Description: This postcard is captioned 'A day in winter at The Cat and Fiddle, near Buxton. This Inn is 1690 ft above sea level.' The card is from the Valentines series, no. 206087. One of Derbyshire's characteristic landmarks, the 'Cat and Fiddle Inn' is allegedly the highest Licensed House in England. Some very intriguing theories exist for its naming. One theory suggests it is a corruption of the name 'Catherine Fidelis', or Catherine of Aragon, so named for the first wife of Henry VIII, and I have to admit this one does rather appeal to me! Less appealing is a suggestion of 'Cat' being Catherine, wife of the Tsar of Russia, Peter the Great although it is then not clear how 'Fiddle' became appended, nor what she may have had to do with events in England! A further theory nearer to home suggests it was named for one of the eccentric Dukes of Devonshire, who drove this road from Buxton, and stopped at the summit to play his violin! Another theory, which is on the face of it more plausible, as it suggests a common pastime which could have taken place at public houses before the more modern amusements of the one-armed bandits and juke box arrived! The game of 'Trap Ball' involved the use of a 'cat', or tapered stick, and perhaps the Inn was also notorious for its fiddle players providing the accompanying music? However... whilst this theory is tempting to believe, as many place-names are derived from customs associated with them, some further investigation into the game rules it out as one to be played indoors! Alternatively, it may be simply derived from the Nursery Rhyme, 'The Cat and the Fiddle', as depicted on the carved stone plate now on the wall. The Inn dates back to at least the early 19th century - whether it predates the building of the 'new' A537, built in 1823 is not known. The old Macclesfield to Buxton turnpike road passed behind the site of the Inn, following a route down to Derbyshire Bridge and along the Old Macclesfield Road to Burbage. (information from www.wishful-thinking.org.uk)