BIRCHOVER
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Location: Birchover is off the B5056, a road between Ashbourne and Bakewell that links the A515 Ashbourne to Buxton Road and the A6 from Matlock to Bakewell. (SK239622)
Visit: Uppertown, where the stocks still stand outside Uppertown Farm. They were restored in 1951 by Mr J C Heathcote, but they may not be in their original position; take a walk to the Cork Stone on Stanton Moor, which is 15 feet high, and even though the iron footrests are driven into the side, it is difficult to climb; explore Rowtor Rocks where the Druids, are said to have practised their rites.
Refreshments: The Red Lion and the Druid Inn are two excellent public houses in the village.
Walk: Birchover and Stanton Moor Walk is a delightful walk that requires only the minimum effort, yet still provides a rich diversity of scenery. At the start, there are views over the rooftops of the houses in Birchover, leading to the isolated, bracken-covered gritstone plateau of Stanton Moor with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. A Bronze Age Stone Circle is on the moor, the Nine Ladies Stone Circle. Legend has it that the nine ladies danced here on the Sabbath Day and were turned to stone as a punishment, along with the fiddler who stands nearby. A construction of more recent vintage, on the edge of the moor, is the Earl Grey Tower, commemorating the Reform Bill’s passing in 1832, which the Thornhill family of Stanton-in-Peak erected.
Special Places of Interest in the Locality: Haddon Hall is perhaps the most perfect example of a medieval manor house in the country. The gardens are a delight and are believed to be the most romantic in Britain, as the setting for the elopement of Dorothy Vernon and John Manners. – Stanton in Peak is a stunningly attractive village with fine views over the River Wye towards the hills of north Derbyshire. Most of the stone used in the village construction originated from Stanton Moor. – Peak Rail operates approximately four miles from Matlock Station Platform 2 to Rowsley South Station along a scenic track. Luxury dining and a whole host of events take place throughout the year.
INTRODUCTION
Birchover’s village street descends gently from the outskirts of Stanton Moor, most of its fine old cottage buildings sheltering under a tree-lined ridge. Built between the 17th and 19th centuries of lovely pinkish stone from Stanton Moor quarries, the buildings face in all directions as they struggle to find level ground. More recent developments have taken place on the lower side of the street, where great care has been taken to ensure they harmonise with the rest of the village.
It seems likely that the village was initially sited at Uppertown on the road to Winster, where the farm beside the road used to be an inn. The Norman church and the village are no more; the stones used to construct them are scattered around the neighbourhood’s field walls and cottages. The stocks are still there outside Uppertown Farm; they were restored in 1951 by Mr J C Heathcote but may not be in their original position.
HEATHCOTE FAMILY
Birchover was the home of J P and J C Heathcote, father and son, who were both noted amateur antiquarians. Between them, they excavated the tumuli on Stanton Moor. They built up a fascinating private museum in the old village post office. The collection was transferred to Sheffield West Park Museum when Percy Heathcote died.
DRUID INN
On the corner, at the bottom of the street, stands The Druid Inn. Its restaurant scored ten out of ten in a Sunday Times article. The Inn takes its name from the Druids, who are said to have practised their rites on Rowtor Rocks nearby. The rocks fascinated the Reverend Thomas Eyre, who carved seats so he and his friends could sit and enjoy the view. He also built a little chapel below the rocks and, according to tradition, sat in his seat on the rocks while composing his services.
THE VILLAGE
The Birchover Millennium Stone, situated by the roadside on the village’s western side, represents the former millstone production industry in the area. Millstones were made out of local gritstone and exported all over the world. The stone has a circular core and a carved motif on the base, a copy of a Romanesque carving discovered in a wall at Uppertown, where a church built in the late 11th century or early 12th century used to exist.
The village hall opened in 1907, initially for ‘men only’, with newspapers to broaden the horizons of male readers only! In 1999, following a comprehensive refurbishment and the installation of computer equipment in the Reading Room, it became an official centre of the BBC’s Webwise campaign to provide local people with taster sessions on the Internet. The hall is regularly used for a variety of community events.
The Brass Band provided entertainment in the village. They won third prize in a band contest at Ormskirk before disbanding before the outbreak of the Second World War. Much of the prestige evaporated when it later became known that only three entrants were in the competition.
A helpful information panel by the side of the toilets on the main street provides a map and notes about the village to assist visitors in identifying the main places of interest. An unusual feature inside the Red Lion’s main entrance is a 30-foot-deep well with a thick glass cover.
At the top of Uppertown Lane is the stone-covered tank that used to be the village’s primary water source. On the opposite side of the lane is the former Pinfold, where stray animals were kept until their owners reclaimed them. The former Wesleyan Reform Church’s date stone obligingly provides both the year the building was built, 1857, and the date it was rebuilt, 1908.
OPEN GARDENS
The village’s main event of the year is the Open Garden Show, during which around 20 gardens are usually open for inspection by the public. Stalls and refreshments are available, and various other events and exhibitions occur. A walk around Birchover at any time of the year reveals an abundance of attractive, well-maintained gardens.
TEN FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT BIRCHOVER
1. Birchover means ridge where birch trees grow, situated on a hillside rising to Stanton Moor.
2. Fine 17th and 18th-century cottages line the main street. Many were built from the finely grained gritstone mined at the moor’s edge.
3. Stanton Moor is in a prominent position overlooking the Derwent and Wye valleys. Possibly, this is why Bronze Age inhabitants chose it. They left many traces of their occupation upon the moor.
4. Thomas Eyre built the little chapel known as Rowter Chapel or Jesus Chapel. He died in 1717. The chapel has markedly changed since, and a chancel was added in 1869. There is also some modern stained glass to admire.
5. Eddie Shimwell, a professional footballer, was born in Birchover. In 1948, he became the first full-back to score in a Wembley Cup Final when he converted a penalty for Blackpool against Manchester United.
6. On 13 May 1949, at 29, Shimwell gained his only England cap against Sweden.
7. Barn Farm is situated at the east end of the village. It offers caravan and camping facilities and holds events throughout the year for visitors and residents of Birchover.
8. Birchover Open Gardens are the oldest continuous open gardens in Derbyshire. They vary in style from traditional cottage gardens to more modern ones.
9. Many of Birchover’s cottages are fronted by beautiful private gardens. One of the finest is at Sunny Dene Cottage.
10. Rowtor Rocks consists of numerous interlinked tunnels and caverns, some natural and some manufactured. Many rocks have carved symbols and pictures, including serpents, circles, and cups. Several steps, thrones, and altars have also been fashioned out of the stone in several places.
Birchover and Stanton Moor Walk
