Market towns
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Ashbourne – lovely market town with lots of cafés and independent shops as well as providing the usual amenities. Home to the summer arts festival, Shrovetide Football and other traditional events.
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Bakewell – on the banks of the River Wye, the home of the Bakewell Pudding – very pretty market town of mellow stone buildings.
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Buxton – old spa town, home to the Buxton Opera House, Buxton Festival, Pavilion Gardens and Buxton mineral water; the highest market town in England.
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Matlock – on the River Derwent and with Hall Leys Park at its centre, plenty of small, independent shops and cafés to choose from plus a state of the art leisure centre.
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Wirksworth – quirky little town 20 mins drive away, host to its own arts festival every September. Visit after a trip to Black Rocks or a cycle along the High Peak Trail.