Market town on the edge of the Peak District National Park and an excellent centre for walking. Its impressive church with 212-ft spire stands in an unspoilt old street.
Although the town lies a short distance away from the River Dove, it commands the approach to Dovedale. It is a colourful and historic town, already a Royal Borough by the time of the Domesday survey.
The old town contains many historic buildings as well as traces of the visits by Dr Johnson, Charles I and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Ashbourne is well-known for gingerbread and its Shrovetide football match.
Ashbourne is the southern gateway to the Peak and lies just outside the boundary of the National Park on the edge of the limestone 'White Peak' area.