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Major city · United Kingdom

Ashbourne

Give Ashbourne one night, or a half-day stop between Derby and Dovedale: the town is 2–3 hours on foot, Dovedale is the real draw.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday (Shrovetide football fills the town); winter weekends when Dovedale car parks flood
Airports
EMA · MAN
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Ashbourne is a small Derbyshire market town of about 9,000 people, chartered for markets in 1257 and still holding them on Thursdays and Saturdays. It has no railway station — the line went in the 1960s and is now a cycle path — so you arrive by bus or car. The town itself is a compact grid of Georgian and older streets around St Oswald's Church; the reason to sleep here rather than pass through is Dovedale, 5 km north-west, and the Tissington Trail, which starts in town.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ashbourne, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café£2.50–4 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub main course£12–20 (≈ US$16–30)
  • BeerPint of draught beer£4–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi within town£5–8 (≈ US$7–11)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)
  • Budget bedHostel or bunkhouse bed, a night, per person£30 (≈ US$40)
  • Mid-range bedPub or B&B double room, a night, per room£110 (≈ US$150)
  • High-end bedPub or B&B double room, a night, per room£180 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £45 (≈ US$60) · Mid £85 (≈ US$120) · High £150 (≈ US$200)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

St Oswald's ChurchDovedale and the stepping stonesRoyal Shrovetide footballTissington TrailChurch Street antique shops
Airports
EMA East Midlands (About 45 min by car via the A50 and A52; no direct bus to Ashbourne — check connections via Derby.) · MAN Manchester (About 1 h 15 min by car; buses run from Manchester to Ashbourne, check the operator and times.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ashbourne: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C

1°C

13 rd

Feb

7°C

1°C

11 rd

Mar

9°C

2°C

12 rd

Apr

12°C

4°C

11 rd

May

16°C

7°C

11 rd

Jun

19°C

10°C

11 rd

Jul

21°C

12°C

11 rd

Aug

21°C

12°C

11 rd

Sep

18°C

10°C

11 rd

Oct

14°C

7°C

13 rd

Nov

9°C

4°C

13 rd

Dec

7°C

2°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

On foot. The centre is flat and small enough to cross in 10 minutes; Church Street to the Market Place is a 5-minute walk. Buses link the centre with Derby and outlying villages; a car is the practical way to reach Dovedale, Tissington and Alton Towers.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Dovedale

go

Door to door: About 20 min by car

A515 north, then through Thorpe village; car or taxi, no useful bus

Stepping stones and Thorpe Cloud (287 m). Go before 10:00 in summer; the car park is on the Staffordshire side.

Tissington Trail

go

Door to door: On foot from the centre

Walk or cycle from town; the trail follows the old railway line

Flat, traffic-free path; bike hire in the area, check opening.

Derbygo

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus from the town centre

Use it as the railhead for the rest of the country.

Alton Towersgo

Door to door: About 30 min

Car via the A52

Dated tickets only; book ahead in season.

Bakewellcaution

Door to door: About 40 min

Car via the A515 and A6

Better as a full day with Chatsworth than a quick return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre (Market Place and St John Street)

Pubs with rooms and small hotels; walk to everything, including the Tissington Trail start.

Church Street

Quietest central street, closest to St Oswald's Church and the almshouses; antique shops on the doorstep.

Mapleton Road and the A52 edge

Country-house hotels and chain lodges with parking; 15–25 min walk into the centre.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£45–70 (≈ US$60–95) excl. bed
Mid
£70–120 (≈ US$95–160) excl. bed
High
£120 (≈ US$160)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Pub or B&B double room1 × 1 night × £110£110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × £85£170
Bus Derby → Ashbourne, both ways2 × £12 · check£24
Dovedale car park, one day1 × £6 · check£6
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £8£16
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£33
Trip total≈ £180 per person per day, bed included£359≈ US$500

2026 estimate in pounds; travel to Ashbourne excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café£2.50–4 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub main course£12–20 (≈ US$16–30)
Fish and chips, eat in or takeaway£9–15 (≈ US$12–20)
Pint of draught beer£4–6 (≈ US$6–8)
Bus Derby → Ashbourne, singlecheck£5–7 (≈ US$7–10)
Taxi within town£5–8 (≈ US$7–11)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week£6–12 (≈ US$8–16)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A low-crime small town; the real risks are rural roads with no pavement, fast A52 traffic, and Dovedale's slippery stepping stones and river after rain.
  • No train station: the nearest railheads are Derby and Uttoxeter, then bus or taxi.
  • Dovedale car parks fill by mid-morning on summer weekends and bank holidays; the stepping stones get crowded and slippery.
  • Shrovetide football (Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday) closes streets and fills every bed in town — book elsewhere or book months ahead.
  • Rural buses are thin in the evening; check the last service back before you set out.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
999
Police non-emergency
101
NHS non-urgent
111

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

AshbourneAshbourne

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • Police non-emergency101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No embassies in Ashbourne; the US Embassy is in London, and most countries' consulates are in London, Manchester or Edinburgh.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Bus Derby → Ashbourne: about £5–7 (≈ US$7–10) single, about 1 h (check)
  • Taxi Ashbourne centre → Dovedale: about £12–18 (≈ US$16–25) (check)
  • Dovedale car park: about £6 (≈ US$8) per day (check)

Say or show

  • Excuse me / Sorry — Excuse me / Sorry
  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Please — Please
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the toilet? — Where is the toilet?

English is the only language you need here.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ashbourne. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday (Shrovetide football fills the town); winter weekends when Dovedale car parks flood · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for EMA and MAN: last bus and taxi fallback field-checked.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Market Place, Church Street, the Tissington Trail start.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (St Oswald's Church, Dovedale car park) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Shrovetide and Dovedale-summer fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources