Village History
Foolow is a traditional upland village on the fringe of White Peak countryside, surrounded by a patchwork of rich pasture segregated by mile upon mile of dry stone walls meticulously constructed from chunks of limestone.
The attractive village has a duck pond and pub – The Bulls Head Inn which is the lone survivor of five village inns. Years ago the pond or mere would have provided not only the water for the village, but for cattle and livestock as well.
On the small village green is a medieval cross, moved to its present position in 1868 when it was given a new base. Prior to this it stood on the site of the nearby Wesleyan Chapel and may at one time have been a marker for the boundary of the Royal Forest of the Peak. Next to the cross is a bull ring where animals would have been tethered before being set upon by dogs in the mistaken belief that it tenderized the meat prior to slaughter. Bull baiting was declared illegal in 1835. La foulowe (1284) means a hill frequented by birds. However Foolow was also recorded in a document of 1570 as Ffollowe.
Foolow is a pretty and very traditional limestone village which attracts many tourists in summer months. Adjacent to the green is the unusual 17th century Old Hall with its very irregular construction, whereas the nearby 18th century Manor House is a more typical Derbyshire country house style appearance. Both are beautiful buildings, as are many of the houses and cottages in the village, attracting the attention of both amateur and professional photographers and appearing in numerous tourist information publications.
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