Delightful Dales
Changing nature of a community
IT was interesting to read last week’s article about The George at Alstonefield. As there are many newcomers to Ashbourne with the recent housing developments, we thought it would be helpful to clarify or correct one or two points.
The article states, incorrectly, that in Alstonefield village, “like others in the Peak District, most of the houses there are second homes or holiday homes”. This came as something of a surprise to the 120 full-time permanent resident households in the village, including the eight farming families, the cabinet maker, the painter and decorator, the interior designer, the events caterer, the costume museum, the specialist tractor parts company, the builder, the UPVC windows repair man, The Smithy caravan site and the Youth Hostel amongst others living and working in or from the village.
The article says The George “needed to be a ‘destination place’ because there isn’t a resident population.” The numbers that we have given do not include households out of the village, for instance in Ilam, who considered The George their “local” and used the pub for family events and as a place to take visiting friends.
It goes without saying that in such an attractive location there will be holiday lets and second homes. There always has been. Around 20 houses are in this group – some having previously been fully occupied, and some are now permanently occupied having been holiday homes. Three are being renovated by new owners prior to moving in.
Things do change in small communities – and that’s what Alstonefield is, a community. The George has always, until recently, seen itself as a vital part of that community.
The present landlord, as mentioned in the article, took over from Emily. What’s omitted is that Emily took over from her parents, Sue and Richard, when they retired. It is quite correct to say that, in the relatively short time that she was in charge, Emily made the decision to move a little more “upmarket”. In her parents’ time the George was a village pub frequented by locals, visitors and walkers – in great numbers.
For those unfamiliar with The George, it is up the hill from Dovedale, reputedly the most visited beauty spot in the Peak District. After a day walking in the area the first thing most people want is somewhere to get a drink and something to eat. So The George has always been “a destination place”.
When Emily took over she wanted something a little less (at busy times) frenetic and did a great job of tastefully renovating the dining area. Despite the higher prices and “upmarket” menu – no chips! – The George remained a pub.
The village green was always buzzing with visitors and locals sitting outside on fine days and evenings, chatting and laughing as they enjoyed a drink. For reasons of her own, Emily decided to leave and the new ethos began.
So, sadly for visitors and locals, The George is no longer “the pub”, the hub of our community. No longer do we have The Wakes Service outside, with Warslow Silver Band playing before retiring for a pint.
Walking groups now come only to find, to their dismay, that their destination pub is no longer happy to take them. You may walk or drive through many other villages on a sunny day to see people filling tables outside pubs but on returning to Alstonefield you now find it empty and quiet. It seems to have lost its soul.
For weekends and bank holidays the Village Hall Committee has recently started a “pop-up” café with seating inside and outside the Village Hall. Great though this is, it hardly compensates for the loss of The George.
The article tells us all that the current management is keen to earn itself a Michelin star for Derbyshire. If this is achieved, then they need to be aware that Derbyshire will still be without one. Alstonefield is, as we all know, in Staffordshire.
Alstonefield Residents
An increase in pub-going types
IN the recent article in the News Telegraph the current tenant landlords, not owners, of The George in Alstonefield said that “Alstonefield is mostly second homes or holiday homes” and there “isn’t a local population”, plus “It’s not like the old days where we could exist on lots of beer drinking”. All these statements are totally incorrect. The small number of holiday homes/ second homes, (less that 18% of the total properties) is no more than it was either 20 or 30 years ago. The thriving community in Alstonefield were somewhat surprised to read in this article that we didn’t exist.
The fact is we do: but not only that, we have also grown in numbers in the past 30 years and the number of pub-going types in Alstonefield has actually increased!
A bit of basic market research into the history of this business would have shown that the George never relied on “local beer drinkers” to survive but rather on an abundance of visitors to this perfectly-placed destination village.
However, judging from the statements made by the current management in the recent article, I would question whether they have actually ever bothered to perform any basic market research into what made The George such a successful pub in the past.
I would suggest that all the fundamentals of that success are still there. In the article, the current landlords have also stated a wish to create Derbyshire’s first Michelin star restaurant at the George.
Have they not noticed the sign they pass every time they drive across the River Dove towards Alstonefield: “Welcome to Staffordshire”?
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Local treasure will be debased
I WAS dismayed to read last week that the town council is considering allowing the construction of mountain bike trails in Bradley Wood. The wood was given by the landowner Henry Fitzherbert Wright in 1935 to provide “a pleasant haunt for the people of Ashbourne and their children, and held in perpetuity”.
This “pleasant haunt” has become a woodland and wildlife oasis, with magnificent beech trees, gnarled old oaks, and a very wide diversity of other trees and vegetation.
As a regular visitor I have seen buzzards, red kites, woodpeckers and squirrels, as well as numerous other smaller woodland birds.
With its network of narrow wandering paths it is a perfect place to walk, and it provides an accessible venue for the population’s growing interest in the natural environment.
As a result, Bradley Wood was registered with the Woodland Trust in 2018 by the town council as a heritage wood to protect it from development.
To now permit the creation of mountain bike trails in this natural haven would, I think, wreck it.
Mountain bike trails involve the clearing and widening of tracks, the construction of earth ramps
and other obstacles, the disturbance of wildlife and the threat to walkers from fast-moving bikes.
The extent of any trails would inevitably expand in a wood that is only 40 acres in area.
Bradley Wood would no longer be a pleasant haunt for the townspeople of Ashbourne, but a sports and play area for a minority activity.
A brief internet search for mountain biking immediately comes up with “The 20 best MTB trails in the Peak District”. There is an abundance of these trails in the vicinity.
Another is surely not needed in Ashbourne, and certainly not within the unique gift to the town of this woodland treasure.
Frank Hobbs The Green Road
Memorial flower display delightful
HAS anyone been a walk in the Memorial Gardens lately?
My husband and I regularly have an evening stroll around there, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that some attention had been given to the flower beds.
They look lovely, and credit must be given to whoever organised this display.
We are always complaining about the state of the gardens and it is nice to see the improvement.
Do take a walk and see for yourself!
Gwen Foster Cokayne Mews