest plain. A 19th century writer dismissed it for its “hideous style that was then considered suitable for ecclesiastical edifices”. The locals disagree: its local nickname is “little St Pauls”.

Described by the writer George Eliot as “the finest mere parish church in the Kingdom”, St Oswald’s Church has a slender spire 212 feet high and was once a candidate to be the cathedral for the Derby Diocese.