Country Images Magazine Derby Edition August 2017 | Page 8

Teeming with rich history and thriving businesses
South of Derby
WILLINGTON
Willington has evidence of the oldest settlements, for it was in the
flat pasture lands to the east of what is today a bustling village, that
extensive traces of human habitation were discovered dating back to
the Bronze Age, including a cursus, one of those enigmatic features
that so far have defied accurate interpretation.
SWARKESTONE
Swarkestone a few miles to the east, also had a population possibly
rather scattered in the Bronze Age. Swarkestone Lowes just NW of the
village marks the site of a cluster of high-status burials. Indeed it may
be that the relatively dense Bronze Age population of Willington was
lorded over by the grandees buried at Swarkestone.
Swarkestone Bridge is always represented as Medieval, but its origin
was without doubt a pre-Roman causeway across the flood plain of the
Trent with a ford across the river itself, which is narrow at that point.
REPTON
Of course, the most significant of the Trent Valley villages is Repton,
famous for its important church, monastery, school and delightful
Georgian and earlier buildings. It is often called the capital of Mercia,
although the Iclingas Kings of Mercia really looked to Tamworth if
anywhere.
MELBOURNE
Before the re-establishment of the monastery (for men only this time)
Repton was far outshone by Melbourne, a Saxon era settlement, which
has the most substantial and important church in the middle Trent
Valley.
ETWALL
Repton has an interesting connection with Etwall, for Repton School’s
founder, Sir John Port, endowed it with lands from his Etwall Hall
estate and built the master of the charity he set up a fine house at
Etwall, now rebuilt in Regency Gothic, as Etwall Lawn.
HILTON
Hilton is almost an extension of Etwall these days, but it is very
distinct. Ownership was split very early in Medieval times and it never
had a parish church nor manor house, its proprietors all having such
luxuries available to them elsewhere. Mind you, it does have one of
Derbyshire’s few remaining timber framed gentry houses in the shape
of Wakelyn Old Hall, now refurbished to a high standard after years of
being semi-derelict.
BURTON
Nestled in East Staffordshire, Burton has a rich brewing industry
that continues to thrive. Originally built around Burton Abbey it
continued to spread outwards and become industrially strong as a
market town with the extension of the River Trent Navigation
8 | CountryImagesMagazine.co.uk
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