STANTON MOOR TO STANTON-IN-PEAK
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 45
STANTON MOOR (between Stanton-in-Peak and Birchover)
Stanton Moor is an isolated gritstone outcrop in the heart of limestone country and one of the richest prehistoric sites in Derbyshire. Although it is relatively small in size, it has a feeling of isolation despite its proximity to neighbouring villages. On the bracken-clad moor, several impressive boulders and reminders of the past remain. From the eastern edge of the moor, there are superb views over the surrounding countryside.
Last century, the Heathcote family, father and son, exhumed more than 70 burial mounds on the moor. Both were noted amateur antiquarians, and together, they built up a fascinating private museum in the old village post office at Birchover. The collection was transferred to Sheffield West Park Museum on the death of Percy Heathcote.
STANTON-BY-BRIDGE (6 miles south of Derby, on the A514 Swarkestone to Swadlincote road – SK373273)
Stanton-by-Bridge is a quiet, retiring little village, apart from on the eastern side, where the busy A514 disturbs the air of peace and tranquillity. The road is particularly busy at weekends when motor and motorbike racing takes place at nearby Castle Donington, and the roar of engines can be heard throughout Stanton if the wind is blowing in that direction.
The village street is composed of several old farmhouses that have been mostly converted into private dwellings, along with a mixture of old and new properties. St Michael’s Church, located at the west end of the main street, is relatively compact and incorporates structural evidence dating back to the Anglo-Saxons, featuring a fine Norman doorway on the south side.
The most unusual building in Stanton is a former secret nuclear bunker, built during the height of the Cold War. It was intended for use by the military for monitoring purposes following a nuclear war. In 1968, it was closed before being reopened a second time in 1975 and then closed again in the 1990s. A secret no longer, the bunker was put on the market in recent years, much to the surprise of the auctioneers, who initially thought someone was having them on. It is situated close to the A514 Derby to Swadlincote road, near Melbourne, on the east side of Stanton Hill.
STANTON-BY-DALE (north of the B5010, Borrowash to Sandiacre road – SK465379)
The village of Stanton–by-Dale retained its unspoilt charm and peace of days gone by, despite, until recently, being only a short distance from a major industrialised area. Most of Stanton lies within a conservation area and is subject to an Article 4 Direction. It should ensure that the village will continue to retain its unique character in the years to come.
St Michael’s and All Angels Church dates to the early 14th century but was substantially restored in the 19th century. A former rector, the Rev William Fox, achieved fame as ‘the sledging rector’, by using a Russian horse-drawn sledge, in winter, to get between his two parishes. There are two public houses in the village, the Stanhope Arms and the Chequers Inn. The latter is where, during the Second World War, the landlord used to cut customers’ hair due to a shortage of barbers. While they no doubt downed a pint! It provided a rather novel excuse for slipping out of the house for a drink, rather than the more usual one of taking the dog for a walk.
STANTON-IN-PEAK (off the 5056 Grangemill {A5012} to A6 road that links Matlock and Bakewell – SK241643)
Stanton-in-Peak is an attractive, mainly gritstone-built village, with fine views over the River Wye towards north Derbyshire. It is a little off the beaten track, about half a mile from the busy B5056, the road winding up the hillside to reach the edge of the village. The main street continues to wind its way steeply up the side of Stanton Moor, from where most of the stone used to construct the village originated. Stanton’s pretty little gardens, small courtyards, narrow alleyways and fantastic panoramic views reveal themselves best on a walking tour of the village.
One of the earliest and most unusual houses in the village is the three-storey Holly House, which stands facing the main street with eight of its fourteen windows remaining blocked to this day. Originally, the windows would have been bricked up to avoid the dreaded window tax of 1697. On the opposite side of the street is the award-winning village pub, Flying Childers, converted from four cottages in the 18th century.
STANTON-IN-PEAK – FLYING CHILDERS
The award-winning Stanton-in-Peak pub, with the strange-sounding name of Flying Childers, is a little gem. It was named after a famous 18th-century racehorse owned by the fourth Duke of Devonshire and trained by Sir Hugh Childers. At the end of its racing days, the Duke retired the horse to his stud at Chatsworth. The Good Pub Guide has recommended the public house
