SNELSTON TO SOUTH WINGFIELD
A TO Z – DERBYSHIRE AND THE PEAK DISTRICT – CHAPTER 44
SNELSTON (2.5 miles south of Ashbourne, off the A515 – SK152434)
The picturesque, former estate village of Snelston appears much older than it is. The houses have nearly all been built in the 1820s, but in a style more reminiscent of the Tudor period. Snelston Hall was demolished in 1951, and the stable block was converted into a home for the present owner and his family.
SNITTERTON (off the B5057, Darley Bridge to Winster road – SK279604)
The attractive hamlet of Snitterton, with its pretty cottages and exquisite old hall, hides away in picturesque countryside two miles west of Matlock. The present hall replaced an earlier moated manor house and has been described by Pevsner as ‘a gem of an Elizabethan Manor House’. It has been restored in recent years and is a Grade I listed building. For centuries, bull-baiting was a common practice throughout England, and a bull ring can be found on the green outside Yew Tree Cottage. It was thought that as a result of the baiting, the poor animal’s meat would be tenderised. The Old British Bulldog was specifically bred to participate in this event, which was then referred to as a sport.
SOLOMON’S TEMPLE (between the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne and A53 Leek Road, overlooking Buxton – SK055716)
Ascend the spiral staircase at Solomon’s Temple on Grin Low to enjoy some spectacular views across the High Peak. Looking beyond the impressive Dome of the former Devonshire Hospital, in fine weather, you can see on the horizon, Mam Tor at Castleton, and beyond that, Kinder Scout. The two-storey folly is 20 feet high and sits on top of a ridge 1,440 feet above sea level. It was built in 1896 to replace an earlier building of which only a few stones remained. The previous building had been requisitioned in the early 19th century by Solomon Mycock to employ some of the unemployed in Buxton. It occupies the site of an ancient burial mound. During the construction work, an archaeological dig revealed several Bronze Age skeletons from the ‘Beaker’ period as well as Roman artefacts.
SOMERCOTES (south of the A38 and Alfreton – SK424537)
The large village of Somercotes, situated just south of Alfreton, is mainly a product of the Industrial Revolution. The discovery of abundant minerals in the area led to their rapid exploitation. Together with the neighbouring villages of Swanwick and Leabrooks to the west and Ridings to the south, the area became heavily dependent on mining and heavy industry.
In the 1960s, with the closure of local pits and other heavy industries, there was an urgent need for diversification. Fortunately, it is located near a fast road network, with the M1 motorway nearby. It is now one of the fastest-developing villages in Amber Valley. With several industrial estates, a retail park, and new housing developments.
SOMERSAL HERBERT (2 miles northeast of Doveridge and the A50, near Uttoxeter – SK138352)
A quiet, secluded village is reached along narrow lanes. The village, with its exquisite timber-framed hall, comes as something of a surprise. It is probably the finest half-timbered hall in Derbyshire. Built in 1564 by John Fitzherbert, on what may have been the site of a previous Fitzherbert house. There are a few, mainly older, cottages in the village, as well as a 19th-century church.
SOUTH NORMANTON (1 mile west of Junction 28 of the M1, off the B6019 – SK441565)
Before 1888, it was only a small hamlet, with a few cottages and several farms centred around the church of St Michael. However, in the 1920s, the village began to expand as mining started to replace farm work as the primary occupation for the majority of workers. Today, now that the pits have closed, the local population benefits from excellent road communications to get to work. A considerable amount of housing and commercial development has taken place in the locality. The East Midlands Designer Outlet is located near Junction 28 of the M1 motorway.
SOUTH WINGFIELD (on the B5035, Crich to Alfreton Road – SK376556)
The railway came to the village in 1835, but villagers had to walk half a mile to the station. George Stephenson, the railway pioneer, lived at the hall and stipulated that the line must not come close to his home. Sitting on a hilltop are the ruins of Wingfield Manor, built in the reign of King Henry VI, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was once a captive. It is now in the hands of English Heritage, who should be contacted if you want to arrange an internal viewing. Good views of the hall ruins can also be obtained from local footpaths.
