Codnor

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Codnor is a Derbyshire village in the Amber Valley district, and a former mining community, with a population of nearly 8,000. It is approximately 12 miles from the city of Derby and 14 miles from Nottingham. It is listed in an entry in the Domesday Book of 1086, the great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. A mill was mentioned, and also the fact that "Warner holds it". Coalmining had a long history locally, and was, at one time, responsible for subsidence damage to some buildings, but was replaced by light industry in the 1970s.

Codnor has its own golf club, Ormonde Fields.

Codnor also boasts a cricket club which has been in existence since 1924. Whilst having some difficult times in the early stages of the club, the club now plays at a competitive standard in the Derbyshire county league and now boasts both a 1st and 2nd eleven as well as two youth teams.

One mile east of the village centre is Codnor Castle; the original Norman earthwork 'motte and bailey' was built by William Peveril, (Peveril of the Peak, who also built the better known Peveril Castle at Castleton). The 13th century stone structure which replaced it is now, sadly, in ruins. The castle was formerly held by the powerful de Grey family. The castle overlooks the valley of the little River Erewash, which forms the county boundary between Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and the now defunct section of the Cromford Canal. At one time, the village had a railway station (at Crosshill) which was operated as part of the Midland Railway (the original charter of which was drawn up at the Sun Inn in nearby Eastwood). Sadly, the branch line was torn up when colliery traffic waned, and the only signs of it that are now left are a converted station yard and some embankments.

At one time, Codnor had no less than three Methodist chapels, all in the Ripley Circuit, as well as the Anglican church of St James, at Crosshill. The village was also the birthplace of the noted Victorian phrenologist and author, 'Professor' Joseph Millott Severn. This local worthy wrote the delightful book, My Village: Owd Codnor as well as funding a fine set of alms houses in the centre of the village, which still stand to this day.

In recent years, the village has had traffic problems, especially in the rush hour, and traffic coming into Codnor can sometimes be at a complete stand-still. This is because the A610 (the main road to/from Nottingham) goes through here. Codnor also used to be served by trams; the 'Ripley Rattler' (so-called), used to travel between that town and Nottingham. These were quite notorious, and were even the subject of a short story by local writer D. H. Lawrence (born 4 miles away, in Eastwood). The standards, which had carried the electric power lines for the trams, were not removed until the early 1960's.

It is disputed that Codnor is the most inland village in the United Kingdom. It is 61.2 miles away from the nearest coast, in Lincolnshire.

Codnor is close to the larger communities of Ripley and Heanor.