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There is a wealth of history within the Peak District. Here is a small selection of the more diverse ones. We refresh this list often so remember to check back often.

Life in A Lens Museum.

The Life in a Lens museum is a Victorian house museum of photography and Old times. It is dedicated to presenting the history of photography from its invention in 1893. The museum is exhibiting thousands of items of interest from many periods including mannequins in original clothing. The museum is displayed in a wonderful Victorian setting and the entrance is now through our wonderful and very popular 'Victorian Teashop' in the centre of Matlock Bath that is a great bonus to the visitors.

The museum is a great source of interest and fun for all the family. The opening time coincides with the teashop and with the fact that Matlock Bath is seasonal and notoriously difficult for regular business times. The museum is easily accessible in the centre of Matlock Bath and is open now on weekends and some days during the week. The museum can be reached by bus, car and train.

Tel: 01629 583 325
URL: www.lifeinalensmuseum.co.uk

Eyam Museum.

The Eyam describes a history of the tragic Bubonic Plague of 1665-66 in the Derbyshire Peak District. Eyam museum is situated in a former church just opposite the car park and the information centre. It is a small but a war-winning museum packed with interesting displays. The tourists can follow a signal trail around the village to see the major buildings and sites linked with the Plague. A tailor, George Viccars was sent some cloth from London and was infected and the tailor died.

The plague spread through the village and the villagers seal themselves off to avoid spreading it to the surrounding area. Seventy-eight people died in the epidemic. Many relics and monuments of the plague can be seen while walking around. The most emotional memorial is the Riley graves. Catherine Mompesson's is the only victim buried in the churchyard. At the eastern wing of the village, here are several cottages which belonged to plague victims.

Tel: 01433 631 371
URL www.eyammuseum.demon.co.uk

Peak District Mining Museum.

Peak District Mines Historical Society owns the Mining museum at Matlock Bath. The Peak District Mines Historical Society also own and operate the Temple Mine opposite the Magpie Mine at Sheldon. All the three mines are dedicated to the history of lead mining in the Peak District. The museum is situated in the Pavilion building along the side of River Derwent. There is a fine collection of old mining equipment and artifacts from the former lead mines of the area including several very impressive pumps of various types in the museum.

The Derbyshire mines were having water problems and because of this pumping were important. There are lots of panels explaining the history of lead mining, how the industry is developed and what the work of the miner was. There are also small mock-ups of sections of a lead mine complete with sound effects. The geological section is informative and has some fine specimens.

Tel: 01629 583 834
URL: www.peakmines.co.uk

Buxton Museum.

Buxton museum has an excellent display on the history of the Peak district as well as an Art Gallery and the Boyd Dawkins collections. The museum is situated in the former Peak Hotel and almost opposite to the town hall in Higher Buxton. Even though it's small, it's well worth visiting. In the upstairs of the museum the Peak District displays which illustrates how the landscape of the Peak District developed and the animals and people who lived here in ancient times.

The museum won the 'Museum of the Year' award in 1990. The upstairs is also an art gallery used for regular exhibitions of work by local artists while downstairs there are a range of important geological and historical finds but displayed in the familiar musty cases of traditional museums. The museum can be reached by car, bus and train. It will remain open for the entire year.

Tel: 01298 24658

Middleton Top Engine House.

Middleton top is the last surviving winding engine from the out of use Cromford and High Peak Railway near Middleton by Wirksworth in Derbyshire. This railway is now converted in to a cycle way known as the High Peak Trail. The engine was used to wind trucks up and down the Middleton incline that has a gradient of 1 in 8 and is a beam engine that was built by the Butterley Company in 1829. These are the original engines of the railway began operation in 1830.

The incline was in use until 1963. There is a pulley wheel outside the engine house under a grille in the center of the track. At the bottom of the incline there was similar pulleys and loop of steel cable attached around them. The wagons are attached to the pulleys by chains and the normally the engine would have only one set of wagons descending the incline and another on the ascending track in order to counter balance the load. There is a sample wagon from the old railway outside the engine house a and a short section of the original track with a distinctive type of rail. >

Tel: 08456 058 058

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