Waterhouses

Civil Parish in Staffordshire Staffordshire Moorlands

England

Waterhouses

Warning signage - A52 Credit: Dave Thompson

Waterhouses is a civil parish located in the Staffordshire Moorlands district of Staffordshire, England. Situated at the southern edge of the Peak District National Park, it covers an area of approximately 7.5 square miles. The parish is named after the Waterhouses family, who were prominent landowners in the area during the medieval period.

The village of Waterhouses is the main settlement within the parish, with a population of around 2,000 residents. It is located on the A523 road, which runs between Leek and Ashbourne. The village is well-served by amenities, including a primary school, a post office, a convenience store, and several pubs and restaurants.

Waterhouses is surrounded by picturesque countryside, making it a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The nearby Manifold Valley is renowned for its stunning scenery and offers opportunities for walking, cycling, and fishing. The Tittesworth Reservoir, located just north of the village, is a popular spot for water sports and bird watching.

The parish also boasts a rich industrial heritage. In the 19th century, Waterhouses was a hub for the limestone quarrying industry, with several quarries operating in the area. The remains of these quarries can still be seen today, along with the old lime kilns that were used to process the limestone.

Overall, Waterhouses is a charming rural parish with a strong sense of community and a wealth of natural beauty to explore.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Waterhouses Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.059411/-1.870586 or Grid Reference SK0851. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Warning signage - A52

Dave Thompson

River Hamps valley

View looking south-east from public footpath over the valley of the River Hamps.

Cathy Cox

River Hamps valley

View looking north along the Manifold Way where it follows the track-bed of the Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway which ran for 30 years from 1904 to 1934.

Cathy Cox

Waterhouses, Staffordshire

View from the main road (A52) about 600 yards to the east of the main part of the village. Pleasant-looking uniform row of cottages on the road to Waterfall at the far side of rough pasture.

Martin Wilson

Waterhouses, Staffordshire

The River Hamps flows east here through Waterhouses and alongside the A52 before it turns north towards the R Manifold.

Martin Wilson

Manifold Trail

... but running along the valley of the R Hamps at this point, just north of the A52. The River Hamps was remarkable for having a dry bed along much of this length despite other rivers in the area being fairly high at the time of the photo.

Martin Wilson

Martinslow Farm

near Winkhill

Roger W Haworth

Waterhouses Church of England Primary School

Waterfall Lane, Waterhouses, Staffordshire. Deliberately underexposed for the cloud effect.

Roger W Haworth

Waterfall Cross

Cottage at the end of Bentygrange Lane near Waterhouses, Staffordshire

Roger W Haworth

Waterfall Parochial Hall

Waterfall Lane, Waterhouses, ST10 3HY, Staffordshire. Formerly the village primary school - the children now go to SK0750 : Waterhouses Church of England Primary School. What is the subtle difference between a parish hall and a "parochial hall" as this one styles itself?

Roger W Haworth

Not a waterfall

The ford in Waterfall, Staffordshire almost completely dried up after a dry summer. For symmetry, there ought to be a waterfall in the nearby village of Ford (SK0653 : Not a ford) but there is not.

Roger W Haworth

Saint James and Saint Bartholomew

Parish Church, Waterfall, Staffordshire. Built in 1792. There seem to be a significant number of late 18th century churches in this area such as SK0646 : Church of St John the Baptist and SK0558 : Church of St. John the Baptist. This may reflect increases in population with the expansion of mining and quarrying at the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Roger W Haworth

At the back of Back o' th' Brook

My Navigator Atlas indicates that this a road that could be driven. Even without the logs, I wouldn't like to try. The OS map is not so optimistic

Alan Murray-Rust

Signpost to Back o' th' Brook

Unusually there is a lack of apostrophes on the sign compared with maps and the Gazetteer.

Alan Murray-Rust

Picnic site sign

The ford at Back o' th' Brook has been renovated, the work including a brand new picnic table. This informal notice brings a nice touch to the site.

Alan Murray-Rust

The ford at Back o' th' Brook

Stepping stones and handrail and picnic table are all part of a recent restoration. A bit more water than in the first picture!

Alan Murray-Rust

The ford at Back o' th' Brook

Commemorative plaque. Instead of an unsightly signboard, the plaque has simply been attached to a boulder lying on the ground. The vegetation does however appear to be taking over!

Alan Murray-Rust