Melbourne in Derbyshire: History and Festival

Melbourne in Derbyshire brings together historic buildings, a named circular walk and events with local character. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between these themes: the castle, parish church and memorial houses tell different aspects of the town’s history; the Melbourne Circular Walk provides a specific route. The festival and market, by contrast, take place at recurring times. You can therefore plan your stay according to whether local history, a walk or a particular event date is your main focus.

Historic Buildings and Places of Remembrance

Melbourne Castle is a fortified manor house built on the site of an earlier royal manor house, parts of which it incorporates. The present building and its predecessor are connected by their location and building fabric, but should be understood as structures from different periods: the manor house was built later and incorporates only parts of the earlier building. This relationship between a distinct building and an older site is a defining aspect of the town’s history.

St Michael and St Mary's is the Anglican parish church of Melbourne in Derbyshire and is listed in the highest Grade I category. The building dates from around 1133. The approximate date and official designation provide two different points of reference: one places the building in time, while the other states its listed status. Together with the fortified manor house, the church broadens the picture of the different historic building types in the town.

The Thomas Cook memorial houses on High Street are also part of the town’s history. They remain under trust management. Unlike the castle and parish church, the focus here is on their connection to a person, their location on a named street and their form of administration.

Melbourne Pool was landscaped in 1845 for Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne was a former prime minister who lived from 1779 to 1848.

Circular Walk, Festival and Market

The Melbourne Circular Walk starts and ends at the Melbourne Market Place bus stop. Check bus services before travelling if you plan to use this stop for your outward or return journey. The route passes Melbourne Hall and follows footpaths, country roads and quiet streets. The description thus combines a fixed reference point with different types of paths and roads.

The Melbourne Festival takes place every year in September. The Arts & Culture Trail leads through the town and, on the festival weekend, into residents’ homes, where works by artists and craftspeople are displayed. These visits to residents’ homes are therefore tied to the festival weekend. Creative Melbourne is the home of the Melbourne Festival. If you would like to combine the trail with visits to residents’ homes, plan your stay for the festival weekend in September.

A market takes place on Thursdays in front of the Melbourne Assembly Rooms and is known for its food and drink stalls. Its specific day of the week sets it apart from the festival, which takes place annually in September: Thursday is the point of reference for the market, while September and the festival weekend are the key dates for the festival.

Discover more destinations: Smalley, High Peak, Draycott, Kilburn, Hartington, Newton, Matlock, Little Eaton.

Go to the main travel overview: Derbyshire.