A little history of Pindale Farm

The village of Hope was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. At that time, six cart-loads of lead were paid in tax, and this lead was most likely mined from Pindale itself. As Pindale Farm stands at the very entrance to Pindale, it’s quite possible there was something here even then.

We’re told that the local Eyre family bought Pindale Farm from the Hassop Estate around 1340. Sadly, not a great deal of information about the farm survives from those early days. What we do know is that it remained in the Eyre family until the early 1900s, when the land was sold to make way for a cement plant next door.
Today, Pindale Farm sits beside the Hope Cement plant. The original works, owned by G and T Earle, date back to 1929, long before the Peak District became a National Park.

Pindale Mine, on the other hand, has a story all of its own, far more than we could ever fit here. The farm and the mine were always quite separate. The first records of mining at Pindale appear around 1698, and by the early 1730s the mines were doing rather well. A drainage level between Pindale Mine and the river was begun in 1743.
Around 1870, a horizontal steam engine was bought from Sheffield for £365 and housed in the Engine House, which is now a Grade II listed building. The main barn at Pindale Farm was converted in 1932 to house 18 cows and stabling for three heavy horses, along with storage to meet the Milk and Dairies Acts.

By 1987, the farm had fallen into disrepair and the buildings stood derelict. Planning permission was obtained, and in 1988 the barn was lovingly converted to accommodate 52 people, with the Engine House providing space for a further eight. The centre was then officially opened by HRH the Prince of Wales on 24th April 1989, a proud moment in the farm’s long history.

We hope you enjoy being part of the next chapter of its story.