Ashover is a pretty village, and extensive parish, situated in the beautiful Amber valley, Derbyshire, just outside the Peak District National Park, 4 miles North East of Matlock, and about 7 miles South West of Chesterfield off the B6036 Matlock to Chesterfield road.

Standing about 600ft. above sea level, protected on the North and North East by the Rattle and Fabric (980ft.), from which the counties of York, Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Stafford and Derby, can be seen, together with 20 parish churches within a radius of six miles, and extensive views of the Slack, Bradley Tor, Cocking Tor, Ravensnest, High Ordish, and Ashover Hay, which reach up to 1000ft. on the other side of the valley.

The Fabric was once the site of an old Druid temple, and is a landmark that can be seen from a great distance. The village and parish was first mentioned in the Doomsday book when it was known as ‘Essovre’, derived from village standing beyond the edge of the Ash Forest, and it has been called the valley of 'silence and wild flowers'

The river Amber rises above and North East of Wilkin House in Upper Town and flows chiefly North West to South East through the valley, and bends South to meet the Derwent at Ambergate.

Ashover was at one time a flourishing business centre, with lead mines, 13 lime kilns, coal at Alton, smelting at Stonedge, lace thread at Kelstedge, four flour mills on the Amber, shoemakers, nail makers, basket makers, stocking frames, and rope works which used to spin ropes which reached right across the Moor Road down to the Church gate, claimed to be the longest ropes made in the country, and used for the mines.

Lavender, roses, valerian, camomile, elecampane, and other plants were grown in large quantities, dried, and used for medical and other purposes. There were also the Fluor Spar mines and Stone Quarries at Mill Town.

None of these industries still exist but evidence of their being may be found everywhere. One part of the village was known as the Rattle because of the sound of the looms rattling in the making of stockings.

Information taken from www.derbyshireuk.net/ashover.html and www.ashover.org