Dove Valley paths and stories
Ellastone
A small Staffordshire village where an old stone bridge, a revived pub and long walking routes meet beside the River Dove.
- Best for
- Country walks, village history and a pub meal
- Give it
- A relaxed half day or a longer walking day
- Don't miss
- The Weaver Hills circuit and St Peter's old bells
The Fox verdict
A village that opens straight onto the hills
Ellastone works best as a compact historic base for time on foot in the Dove Valley.
The Duncombe Arms gives the village a strong food-and-stay anchor, while St Peter's Church and Ellastone Bridge add tangible layers of history. Walkers can choose a local circuit into the Weaver Hills or join the Limestone Way near Ellastone Bridge.
Where to go
Places in Ellastone
Every place below is checked against a published source, listed with what it is and how long to give it.
Local signatures
3 placesChurch of St Peter
A Grade II* parish church with a tower dated 1586 and two bells that are older than the tower.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 35 minutes
- Locality
- Ellastone village
- Access
- The church welcomes visitors and has a heritage exhibition inside.
Ellastone and the Weaver Hills Circular
A 7.5-mile (12 km) circuit from Ellastone into the Weaver Hills, climbing to the summit of the Weavers.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 4 hours
- Locality
- Weaver Hills, reached from Ellastone
- Access
- A longer, hillier route for reasonably fit walkers, with rocky ground and a very steep descent. Sudden wind or rain is possible; waterproofs and walking boots are essential.
Limestone Way
A 46-mile waymarked trail from Castleton to Rocester, passing Lower Ellastone and heading towards Ellastone Bridge.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 2 hours 30 minutes for a local section
- Locality
- Castleton trail start; route passes Lower Ellastone
Food & drink
1 placeThe Duncombe Arms
A restored country pub with rooms, seasonal menus and real ales, reopened in 2012 after standing boarded up.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 90 minutes
- Locality
- Ellastone village
History & heritage
1 placeEllastone Bridge
An 18th-century sandstone road bridge across the River Dove, with two broad segmental arches and two shallower side arches.
- Visit length
- Editorial estimate: Allow around 20 minutes
- Locality
- River Dove crossing at Ellastone
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Three ways to explore Ellastone
Signature outings
The pub that came back
Take time over a seasonal meal at the Duncombe Arms, reopened in 2012 after years standing boarded up.
Bells older than stonework
See St Peter's 1586 west tower, whose two oldest bells date from 1502 and 1525.
Four arches between counties
Pause at the 18th-century Ellastone Bridge where four sandstone arches carry the road across the River Dove.
The village story
Ellastone Village Guide
Ellastone brings together a restored village pub, St Peter's historic tower and a walk into the Weaver Hills.
The Pub That Came Back
The Duncombe Arms stood boarded up for years before Johnny and Laura Greenall renovated the inn, which dates from 1850, and reopened it in March 2012. It has since earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and two AA Rosettes.
The kitchen serves seasonal British dishes, with à la carte, Market & Bar and Sunday lunch menus. The drinks list includes wines by the glass, Marston's Pedigree and the house-brewed Duncombe Ale.
Walnut House beside the pub has ten rooms, some suitable for guests bringing dogs. The Old Barn offers self-catering in Ellastone, while Garden Cottage is on the Wootton Hall Estate near Wootton.
Old Stone and Open Paths
Ellastone Old House, a Grade II*-listed stone house, was formerly known as the Bromley Arms Inn. Ellastone has a Post Office branch at the Parish Hall on Church Lane.
Church of St Peter has a west tower dated 1586, although a church has stood on the site since at least 1163. Two bells, cast in 1502 and 1525, predate the tower.
From Ellastone, the 7.5-mile Weaver Hills route climbs to the summit of the Weavers; it is a longer, hillier walk with rocky ground and a steep descent. The 46-mile Limestone Way runs from Castleton to Rocester, passing Lower Ellastone and Ellastone Bridge. A shorter local route leads through Calwich Park towards the remains of Calwich Abbey.
Abbey Echoes and Adam Bede
Calwich Priory was dissolved in the sixteenth century. Handel later visited the Calwich estate. A domed fishing house dated 1797 survives in Calwich Park.
George Eliot based the village of Hayslope in Adam Bede on Ellastone. Her father, Robert Evans, worked here as a carpenter before the family built the biggest building business in the Ashbourne area, and Adam Bede Cottage, named for the connection, later served as Dr Covey's surgery.
Landscape, Literature and Remembrance
Haymeadows, copses and wooded valleys shape the walking country around Ellastone, a landscape closely linked with George Eliot's picture of rural life in Adam Bede.
Arthur Charlesworth of Calwich Bank Farm was killed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, the same day Captain Edward Unwin of Wootton Lodge won the Victoria Cross in the same battle. The Lodge now belongs to the Bamford family of JCB.
Getting Here and Village Life
The Swift bus links Ellastone with Derby and Uttoxeter via Ashbourne. Uttoxeter has a railway station, while Ellastone's Parish Hall sits beside a tennis court and bowling green.
At the 2021 census, Ellastone parish had 300 residents.
Stay around Alton Towers
Make a longer stay of it
Travel Fox holiday homes around Alton Towers, linked directly to their property pages.
Oakamoor
Christina's House
- Sleeps 4
- 2 bedrooms
Alton
Angel Cottage - 5 mins drive to Alton Towers!
- Sleeps 10
- 4 bedrooms
Alton
Smithy Bank Cottage - with free parking!
- Sleeps 8
- 3 bedrooms
Alton
The Old Post Office: Alton Towers
- Sleeps 8
- 3 bedrooms
Checkley
The Old Stables
- Sleeps 4
- 2 bedrooms
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A guide with a point of view
Written from research. Edited for real journeys.
Use the Official site links for live practical details, then use this guide for context, ideas and room to explore.
Sources
Every place on this page is checked against a published source. Each entry links the record we used and names who publishes it.
- The Duncombe Arms — duncombearms.co.uk operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Church of St Peter — historicengland.org.uk statutory register or public authority record not machine-readable; publisher restricts automated access
- Ellastone and the Weaver Hills Circular — discovereaststaffordshire.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Limestone Way — visitpeakdistrict.com operator, sector body or destination organisation
- Ellastone Bridge — historicengland.org.uk statutory register or public authority record not machine-readable; publisher restricts automated access