Stoney Middleton

Stoney Middleton is a small limestone village strung along the A623 in the Peak District National Park, tucked into a steep dale between Calver and Eyam. The settlement grew up around lead mining and quarrying, and traces of that industrial past are still visible in the cliffs and old workings that hem in the houses, with active limestone quarries continuing nearby on the high ground above.

The village is best known for the unusual octagonal Church of St Martin, one of only a handful of octagonal parish churches in England. A medieval tower survives at one end, but the main body was rebuilt in the 18th century after an earlier chapel reportedly founded as thanks for safe return from the Battle of Agincourt. Close by, the small stone bath house covers a warm spring that was once used for bathing.

Stoney Middleton is a useful stop for walkers exploring the White Peak. Footpaths lead up Middleton Dale, link to the plague village of Eyam, and connect with the Derwent Valley. The village has a long-established fish and chip shop, a pub and a stone-built toll house, and lies on bus routes between Sheffield, Bakewell and Buxton.