Elton, Derbyshire

Elton

Elton village
Elton
 Elton shown within Derbyshire
Population 397 (Parish, 2011)[1]
OS grid referenceSK221609
DistrictDerbyshire Dales
Shire countyDerbyshire
RegionEast Midlands
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Matlock
Postcode district DE4
Dialling code 01629
Police Derbyshire
Fire Derbyshire
Ambulance East Midlands
EU Parliament East Midlands
UK ParliamentWest Derbyshire
List of places
UK
England
Derbyshire

Coordinates: 53°08′42″N 1°40′12″W / 53.145°N 1.670°W / 53.145; -1.670

Elton is a village in central Derbyshire, England and lies within the Peak District. There are no shops situated in the village (nearest is in Winster, 1.2 miles (1.9 km)) but Elton has a small post office, church, school, village hall and a sports field. Its nearest towns are Bakewell and Matlock. Elton was mentioned in the Domesday book in 1086 when it was owned by Henry de Ferrers.[2]

Elton is situated on a hillside overlooking a rock formation known as Robin Hood's Stride. It lies on the division between gritstone and limestone countryside and there are examples of buildings and walls constructed with both types of stone in the village. It is a popular destination for cyclists and tourists looking for a quiet and relaxing time in the countryside away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.

Since its elevation is 271 metres/890 feet above sea level, it isn't sheltered from the wind as well as communities of lower elevation are, and it therefore has a reputation for being cold. The highest point on Elton Moor, known as Blake Low is 330 metres/1,083 feet above sea level; at this location is Elton Common Trig Point (TP3057). This area of Elton Moor offers spectacular views on a clear day. There is an interpretation information board here that explains how the landscape has changed from the past mining activities and points out what effect this has had on a scarred adjacent field. It shows notable points of the Peak District that can be seen from this viewpoint, including Kinder Scout and Mam Tor, some considerable distance away. It states how this is one of the best viewpoints of the Peak District.

The area used to be known for lead mining. An Iron Age fort, Castle Ring, is near the village.

Sport

Elton boasts a playing field, which doubles up as a football field for the football season, and a cricket field for the cricket season. Elton Cricket Club (ECC) has a strict policy that only villagers may join the team. In more recent times Elton's team have enjoyed success having finished twice runners up in the Longstone League and Orme Shield thanks to the performances of Andrew Cooper and Alan Dakin. Elton Football Club (EFC) was re-vamped in 2004, but struggled until Billy Lester took over as player/manager in 2006. In Lester's reign the club has risen from division 8 to division 4 of the Chesterfield Sunday League, winning the division 7 title in 2008 and the Hutson Cup in 2007 with a 5-0 win over Palterton at Chesterfield FC's Saltergate stadium. The 2008/09 season has seen Elton's 2 year unbeaten home record taken and a Derbyshire Junior Cup semi-final appearance, which saw a 4-1 defeat to Harpur Hill.

Public transport

Hulleys of Baslow provide a bus service (route 172), linking the Elton and surrounding villages to the towns of Bakewell and Matlock. There are a total of 9 journeys to Matlock and 8 to Bakewell (Monday - Saturday). The village has seen an improvement to daytime services, generally at hourly intervals, although in recent years, council funded evening and bank holiday services have been completely withdrawn.

There has been no Sunday service for many years.

Tourism

The Duke of York Inn

The Limestone Way, a long-distance ancient trade route which lies just to the east of the village, and the many footpaths leading to and from Elton make it a popular place for hikers. Elton also attracts a large number of cyclists, particularly at the weekends, with events regularly routed through the village.

The 19th century Duke of York is a Grade II listed public house public house.[3] The unchanged interior from the 1940s makes the "Duke" as it known locally, a tourist attraction in its own right. It is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.[4]

School

Elton C of E Primary School was built in the Victorian times. It is known for its surprisingly small number of students, usually not exceeding 40 for the whole school. Over recent years the interior has been refurbished with modern equipment and furniture. At the end of primary school life, most students will move to Highfields School in Matlock, or sometimes Lady Manners School in Bakewell.

The school is currently undergoing extension into the old School House, next door which will allow extra equipment to be bought including a second kitchen to enable children to learn more about food and cooking and encourage healthy eating.

References

  1. ↑ "Neighbourhood Statistics". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Domesday Book: A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 2003. ISBN 0-14-143994-7 p.744
  3. ↑ Historic England. "Duke of York Inn, Elton (1109381)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Brandwood, Geoff (2013). Britain's best real heritage pubs. St. Albans: CAMRA. p. 31. ISBN 9781852493042.

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