Ashbourne is a lovely old market town. It’s a small place just on the southern edge of the Peak District … it’s famous for the Shrovetide football match.
Today it has a twice weekly market, shops, cafes, pubs and a good range of festivals.
Shops
There are many independent retailers on the Ashbourne high street as well as a few nationals. It’s a great place for food shopping with produce available from local grocers and deli’s as well as a couple of supermarkets.
Markets
Small markets are held on Thursday and Saturday between 9am and 3pm.
Festivals
The ancient Royal Shrovetide Football or “mob football” is held over Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. It involves thousands of townsfolk competing for the Up’ards or Down’ards of Ashbourne with the goals being Sturston Mill and Clifton Mill three miles apart with streets, rivers, tunnels and fields.
The annual arts and performance Ashbourne Festival and Streetfest takes place each June-July, previous events have included Dr Lucy Worsley (BBC presenter and historian), Pandemonium (ceilidh band), the Peakland Players and many more.
