Stanton in the Peak is situated in Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, and is an attractive village lying on a steep and winding road below Stanton moor commanding some fine views towards north Derbyshire.
Its narrow alleyways give it an intimate atmosphere. There are some fine 17th and 18th century cottages. One, called Holly House, opposite the pub, still has 8 of its 14 windows blocked, which was done to avoid the window tax of 1697. The pub, called the Flying Childers is named after a champion race horse owned by the 4th duke of devonshire.
The initials WPT can be seen over the doorways of some cottages. They stand for William Paul Thornhill of Stanton Hall. The Thornhill family have been local landlords for generations and erected the prominant local landmark on the eastern edge of the moor known as Earl Grey Tower after the man responsible for the pasing of the reform bill in 1832.
The parish church of the Holy Trinity dates from 1889 and contains a bronze italian holy water stoop, dated 1596, and frm the workshops of Balini. There are also memorials to the Thornhill family.
Stanton Moor |
Stanton by Dale |
Stanton by Dale |
Stanton by Dale |
Stanton moor |
Stanton moor |
Stanton moor |
Stanton Moor, rising 1096 feet above sea and overlooking the village, is a strangely isolated gritstone outcrop in the heart of limestone country and is one of the richest prehistoric sites in derbyshire. It is a relativly small area but has some great rocky outcrops, silver birch trees, bracken and heather, and makes fine walking.
There are numerous tumuli dotted on the moorland and several stone circles, the most famous of which is the `nine ladies`.The nine ladies` is not really a stone circle but the remains of a huge barrow with the earth removed. The 9 stones still stand with a further stone, the king stone, situated some 40 metres away. Legend has it that one sunday 9 ladies and a fiddler came up to the moor to dance and for this act of sacriliege they were all stoned to stone.
Look out for Cork Stone, Cat Stone and Andle Stone, huge blocks of gritstone, with with Cork and Andle having metal rungs and footholes to aid climbers getting to the top.
Nearby, Rowter Rocks contain caves, one of which was home to a local eccentric, the Rev Thomas Eyre who died in 1717. Also in the area is an iron age hillfort known as Castle Rigg.
The parish of stanton also includes the hamlets of Stanton Lees, Pilhough and Congreave, which mainly consist of small farms.
