In 1812 a group of Methodists gathered in Greenstile cottage, the home of the Marsden family, to worship.  Then in 1829 two cottages were purchased for the  grand sum of £8  from the Harpur-Crewe family of Calke Abbey (S>Derbyshire) and  the present  WENSLEY CHAPEL was built, with  alterations  being  made  in 1879 resulting in the building as we see it today.

 

Back down the hill the lovely house on the left opposite Wensley Hall used to be the old Post Office. The last post office sadly finished business in the Square some years ago.

 

On the Green at the rear of Wensley Hall is the site of the group of buildings which surrounded the old Manor; around 1600 the home of the de Wendesley family.

It is said that a ruinous house was found on the site of the present Manor Farm and cottage around 1810.

WENSLEY HALL was part of this group of buildings and the Wall family who were lead merchants lived here from 1664 to the end of the 18th century. The tomb of the Walls can be found at  St.Helen's at North Darley. Mr.Wall died in the 1780's and left the Hall  to the Reverend  Gresley who was Rector of a parish in  Somerset; a monument to him is at Birchover Chapel. He in turn left it to relatives by the name of Southern who then sold up to the Allsopp's  -Barmasters at Wirksworth Barmote Court; they lived here until the 1870's.

 

Down on past Toll Bar Cottage on the left, although the original Toll Bar stood on the site of  the allotments opposite Forge Cottage and outbuildings once  a  nailmaker's workshop.

 

Bearing right, you pass the houses of the aptly named St. Mary's View, built in 1934.

 

 

 

This file was created by D.Willmott Sept 2000, revised Dec 2003 E-Mail to the Author