WHESTON TO GREAT WILNE
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 55
WHESTON (on the western outskirts of Tideswell on a minor road – SK134763)
Wheston is a small hamlet mainly composed of farms situated on what was once the Forest Road from Tideswell to Buxton. 11-foot-tall cross remains, but it is no longer in its original position. It probably dates to the 14th century and was used to mark the way on the old road. Wheston Hall remains, but is a shadow of its former self. The old hall had fallen into disrepair and largely collapsed in a 1952 gale. Parts of which were demolished, and others were reused in the construction of the present building.
WHIIWELL (on the B6043, off the A619 Barlborough to Worksop road – SK528767)
In 1989, Whitwell celebrated its 1,000th anniversary, but it is much older than that. Within the parish, there are several Iron Age burial mounds, an Iron Age fort, and a settlement. The Church of St. Lawrence, with its Saxon font and grey stone tower, is a lovely little Norman church that features in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe. In the Square is a well, which, together with another one on the green, supplied drinking water to the village inhabitants. The water was of good quality and was distributed around Whitwell by horse-drawn cart, sold at a halfpenny per bucket.
The village has some meaningful sporting connections, with Joe Davis, world snooker and billiards champion from the 1920s to the 1940s, born there. Also, Les Jackson, the legendary Derbyshire bowler and batsman, and Chris Adams, who came from Whitwell. Sometime earlier in 1853, Charles Edward Wilson was born in the village, and he went on to become a notable artist. Forty of his paintings were exhibited at the Royal Academy, and several of his studies of Victorian village life remain popular as greetings cards.
WILBOARCLOUGH (west of the A54, between Buxton and Congleton – SK984687)
The scattered village of Wildboarclough hides away in a beautiful, secluded valley. Today, the parish is quiet and peaceful, with a sparse population. But it was once home to several textile mills, and the now peaceful valley hummed to the sound of clanking machinery. The village made a significant contribution to the Industrial Revolution, and at one point, 600 men were employed there. Signs of the parish’s industrial past are still visible on close inspection.
Built in 1793, Crag Mill was used for spinning and printing calico, as well as other textiles. The designs were printed on plain carpets at the mill, one of which was exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The three mills in the valley were mainly demolished by 1957, with only a few outbuildings remaining. The imposing three-storey administration office for Crag Mill was saved. At one time, it was used as a very grand village post office, probably the largest in any village in England. A little higher up the valley side is Crag Hall, built around 1800 by the then mill owner, George Palfreyman.
GREAT WILNE (northeast of Shardlow Canal Village – SK448308)
Great Wilne is a small village, which under the name of Wilne dates back to before the Domesday Book. Interestingly, it is split from its church by the river and can only be reached from Great Wilne on foot by crossing a pedestrian bridge. Anyone travelling by car from the village faces a much longer journey. There is archaeological evidence of a deserted medieval settlement near the village. The Trent and Mersey Canal flows to the south of the village through Shardlow.
