Dethick, Lea and Holloway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dethick, Lea, Holloway | |
| Population | 1,106 |
|---|---|
| Parish | Dethick, Lea and Holloway |
| District | Amber Valley |
| Shire county | Derbyshire |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MATLOCK |
| Postcode district | DE4 |
| Dial code | 01629 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | Amber Valley |
| European Parliament | East Midlands |
Dethick, Lea and Holloway is a civil parish (and, since 1899, an ecclesiastical parish), in the Amber Valley borough of the English county of Derbyshire.
It is located in central Derbyshire south east of Matlock and, as its name suggests, contains the three main settlements – Dethick, Lea and Holloway; as well as the younger village of Lea Bridge.
The area's most notable family is the Nightingales who spent the summers there – Florence Nightingale stayed at Lea Hurst, and during the 1880s, nursed her mother and rendered charitable work in the communities of Lea, Holloway and nearby Whatstandwell.
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[edit] Holloway
The biggest of the settlements that comprise this civil parish is Holloway at grid reference SK326562. Holloway has a village shop which serves the parish, known as Mayfield Stores. Additionally, it is home to a doctors surgery, a Methodist chapel, the Yew Tree public house, a village butchers and a small art gallery. The southeastern area of the village is known as Leashaw, and the collection of houses scattered among the hill to the east is known as Upper Holloway. Leashaw is the location of Lea Hurst, famous for being built by the Nightingale family as their summer home.
A cotton mill was built in 1784 at Holloway by Peter Nightingale (a relative of Florence). He was sued by Richard Arkwright for infringement of patents. Arkwright won the case, but it attracted the attention of the Lancashire pirate spinners who in the end succeeded in getting the patents revoked.
The mills were later sold to Thomas Smedley whose son funded Smedley's Hydro in Matlock. The mill was converted to spinning worsted.
[edit] Lea
Lea lies north of Holloway at grid reference SK330575 and is, by population, the second biggest settlement in the parish. It is home to a youth activity centre called Lea Green, the Jug & Glass public house and the popular tourist attraction of The Coach House (a complex consisting of a restaurant, tea-rooms, ice-cream parlor & gift shop). There is also a small park, with play equipment for the youth of the parish.
[edit] Lea Bridge
Geographically lowest of the settlements, Lea Bridge lies in the valley to the west of Holloway and to the southwest of Lea at grid reference SK318563. This settlement grew around the need for workers houses for the nearby mills. Lea Bridge was considered an ideal location for the mills due to the power source in the form of Bentley Brook which runs through the valley and into the river Derwent. The only one still operating is Smedleys, which to this day produces fine clothing. Lea Bridge has a small football pitch and a large pond, known by the locals as the "mill pitch" and the "mill pond" respectively.
[edit] Dethick
Smallest of the settlements, but perhaps with most interesting history is Dethick. Dethick shares its name with the Dethick family whose roots there can be traced with certainty to 1228 but who may well have been established there earlier. Historically the most notable family to be associated with Dethick are the Babingtons; Anthony Babington was executed for his leading role in a plot to rescue Mary I of Scotland from imprisonment by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England. It will be found at grid reference SK327580.
[edit] Accessibility
Although extremely rural, the parish has remained a popular place to live thanks to its relatively strong accessibility for such a small place. The towns of Alfreton, Belper, Matlock and Ripley are all just 15 minutes away. Derby, Chesterfield and Junction 28 of the M1 are also nearby, with journey times of around 25 minutes.
[edit] Facilities
The parish has two pubs, a grocers, a butchers, a village hall, a church, a chapel, a Primary school and many more facilities. The parish is able to receive ADSL Broadband, however, it does not receive Freeview or channel 5. There is a once-hourly bus route (the 140/141/142) that stops in Lea Bridge, Holloway and Leashaw and connects the Parish with Matlock, Belper, Ripley and Alfreton.
[edit] Tourist Attractions
The parish is home to three main tourist attractions. Firstly, the Coach House at Lea, which is a collection of farm buildings, converted to house an ice cream parlor, gift shop, restaurant, tea rooms and a limited amount of guest accommodation. The coach house is famous for its home-made jersey ice cream, which is available in a huge variety of flavors.
Secondly, Lea Gardens (also known as Lea Rhododendron Gardens for its extensive collection of this plant) is an open-air landscaped garden, which is open to the public during the summer months. At the entrance, there is also a small café with indoor & outdoor seating, as well as a plant shop selling a wide variety of species.
Thirdly, John Smedleys clothing mill has a factory outlet shop, selling the clothing that it makes at discount prices.
The parish is also very close to, but not linked with:
- Crich Tramway Village
- Cromford (Including the Mills, Canal and High Peak Trail
- Matlock Bath
- Matlock Garden Centre
- Riber Castle
