HOLLOWAY TO HULME END
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 20
HOLLOWAY (on the Cromford to Crich road – SK327563)
Florence Nightingale is the best-remembered inhabitant of this quiet little hillside village. She was born in Italy on 12 May 1820, in the city whose name she bears. Upon returning to England, the family relocated to Lea Hurst in Holloway. But Florence’s mother yearned for the social whirl she had been accustomed to and soon persuaded her husband to move south.
Embley House, in Hampshire, was purchased, and thereafter the family spent only the summer at Lea Hurst. Florence’s social life did not satisfy her, and to the family’s horror, she expressed a desire to take up nursing. After many intense arguments, Florence eventually got her way. Despite the continuing opposition of her family, she took up an appointment as manager of the Institution for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen in Distressed Circumstances in London.
It was not long after this that she went to the Crimea and became a legend – the lady with the lamp – whose shadow the sick soldiers kissed as she passed through the wards. Upon returning to England, she continued her work, but did not forget her connections with Lea Hurst. She set up a reading room in Holloway and provided books there, as well as to Lea Primary School. For the sick, she obtained the services of a doctor.
HOLYMOORSIDE (off A632 Matlock to Chesterfield road – SK338693)
Holymoorside, set in lovely moorland countryside, is only a short drive from the busy industrial town of Chesterfield. Today, it is a peaceful village, but things were quite different a century or so ago. Then, it was a busy place with quarrymen, lead miners, farmers, and tradespeople. In the 19th century, many local women and girls worked at Manlove’s cotton thread mills.
An important industrial landmark on nearby Stone Edge is a cupola, where lead was once smelted. Built in 1770, it is Britain’s oldest free-standing chimney. There are several enjoyable walks in the area.
HOPE (on the A6187 between Castleton and Hathersage – SK172835)
Superb scenery and excellent walking country surround Hope, which gives its name to the valley in which it lies. A village of great antiquity, it was once a centre of prehistoric trackways. It later became a part of the Roman road network. The Romans’ most important fort in the Peak District was established at Navio (Anavio), only one mile from Hope. Nowadays, Hope offers visitors the choice of welcoming pubs, shops, and tea rooms, as well as the opportunity to explore a village of great character with a fascinating tale to tell.
On the northern side of the village, Win Hill and Lose Hill are prominent features, and there is an ancient legend about how they acquired their names from a battle that took place in 626. Rivals King Edwin of Northumbria camped on Win Hill and King Cuicholm of Wessex on Lose Hill. The army from Wessex was much larger, so Edwin ordered his men to build a stone wall around the summit of the hill. When the battle commenced, both sets of troops advanced, but the superior numbers soon started to push Edwin’s forces back. Once the order to retreat came, the Wessex troops, sensing victory, charged forward, only to be crushed to death by a hail of boulders heaved down the hill by Edwin’s men to win the battle.
HOPTON HALL (off the B5035 between Ashbourne and Wirksworth – SK254333)
The Gell family, who lived at Hopton Hall for nearly 500 years, were the dominant influence in the area before selling the hall in 1989. The Hall hides behind a red brick crinkle-crankle wall on the eastern side of the village. It traps the rays of the sun, which, together with a hot air system, help with fruit growth. The Gells built the school and had a considerable influence on the development of the church at Carsington. Sir Philip Gell organised the construction of the Almshouses in Hopton, above which a stone tablet declares that the buildings were for ‘2 poor men and 2 poor women of Hopton and Carson’, the latter being the old name for Carsington.
Across the road, close to the corner of the crinkle-crankle wall, is an icehouse listed for protection. It is where food was kept in pre-refrigerator days. Today, the hall gardens are open to visitors for snowdrop displays early each year and for rose and flower displays during the summer.
HULLAND WARD (on the A517 Ashbourne to Belper road – SK255472)
Hulland Ward and the neighbouring village of Hulland lie on high ground from which there are views for miles around. Originally, primarily a farming settlement, it was on the coaching road to Duffield Frith. The road was gated and known as Ward Gate, and over the years, due to its proximity to Hulland Village, it was also known as Hulland Wardgate. During the 17th century, ‘gate’ was dropped from the name, and the village was then known as Hulland Ward. The settlement evolved into a residential village during the second half of the 20th century, as building activity increased. In recent years, the production of gravel and cement has provided employment opportunities for local people.
HULME END (between the A523 Ashbourne to Leek Road and the A515 Ashbourne to Buxton road – SK105594)
Hulme End is the former terminus of the Leek and Manifold Light Railway, and items of railway memorabilia remain. It is now the starting point of many walks in the Manifold Valley, where a large car park, visitor centre, and café reside. The Manifold Hotel, a 200-year-old coaching inn formerly known as The Light Railway Hotel, is located on the eastern side of the small village. Opposite the pub is the Old Toll House, which at one time served the turnpike and river ford. The bridge, built in 1790, has subsequently been replaced due to damage and subsequent collapse. The current one has been in situ since 1819.
