Once, the little valley of Lumsdale roared with the sounds of industry.
Furnaces blazed, chimneys belched smoke into the Derbyshire sky and great waterwheels creaked beneath the weight of rushing water. Workers shouted above the relentless clatter of machinery. Metal struck metal, fires crackled and the air was thick with smoke, dust and the toil of everyday life.
Through it all, Bentley Brook thundered down the hillside, its powerful waters rushing from one mill to another, turning wheels and breathing life into the great stone buildings that crowded its banks.
This was a valley shaped by fire and water, a place of smoking chimneys, restless machinery and generations of working hands.
Some believe that Lumsdale’s mysterious name once meant the Valley of Chimneys, a name that seems to belong to this lost world of smoke and industry.
But even the busiest valleys cannot roar forever.
As the years slipped quietly by, the great industrial heartbeat of Lumsdale began to slow.
One by one, the furnaces grew cold. The waterwheels stopped turning. The shouting faded, the machinery fell silent and the workers departed.
And at last, the valley fell asleep.
Nature crept quietly into the empty buildings. Soft green moss spread across the weathered stonework. Ivy curled around abandoned windows, delicate ferns unfurled between the stones and trees stretched their branches over the crumbling walls.
The once bustling mills disappeared beneath a peaceful canopy of woodland, their stories tucked away among the roots and shadows.
Today, there is an extraordinary stillness about Lumsdale. It feels as though the ancient trees and moss covered buildings are holding the quiet and keeping centuries of forgotten memories safely within their walls.
Only Bentley Brook has never rested.
Its waters continue to tumble over rocks and cascade through the wooded gorge, singing the same song they have sung for hundreds of years.
Yet Lumsdale’s story is far from over.
For among the sleeping mills and whispering trees, something rather magical is stirring.
The valley is awakening once more, not to the thunder of machinery or the smoke of industrial furnaces, but to a gentler kind of industry.
The colours of an artist’s palette, the glowing fire of a glassmaker’s furnace and the careful craft of a local brewery are breathing new life into this historic corner of Derbyshire.
Once a place of hard labour and industry, Lumsdale is becoming a place of imagination, craftsmanship and creativity.
The old mills may be sleeping, but the creative heart of Lumsdale is beating once again.
Turners Art Ltd: An Aladdin’s Cave of Creativity
Follow an old country lane beneath a canopy of ancient trees, where gnarled branches stretch overhead and tangled roots reach deep into the earth.
Among these magnificent old guardians of the woodland, one tree holds a little secret.
Attached to its weathered trunk is a simple sign, with an arrow pointing the way to Turners Art Shop.
Follow its invitation, cross a little bridge and discover a rather unexpected treasure hidden away in the peaceful Lumsdale Valley.
Behind the unassuming walls of a large warehouse lies an extraordinary Aladdin’s cave of art materials.
Step inside and enter a world of colour, creativity and endless possibilities.
Shelves are filled from floor to ceiling with paints, pastels, sketchbooks, brushes and canvases. There are materials for lino cutting, tools for experimenting with new techniques and enough artistic treasures to inspire a thousand creative adventures.
Turners is much more than a little art shop.
Alongside its shop and creative studio, visitors may even be able to explore an enormous warehouse brimming with artistic supplies. Turners Art provides materials to schools and colleges, helping to nurture the imaginations of future generations.
It’s a remarkable discovery, tucked away along a quiet country lane where you might never expect to find it.
And perhaps that’s part of its charm.
In a valley where great mills once hummed with industry, another kind of magic is flourishing.
Here, among the paintbrushes and pigments, the spirit of making and creating is very much alive.
Bentley Brook Brewing Co: A Riverside Hideaway
Tucked away among the weathered stone buildings and forgotten mills of Lumsdale is another rather lovely secret.
Beside the rushing waters of Bentley Brook, a little brewery is breathing new life into the valley’s industrial past.
Founded in 2018 by twin brothers, Bentley Brook Brewing Co is a charming microbrewery where lagers and rich, dark stouts are carefully crafted.
Step inside its rustic stone building and discover a cosy retreat filled with character.
An eclectic collection of comfortable armchairs and sofas invites you to settle in, while the relaxed atmosphere makes it easy to forget the world outside.
A little bench rests on the riverbank, offering a peaceful place to sit with a drink and watch Bentley Brook tumble past.
And you don’t need to be a beer lover to enjoy this hidden retreat.
Coffee and tea are also served, making it a lovely place to pause during an afternoon exploring Lumsdale.
Beyond the brewery, the remains of abandoned mills stand quietly among the trees, their crumbling walls softened by moss and the passing seasons.
Once, this secluded valley echoed with the relentless rhythm of industry.
Today, the gentle hum of conversation has replaced the clatter of machinery, and a new generation of makers is keeping Lumsdale’s industrious spirit alive.
Hidden among the woodland and forgotten stonework, Bentley Brook Brewing Co is one of Matlock’s favourite little secrets.
A place where the past lingers quietly and the present feels beautifully unhurried.
Lumsdale Waterfalls: The Heart of the Valley
Deep within the wooded gorge lies the jewel of Lumsdale, a magnificent series of waterfalls tumbling through a landscape that seems untouched by time.
Here, Bentley Brook gathers its strength before plunging over ancient rocks, its silvery waters dancing between boulders and spilling down the steep hillside in a series of beautiful cascades.
Towering trees shelter the gorge, their branches reaching across the rushing water, while rugged cliffs rise above a world painted in a thousand shades of green and grey.
Soft emerald moss clings to the weathered stones. Delicate ferns flourish in the damp shadows, and the air feels cool and fresh beneath the woodland canopy.
There is something deeply romantic about this hidden place.
The waterfalls roar as they tumble through the gorge, yet an extraordinary peace hangs in the air.
It is a place of beautiful contradictions, where the restless energy of the water seems to deepen the stillness of everything around it.
For centuries, these powerful waters breathed life into the mills of Lumsdale, turning great wheels and driving the machinery of a bustling industrial valley.
Today, the waterwheels have fallen silent, but Bentley Brook continues its timeless journey, rushing over ancient stones and filling the woodland with its endless song.
Surrounded by moss covered ruins, towering trees and rugged rock faces, the waterfalls are the beating heart of Lumsdale.
A place to linger, to listen and to lose yourself for a little while in the quiet magic of nature.
Lumsdale Glass: Where Fire Becomes Art
Among the peaceful stone buildings and sleeping industrial ruins of Lumsdale, another kind of magic is taking shape.
And this time, the valley’s ancient connection with fire has returned.
At Lumsdale Glass, glassmaker Jonathan Abbott transforms glowing molten glass into beautiful hand finished creations, continuing a craft that has been passed down through centuries.
There is something mesmerising about glassblowing.
A glowing gather of molten glass is shaped with breath, heat and careful skill, slowly becoming something delicate, colourful and unique.
In a valley once alive with roaring furnaces and hard labour, fire is now being used to create objects of extraordinary beauty.
Inside the studio, glass treasures shimmer with colour and light.
Rainbow bright vases glow in a kaleidoscope of colours. Beautiful orange glass pumpkins bring a little autumnal magic, while elegant fruit bowls, drinking glasses and perfectly rounded hanging baubles reveal the endless possibilities of this remarkable craft.
Each piece begins with fire and imagination, transformed by the skilled hands of its maker.
But Lumsdale Glass is not simply somewhere to admire beautiful handmade treasures.
Visitors can also step into the world of glassblowing themselves.
Through hands on experiences, you can discover the fascinating art of working with molten glass, learning traditional skills under expert guidance while creating your very own glass piece.
It’s a rare opportunity to experience a craft that has fascinated people for centuries and to take home something made with your own hands.
There is something rather special about that.
In a valley where generations once worked with fire, water and machinery, a new kind of craftsmanship is flourishing.
The great industrial furnaces may have fallen silent, but here, tucked away among the trees and forgotten mills, the fire still burns.
The Valley That Awoke
Perhaps the real magic of Lumsdale is not simply found in its beautiful waterfalls, ancient woodland or crumbling stone mills.
It lies in the way the valley has changed, while somehow keeping a little of its old spirit alive.
Once, generations of workers filled these wooded hillsides with the sounds of industry. They shaped the landscape, harnessed the rushing waters and built the great stone mills whose ruins still stand among the trees.
Then, for a little while, the valley fell asleep.
Nature wrapped the abandoned buildings in moss and ivy, softened their weathered walls and filled the empty spaces with birdsong.
But Lumsdale was never quite finished telling its story.
Today, paintbrushes dance across paper, molten glass glows in the fire and brewers continue the patient art of making something by hand.
The great machinery has disappeared, but the spirit of creativity has returned.
And through it all, Bentley Brook continues to flow.
Past the sleeping mills, beneath the ancient trees and over the rocks that have witnessed centuries of change.
Lumsdale is no longer the Valley of Chimneys.
It has become a valley of imagination, where nature and creativity live quietly alongside the echoes of the past.
A little corner of Derbyshire where time seems to stand still, yet something beautiful is always beginning.
