Waterhouses is a small village located 8miles from Leek and Ashbourne in Staffordshire.
Waterhouses is also a civil parish that was created in 1934 when the parishes of Calton, Cauldon, Waterfall and part of Ilam were merged.
The village of Waterhouses is on the River Hamps, a tributary of the River Manifold. The name Hamps derives from its Middle English title, "Hanespe" which derives from the British name, which means "summer dry", i.e. dry in summer. This is because the river disappears underground during the summer. (
visit link)
Waterhouses is the largest village on the south-western edge of the Peak District, and the most substantial settlement in the Hamps valley.
There is a large limestone quarry complex at nearby Cauldon that provides much of the local employment but does not impose on the village.
The centre of the village centre is where the A523 Leek to Ashbourne road, crosses the River Hamps and Earlsway the road to Cauldon turns off south.
Ye Olde Crown Hotel is located on the corner of the above junction and is a Grade II listed 17th Century pub. It was built in 1647 from local limestone and was established as a coaching inn to support the stage coaches travelling from Ashbourne to Manchester.
The old station car park located on Earlsway was once the terminus of the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway Manifold. There is a large car park, picnic area and public toilets, with access to the Manifold Track from this location. The remaining station buildings have been restored by the Peak Park and converted into an information and cycle hire centre.
Rocester Road,opposite Ye Olde Crown Hotel, used to be the main road through the village and is accessed over a stone arch bridge that crosses the River Hamps. A photograph c1984/85 showing part of the bridge with the village shop building that stood on what used to be the main road through the village can be seen at the following link. (
visit link)
The building is still there and can be seen on one of the photos in this waymark gallery.
Brown End Farm Cycle Hire is located on the Leek Road with easy access to the Manifold Track.
The village has rows of cottages clustered around the main junction near the pub, a shop, a Methodist Chapel, a school and a fish and chip shop.