Cottages What is a cottage? Is it a pretty country home where people lived simple, happy, healthy lives or is it a ramshackle, leaking hovel without the benefit of any drains or fresh water where diseases soon killed off all but the strongest people? The answer seems to be somewhere between the two in the Peak. The good news was that plentiful stone made it much easier to build and maintain a good solid dwelling. The bad news was the lack of a water supply and drains. Providing unpolluted and reliable water supplies in the limestone areas was a serious problem. Here are two dream-like, perfect country cottages seen by William Adam in 1861: 'As we trotted down the dale, on our right we observed a small cottage nestled under the rock, with a tiny garden, walled round, in its front. The goodman had just returned from his day’s work, and was beginning to do a bit of gardening. His thrifty-looking wife was at the door, where she had given him the glad welcome. The children were gambolling about in high glee, and one or two trying to help their father. It appeared a sweet picture of simple, happy life, where all were of one mind and of one heart, the secret of a happy, contented home. Would that all homes were so. Our way led nearly straight on, and here commences what is termed the lower Lathkil – a sweet commencement indeed it is! As we stood looking over the parapet of the bridge upon the beautiful stream rushing impetuously below and bounding along over the ledges that impeded its passage above it, here and there forming a fine cascade and throwing its crystal water to the sunlight, a tiny cottage appeared on its upper side just under the cliff, the only one and apparently without a tenant, and we might well have thought so in this secluded spot except for a slight column of blue smoke that drew its lazy length upwards as we stood making a few notes, till the door opened and a fair girl stood within it, who, from her slight and sylph-like form might be taken for the presiding genius of this sweet and lovely scene. We wondered why a lone cottage should stand here, far away from all others, till informed it belonged to one of the Duke of Rutland’s keepers.' Taken from W. Adam. Dales Scenery, Fishing Streams, and Mines of Derbyshire. 1861 Read on for John Farey's view of cottages... Read More >> More Pictures Houses great and small Houses and cottages