MIDDLETON-BY-WIRKSWORTH TO MILTON
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 30
MIDDLETON-BY-WIRKSWORTH (2miles northwest of Wirksworth, on the B5023 – SK278559)
A rugged village full of character, once a lead-mining stronghold that turned to quarrying towards the end of the 19th century. It is bigger than it first appears, with narrow streets leading off the main thoroughfare to houses that seem to hide away in ‘nooks and crannies’ on the steeply rising hillside. The views from the top of Middleton over the Via Gellia are outstanding and were described by the author D. H. Lawrence, who lived in the village for a short time. Who wrote: “From the height, it is very beautiful”.
Mountain Cottage was the home of Lawrence and his German-born wife for nearly twelve months in 1918-19. They were expelled from Cornwall due to inaccurate accusations that they were spying. They were given notice that they must leave and live in a restricted area. The loud singing of German songs while out walking along the cliffs hadn’t endeared them to the local community.
The small quarry in the centre of Middleton became nationally famous for its uniquely beautiful Hopton-Wood stone, which is over 99% pure limestone. Many renowned sculptors have utilised the stone to create sculptures that are displayed in galleries and public places worldwide. After the First World War, an order was received for the supply of thousands of headstones for graves in France and Belgium.
In the mid-1900s, Middleton had a cricket team with two very menacing fast bowlers, or so their names implied. They were Killer and Death. According to local cricket stalwarts, if Killer doesn’t get you, then Death will. Both are well-known Middleton names.
MIDDLETON-BY-YOULGREAVE (2 miles west of Youlgreave, on an unclassified road off the B5056 – SK195632)
It is hard to find a more attractive, less spoilt village in the whole of the Peak District. It is also surprisingly quiet, as it is on an unclassified loop road, and at weekends, walkers often outnumber motorists. The spaciously laid out main street is lined by pretty limestone cottages, the gardens bursting with colour in the summer. Many of the houses were rebuilt in the 1820s by Thomas Bateman.
At the end of the 18th century, Thomas Bateman, whose main family home was at Hartington Hall, acquired Middleton Hall and estate. He was a merchant during the American War and attended a meeting in Manchester to discuss the shortage of cotton. He reputedly overheard someone say that four ships laden with cotton were due in the Mersey. Leaving his hat behind to avert suspicion, he left the meeting. He hurried to Liverpool and purchased the entire cargo, thereby becoming a wealthy man.
The village is only a short distance from one of the Peak District’s loveliest dales and surrounded by excellent walking country. A track leads from the village down to Bradford Dale with its six pools of crystal-clear water, which reflect the shadows of the mature trees along the steeply sided dale. A view of which J. B. Frith described as ‘for peaceful loveliness and sheer prettiness, nothing in Derbyshire excels it.’
MILLDALE (off the A515 Ashbourne to Buxton road – SK139548)
Milldale is a delightfully positioned hamlet at the northern end of Dovedale. It attracts walkers like few other places of its size in Britain. Most come to explore the beautiful Dove Valley, with its steep-sided limestone sides and tree-covered slopes along the stretch that runs from Milldale, down to the large car park close to the road linking Ilam and Thorpe. There was a mill in Alstonefield Manor in the 13th century, presumably situated in the hamlet of Milldale, where records show that a mill existed to the north of Viator’s Bridge by 1775.
The ancient packhorse bridge, over the River Dove, is the most renowned of all in the Peak District. It was made famous in the English classic The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton. In the fifth edition, published in 1676, Charles Cotton of nearby Beresford Hall wrote an addendum about fishing, introducing the reader to two travellers – Charles Cotton (Piscator) and Izaak Walton (Viator). In the days when the two travellers would have approached the narrow bridge at Milldale, it would not have had any walls and must have looked quite frightening to cross. Bridges then were designed with low parapets to allow horses carrying panniers to cross without obstruction. Viator commented on seeing the bridge: ‘Why! A mouse can hardly go over it: ’tis not twelve fingers broad.’ Milldale Bridge is now known as Viator’s Bridge, and its name is clearly visible for all who cross to see.
MILLERS DALE (off the B6049, linking road for the A6 and A623 -SK141734)
Millers Dale is a tiny hamlet, set in the heart of the Peak District, sharing its name with the dale in which it lies. The scenery in this part of the Wye Valley is magnificent, with the impressive Ravenstor Cliff only a short distance down the road, on the route to the once infamous Litton Mill. The richness of flora and fauna along the dale sides has resulted in the area’s designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has several nature reserves nearby.
It was a major junction on the Midland Railway Line, with Millers Dale being one of the largest stations on the line. The original station, opened in 1863, had three platforms: two on the main line for trains between London and Manchester and the other reserved for the branch line to Buxton, where passengers alighted from or joined the Buxton train. Two additional platforms were added when the second viaduct opened in 1905. There are still several former railway cottages standing by the river, as well as the impressive ivy-clad Anglers Rest Public House. It has been in the licensing trade since 1753, and apart from providing a pleasant dining room and bar. It also caters for those with muddy boots with a Hikers Bar.
MILTON (situated between Repton and Foremark – SK321266).
Milton is a small village about a mile to the east of Repton in South Derbyshire and consists of about 60 dwellings. Both Milton and Repton are part of the same parish and share an entry in the Domesday Book, as it is thought that one of the two mills mentioned was at Milton. Although only approximately one mile apart, Milton and Repton are two distinctly different villages, despite families having moved between them over the centuries. The fields between the two villages provide a sufficient gap, allowing both villages to remain largely unseen from one another. Milton, until recent years, was a small farming community.
The old mission hall, built by the Burdett family for religious purposes, is now the village hall. The local community has carefully maintained it for more than 100 years, and new facilities have been added. A wide range of events takes place there every year for many diverse groups of people. The stone standing outside is believed to date back to the Ice Age.
