Located between the White Peak and the Dark Peak, the pretty village of Calver (pronounced Carver) is situated on the banks of the River Derwent. I must confess, I only tend to pass through the village, only stopping off sometimes to visit the little gift shop, so today I decided to go and explore the rest of the area. Calver has some beautiful scenery all around it with lovely green fields and streams.
Calver Mill used to be a Cotton Mill in 1805. It had previously replaced an earlier mill in 1785. It's had many uses over the years, including being featured as 'Colditz Castle' for the UK TV Series 'Colditz' in the 1970s. Source I used to watch this as a youngster and have only just realised this little nugget of information! The mill has now been turned into private accommodation. The area now hosts a craft centre, a gift shop which I tend to visit for Christmas and birthday presents along with an art gallery, cafe, and a pub with a popular riverside beer garden.
We came across a barn that was once used as a school house and chapel for the children of the local millworkers.Source
Walking along the footpath next to the River Derwent was nice and flat and not too muddy. At the end was Froggatt Bridge with its two uneven arches.
Directly, across the river was the old Shuttle House that used to house the sluice for controlling the water supply to Calver Mill. It is now a private house. Source
We spotted a grey wagtail having a rest on the rock in the river. It's mostly grey with a quite distinctive yellow flash under its tail. We had a little rest as well, and then retraced our steps back along the footpath. It was definitely worth a proper visit as the village was steeped in history.
