In 1086 Muggington village had a priest, church and a mill. It belonged to Henry de Ferrers and was held under him by Ketel or Chetal, from whose name, the place names of both Kedleston and Chatsworth are derived. Since then the population has remained pretty static. It is situated approximately 7 miles north of Derby and can be reached by turning right at Brailsford and going through Mercaston.
Nowadays, it still has a church, called All Saints, parts of which possily date back to the domesday book, namely the west wall in the nave, in which there is an 11th century window above a later 12th century arch. Both the window and the arch were bricked up and white washed over, as an economy measure in 1770, and rediscovered during restoration which involved the removal of a west gallery in 1897.
The west tower, shortish but conspicuous because of its hilltop position, is largely Norman of the mid 12th century.
The pews in the south aisle use to be reserved for the exclusive use of worshippers from nearby Mercaston. A chantry chapel called the Kniveton chapel contains an alabaster alter tomb surmounted by the wonderfully preserved brasses of Sir Nicholas Kniveton Of Mercaston Halland his first wife Joanna. The hollow yew tree in the church yard is over 1000 years old.
Some distance from the church is Halter Devil Chapel, a small building, built onto the side of a house. Its origins concern a man called Francis Brown who lived in the early 18th century. In a drunken state, he decided to ride to Derby one dark night. Having secured his horse, he discovered that the animal had horns and concluded it must be the devil. The shock made him senseless. On recovering, so great was his alarm that he stayed sober for ever more and built a chapel in 1723, which he endowed at his death-Halter Devil Chapel. He had haltered a cow in his fuddled state.
The primary school, situated close to the church, was under threat of closure in 1990 when the school roll had falled down to 11, but was saved at the last minute and serves the children from a large rural area. The date 1840 is on the otside of the building but it is thought that the original school was established in 1746 as a church school, funded by Samuel and Ann Pole, for `teaching poor children the English Language and catechism of the Church of England`.
The village has local cricket and football pitches, situated slightly out of the village at Muggington Lane End.
The pub, called the Cock Inn, looks as though it was built to catch passing trade rather than service the village. It seems to stand in rather an isolated spot. The pub has been closed for some time now.
Weston Underwood
Weston Underwood adjoins the Kedleston estate and is the centre of an agricultural community. It is seperated from Muggington by 12 acres of agricultural land and the Cutler Brook which after reinforcement from Mercaston Brook, bisects Kedleston Park and becomes Markeaton Brook on its final stage to join the river Derwent at Derby.
There a shop and a sub post office in the village and some smart new houses have transformed the appearance of the village in the last 25 years. Its population of around 200 is just slightly less than a century ago when the Curzons of Kedleston owned all of Weston and much of Muggington. There is a large prestressed concrete works nearby which provides some local employment.
