History
THE CIVIL PARISH OF TADDINGTON AND PRIESTCLIFFE
Taddington is one of the highest villages within the Peak District at around 1,000ft, equidistant between Bakewell and Buxton. Taddington lies south of the A6, with the settlements of Priestcliffe and Priestcliffe Ditch lying to the north.
Sometimes described as a Saxon Linear (one street) village, there has been human settlement in the Taddington area since Neolithic times with the Five Wells chambered tombs above the village. The Romans were in the area and the present (Grade 1 listed) 14th century Parish Church is thought to have replaced an earlier chapel on the site; there is an 11th century standing cross in the churchyard. Conservation areas were designated in 1997 in both Priestcliffe and Taddington.
Local fields still have evidence of strip farming systems across the parish, with medieval "watering" lanes leading to High Well above the village and High Mere beyond, on the edge of Taddington Moor. In Priestcliffe an old well adjoins a pond below the settlement.
Traditionally a lead-mining and agricultural settlement, agriculture still plays an important role, but alongside leisure, tourism and commuting to nearby towns and cities.
Once a stopping point for the London to Manchester mail coaches, the Parish is rich in local history and with some of the best walking country and best views in the White Peak