Bakewell, #1 on this list · Photo: Peter Barr · CC BY-SA 2.0

Derbyshire rankings · History

Most historic towns in Derbyshire

Bakewell ranks first on history among Derbyshire’s 59 towns of 2,500+; 10 of the 59 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Bakewell

3,275 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#17 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Melbourne

4,860 people

A⁺

Better than 96% of UK towns·#65 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Wirksworth

4,904 people

A⁺

Better than 96% of UK towns·#69 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 59 towns, ranked

History grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Derbyshire →

Find a town

59 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Bakewell3,275 peopleA⁺#17 of 2,156 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Melbourne4,860 peopleA⁺#65 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

3Wirksworth4,904 peopleA⁺#69 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

4Buxton20,048 peopleA#205 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 88% of UK towns

5Repton2,766 peopleA#222 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

6Ashbourne8,854 peopleA⁻#278 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

7Belper19,076 peopleA⁻#295 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

8Glossop17,820 peopleA⁻#323 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 83% of UK towns

9Hadfield16,271 peopleA⁻#402 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

10Bolsover11,228 peopleA⁻#442 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 77% of UK towns

11Makeney4,691 peopleB⁺#520 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

12New Mills9,195 peopleB⁺#545 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

13Matlock11,990 peopleB⁺#554 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

14Chesterfield76,394 peopleB⁺#565 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

15Whaley Bridge4,618 peopleB⁺#570 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

16Darley Dale3,985 peopleB⁺#683 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 66% of UK towns

17Chapel-en-le-Frith7,235 peopleB#740 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

18Derby275,561 peopleB#752 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

19Borrowash7,171 peopleB#811 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

20Shirland and Stonebroom3,988 peopleB#841 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

21Heage2,584 peopleB#892 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 57% of UK towns

22Langwith3,009 peopleB#918 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

23Barlborough2,859 peopleB⁻#930 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 55% of UK towns

24Alfreton8,790 peopleB⁻#1,010 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

25Whitwell3,722 peopleB⁻#1,024 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 51% of UK towns

26Long Eaton37,815 peopleB⁻#1,044 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

27Ilkeston38,723 peopleB⁻#1,056 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

28Somercotes and Swanwick15,105 peopleB⁻#1,083 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

29Overseal and Castle Gresley5,055 peopleB⁻#1,119 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

30Ripley20,191 peopleB⁻#1,129 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

31Etwall3,080 peopleB⁻#1,136 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

T32Breaston and Draycott7,393 peopleC⁺#1,173 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 44% of UK towns

T32Eckington7,435 peopleC⁺#1,173 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 44% of UK towns

34Creswell5,792 peopleC⁺#1,259 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

35Heanor24,264 peopleC⁺#1,268 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

36Dronfield21,161 peopleC⁺#1,315 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 38% of UK towns

37Brimington11,068 peopleC⁺#1,353 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns

38Newton and Blackwell3,053 peopleC⁺#1,358 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 36% of UK towns

39Swadlincote34,569 peopleC⁺#1,364 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

40Clowne7,759 peopleC⁺#1,367 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 35% of UK towns

41North Wingfield and Holmewood9,545 peopleC#1,427 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 32% of UK towns

42South Normanton and Pinxton16,028 peopleC#1,461 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 31% of UK towns

43Sandiacre9,373 peopleC#1,527 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 28% of UK towns

44Tibshelf4,352 peopleC#1,547 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

45Kilburn and Horsley Woodhouse4,447 peopleC#1,550 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

46Pilsley and Lower Pilsley3,470 peopleC#1,562 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 26% of UK towns

47Woodville7,255 peopleC⁻#1,599 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

48Clay Cross8,915 peopleC⁻#1,608 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

49West Hallam5,912 peopleC⁻#1,612 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

50Willington2,717 peopleC⁻#1,686 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 20% of UK towns

51Staveley15,151 peopleC⁻#1,720 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 19% of UK towns

52Wingerworth6,404 peopleC⁻#1,737 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 18% of UK towns

53Shirebrook11,571 peopleC⁻#1,795 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 15% of UK towns

54Old Tupton4,190 peopleD#1,824 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

55Killamarsh9,082 peopleD#1,832 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

56Grassmoor3,528 peopleD#1,970 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

57Hatton2,560 peopleD#2,037 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 5% of UK towns

58Hilton8,269 peopleD⁻#2,089 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

59Gamesley3,124 peopleD⁻#2,098 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most historic town in Derbyshire?

Bakewell ranks first on history among 59 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Melbourne and Wirksworth follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Derbyshire’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Derbyshire is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Derbyshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Derbyshire rankings →

Best places to live59 towns · #1 Repton Best small towns40 towns · #1 Repton Most affordable towns59 towns · #1 Swadlincote Safest towns59 towns · #1 Repton Towns with the best schools59 towns · #1 Makeney Healthiest towns59 towns · #1 Makeney Best towns for jobs & income59 towns · #1 Makeney Most walkable towns59 towns · #1 Bakewell Towns with the lowest flood risk59 towns · #1 Alfreton and 12 more Best towns for the outdoors59 towns · #1 Darley Dale Towns with the most civic life59 towns · #1 Bakewell Towns with the highest household incomes59 towns · #1 MakeneyDescribed, no letters Towns with the lowest council tax59 towns · #1 DerbyDescribed, no letters Towns with the mildest winters59 towns · #1 Long EatonDescribed, no letters Towns with the warmest summers59 towns · #1 Breaston and Draycott and Long EatonDescribed, no letters Towns with the coolest summers59 towns · #1 BuxtonDescribed, no letters Towns with the fewest frosts59 towns · #1 DerbyDescribed, no letters Driest towns59 towns · #1 Long EatonDescribed, no letters Wettest towns59 towns · #1 BuxtonDescribed, no letters

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.