Why this ‘time warp’ Derbyshire village is the first place I’m visiting on a sunny spring day

The Peak District may be a top tourist attraction rivalling the Cotsworlds, but did you know it has been a popular place for hundreds of years?

The first mention of ‘Derbyshire’ is thought to be in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, which makes the county among some of the UK’s most heritage-rich places with links going back to 1048.

Today Derbyshire is home to many charming market towns, peaceful villages and hidden hamlets that remain traditional and unchanged.

One such place where time appears to have stood still, perhaps like a time warp is Winster. This is what makes it a must-visit place to check out this spring.

This picturesque village nestled in the pretty Peak District is characterful and historic, being home to over 70 listed buildings.

Winster Market House was the first property to be acquired by the National Trust in the Peak District in 1906 when it was purchased for the grand sum of £50. This is worth around £8k in today’s money, based on historical UK consumer price index (CPI) data, tracking how prices have risen since 1906.

The charming brick listed building stands tall and proud in the centre of the main street and is one of the key features of Winster.

Add in the Old Hall, the Dower House and rows of old cottages tumbling down the hillside, and you’ve got one of the prettiest street scenes in the county.

Back in the day, Winster sat on key trade routes like The Portway, an ancient track that linked merchants long before the A-roads came along.

Later, salt from Cheshire and traffic on the Nottingham–Newhaven turnpike all passed through here, adding to the village’s buzz.

Winster has a fascinating lead mining industrious background, once being Derbyshire’s most prolific centre for lead mining, a badge of honour it had held harking back to Roman times.

As mines closed in the earlier part of this century, lead mining popularity started to peter off. The final working mine at Mill Close closed in 1939.

If you are looking for things to do in the spring months such as relaxing strolls around quiet villages and towns, you could be pleasantly surprised by a trip to Winster this March and beyond.

By maintaining traditions and old customs such as Morris dancing - it is said that the curfew bell in the village still rings out loud at 8pm every day, and the 160-year old Winster Wakes Festival continues to thrive - Winster remains one of Derbyshire’s ancient villages that has stood the test of time.