HIGH PEAK PARISH #15 OF 22: CHISWORTH
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#Chisworth, #HighPeak, #Glossop, #Derbyshire, #Mills, #Chapels, #Collieries, #Pits, #Woods, #WWII, #BoerWar, #Rivers, #Pubs,
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Bleach Works:
https://her.derbyshire.gov.uk/Monument/MDR12199
Kinder Lee Mill:
https://glossopheritage.co.uk/ghtarchive/lostmills08a/
Methodist Chapel:
https://glossopheritage.co.uk/ghtarchive/chischurches/
https://her.derbyshire.gov.uk/Monument/MDR12283
Demographics:
https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastmidlands/admin/high_peak/E04002846__chisworth/
Rightmove:
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/chisworth.html
Some of the following music tracks may appear in this video:
Brendan Perkins – “Foxsnow” (B. Perkins)
Brendan Perkins – “Mickey’s House” (B. Perkins)
The Keyhouse – “Voices” (H. Flunder)
The Keyhouse – “Circles” (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder – “Sun” (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder – “Angels” (H. Flunder)
Helen Flunder – “C Song” (H. Flunder)
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He’s the village in it with a map and a plan. No place too tiny for this determined man. Crossing the counties one by one. You’ll see in every English corner a bit of history. The High Peak Series is sponsored by Gainesburgh Cycles 01427-617752. For all your cycling needs, this is your one-stop shop located at 20 Roper Road, Gainsburgh or online at gainsbrcycles.com. There’s a link in the description. Gainsburgh Cycles. Ask for Trevor Halstead. Welcome back to High Peak again, everybody. I’ve got two more for you this weekend. Now, behind me there, you can see a very impressive chapel, but that is certainly not the most important building in this little place. And I use little because it’s the smallest one left in High Peak. Now, this it’s certainly got some interesting landmarks, though. Let’s go and find them. This is [Music] Chisworth Chisworth gravel enclosure this weekend we’re taking on two more parishes in the extreme northwest of Darbashier. There are just eight left in High Peak now and I reckon these two are among the best that remain. Today we’re in Chisworth, a small hamlet just to the south of Charlesworth that lies 3 mi away from Glossup. Even though it’s a small one, Chisworth was very industrious in the 19th century. It had a huge for its size population which stretched as high as 409 at one point. Living in Chisworth at that time, the likelihood was that you were working in either one of the mills, its bleach works, or potentially its littleknown collery called Alma Culpit. The largest of the mills still stands today, named Kinderly Mill. It was built to make yarn and string and was initially owned by JH Ratcliffe. In more recent times, it was sold to Jacksons of Bradford, who used it to weave belting. In 2008, the mill was converted to residential use, but the outer shell of the industrial giant is still a brilliant reminder of how life used to be in this valley. Smaller mills included whole house which made rope and twine and then there was chew wood which had a military connection. It used overflow water from the collray to dye khaki cloth for soldiers uniforms in the bore war. The village itself has a limited number of features beyond its industrial ones. There is a Methodist chapel though as well as a pub called the hunter in both cited on the A626 which is the main road passing through the hamlet. Well, TVI is about to pass through the hamlet himself. Let’s have a wander and see what Chisworth has in store for us [Music] all. We start our walk on the A626, the main road that passes through Chisworth between Charlessworth and the border of Darbisha and Greater Manchester. To the south and west is Marple within the boundaries of Stockport. First up on this relatively short walk is the Methist Chapel, which sits almost all on its own in the eastern reaches of the village. The earliest record of a Methodist service in Chisworth was one conducted by a Mrs. Potter. This supposedly took place in a large room at a factory in 1819. The factory in question still stands and we’ll see it shortly. A chapel was then opened on this site in 1833, although for a short time services were held in it before it had any windows or pews. The official opening is therefore recorded as October 1835. The building you see here today isn’t the original. It had been the intention of its trustees to renovate the chapel by elevating the roof, putting in new windows, and repairing the interior. However, upon taking the roof off, the walls were found to be in such a bad condition that it was easier to tear it all down and start again. Rebuilt from the foundations, the new chapel opened in 1890. Presently, it has a seating capacity for 280 people. It also has an associated day school which was enhanced greatly by the building of a new infants building opened next door in 1911. [Music] Where you going? [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] So, according to a little sign which I’ve just passed. This is the Chisworth Village Garden which is a lovely little peaceful spot. And you wouldn’t know by sitting in this that this was once a very industrial little village. Well, now we’re going to prove that it was because there are several buildings around Chisworth which show its heritage, shall we say. From the garden, if you were to head down this road here, which is a very steep road down into a valley, you’d come to a big mill. In fact, you can just about see the mill there. That’s Kinderly Mill. Let’s go and check it out. Here’s the factory where that first Methodist service took place in 1819. This is the huge Kinderly Mill, built in 1804. Today it’s a block of apartments, but it was originally the largest industrial building in Chisworth designed to make yarn thread and bout, which is a type of string. It was owned by JH Ratcliffe, who later sold it to the Robottom family. Along with the plats and the roads, the Robottoms were one of the last cotton dynasties in the Glossup area, owning seven mills at their peak. Mills were prevalent throughout the Lee Valley, where both Chisworth and Charlessworth lie. Very little is known about many of the Lee Valley mills. Kinderly was the first to be built in 1804 and the rest followed within 15 years. Although they were massive and employed a number of locals, they had some serious flaws. Perhaps their biggest was their location. The Lee Valley Mills were a long way from railway stations. Constricted sites and high transport costs meant they couldn’t compete directly with the spinning mills in Glossub. Most developed other specialtities, therefore lots of them made cotton driving bands or ropes if there was room for a rope walk. Indeed, Chisworth had a mill that was designed for rope and twine production. Again, owned by the Robbotoms, it was called Whole House Mill, and it was located behind the Methodist Chapel. Rope was important to the mills. From the 1860s on, most new mills use rope for the primary drive for the engine to the line shafts, and as such, Hull House was a major supplier to the industry. Mills were doubtless incredibly important to the area, but there were several accidents and disasters. In 1929, for example, Hull House suffered two fires within 6 months. Despite that, the building still stands, albeit off limits to the public. Devastating the industrial activity of Chisworth the most, though, was a freak of nature. In 1930, Kindle was severely damaged by a flood caused by a cloud burst. It wre havoc across Chisworth. So much so that Kinderly’s business slumped and it eventually went bankrupt. That resulted in its sale to Jackson of Bradford, who used it to weave belting. Behind Kinderly Mill is the former site of Lee Valley Bleach Works. The locals knew it as the bone mill. It burnt down in 1917 and although it was rebuilt, it never worked again. It too was associated with spinning because it made Gan cotton for the war. Although the buildings have been demolished, a mil pond still survives. The site though remains undeveloped. [Music] Okay, so we’re on a foot path now which runs around the back of Kindle Mill and it’s climbing a hill into Chew Wood which on the map you look at it and you think, “Oh, it’s not all that important. Trust me, it is. We’ll find out why in a moment. You can see the sight of the bleach works here. If I just turn the camera around and show you. Looks a little bit overgrown and very uh very spoiled and not cared for, shall we say. But that is where the bleach works behind Kindle Mill. So, let’s continue up this path and into Chewwood. Now, this has a little tale to tell as well. This is chew wood, a small cops which separates Kinderly Mill from another industrial area. These woods themselves have seen industrial activity in the past. In 1921, there was a coal strike. During it, local men from Glossup had some moderate success digging for coal right here in Chew Wood. Coal had been mined in Chisworth on a small scale for years beforehand, but not here. The main pit was elsewhere in the village, and we’ll get to that later. Chew wood was associated more with mills than mining. Anyway, by passing through this wood, we’re heading for the site of Chewwood Mill. [Music] Yeah, not the flattest and smoothest way through those woods, but very enchanting, I thought, with that nice little stream running all the way through the middle. Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. Now, at the end of the footpath, you come to another set of buildings which have a connection to the various mills that were around here at one time. We’re standing at the site of Chewwood Mill. It no longer stands, though. Chewwood Mill no longer stands, but these houses here on the edge of the wood still bear the Chewwood name. The mill was built in 1795 and it was powered by water taken from the overflow at Chisworth Collure. It was managed by the Robotton family for 99 years. Chew wood was different to Kinderly and whole house though. Although it was originally a carding and scrubbing mill for wool and employed 14 children and women, it was much better known for what it was to become in 1899. During the bore war, chew wood was used to dye khaki cloth for soldiers uniforms. In the same way as Kinder Lee, it was badly flooded in 1930. The water destroyed equipment at the mill severely enough that it never reopened. Chew wood arguably suffered the worst effects of the flood. It was the only mill of the three that had to be demolished as a result of the disaster. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Now we’re back on the A626 and we’re making our way back to the start. There is one final landmark to see between here and the end though and that’s the Hunter in. This is the only pub in Chisworth, but it’s not the original. The first Hunter Inn closed in 2011 and the site has been rebuilt with a new version, a single room modern style pub that opened in July 2015. Although somewhat smaller than the original, its reopening was a welcome return for the locals. [Music] [Music] [Music] Okay, nearly all the way around. All that’s left really on this walk is to head back towards the car and the chapel, which you can see in the distance down there. Very simple, easy little walk, but you have to be prepared for the hills in Chewwood if you follow my exact footsteps. Now, we are not quite finished with this parish just yet because you might think that that is all there is to Chisworth Village. Well, effectively it is. But we’ve been walking around the new version of Chisworth. You see, when this road was built, which we’re currently on right now, it kind of changed the landscape a little bit, and it left the old part of Chisworth marooned on a hillside somewhere over there behind all of these trees. What we’re going to do now is we’re going to drive along this road and explain what happened and see what’s in higher Chisworth, which is what the old part is now known as. [Music] As we’ve learned, this was an industrial landscape scarred by coal mines and with no less than 14 cotton mills across the Charlesworth and Chisworth area. Despite that, you could so easily pass through Chisworth today on the A626 and be blissfully unaware of any of it. Ironically though, had it not been for the mills and the mines, Chisworth as we know it today would not exist. The houses were all built as a result of the industrial activity. It was a new village which grew up along the old turnpike, leaving the original Chisworth village marooned on the hillside above. I tell you what, people, it’s warm today. The the hat’s gone, the hoodiey’s gone. We’re down to the shorts and t-shirt now. should make the next episode interesting. Excuse the hair, by the way. I’ve been uh needing a haircut for quite quite quite a while and uh I haven’t had one yet, so probably looks a bit messy. Anyway, I digress. We have made it to Higher Chisworth and as you can see here, it doesn’t look like a lot of much. It’s basically just a bit of scenery, bit of greenery, few uh sheep in that field over there, and a few old industrial buildings. Well, this has got more to tell you than you might think. Up here, coal was once mined. This might not look like anything greatly special, but this area of Chisworth was a hive of activity at one time. The hilly area you can see here is the location of Chisworth Collure, which was alternatively known as the Alma Cull Pit. Cited at the junction of Sandy Lane and a small unnamed track. Its loading bay was located at the wide paved part of the road and a small brick building opposite was its weighing machine box. The pit closed towards the end of the 20th century when it struck an underground stream and was flooded. The stream runs down a tunnel opposite Sandy Lane Farm. Chisworth is probably one of the last places around here you might think of when it comes to coal mining, but Alma employed a lot of miners. It was one of the deepest pits in the area with its winding shaft extending to some 120 yard deep. Now capped, you can barely tell coal was mined here at all. Although coal was plentiful around Chisworth, a lot of it was poor quality. Now before we wrap Chisworth up, there is one other thing that falls within the boundaries which needs its own segment. A ways south of the village is an ancient monument which the locals know as Robin Hood’s picking rods. They’re a pair of cross shafts described by historic England as a wayside cross and a boundary cross. They sit beside a bridal way at the southern extremity of the parish and are thought to be Anglo-Saxon in date. Nearby is a cup and ring marked rock likely to date from the Bronze Age. The picking rods are not big, but it is difficult to pass by them without noticing them. For a start, they stand in the line of a muddy track which is forced to loop around them. They’re obviously the work of man, unlike some other ancient standing stones which look as though they could be accidents of nature. Nature though could not have carved these round pillars with their sockets in the base stone. They have always been in Darbasher. However, in 1936 the boundary between Darbasher and Cheshure was redrawn. Previously, the boundary had followed the river Ethro and river Goit down in the bottom of the valley, but it was moved up to the moors and hilltops. Ydsley and Taxel were transferred from Cheshire to Darbashier, balanced by Mela and Ludworth from Darbisha to Cheshire. These stones stand on the edge of Lworth Moore, marking a corner of the revised county boundary. They’re still located on a county boundary, although these days it’s between Darbasher and Greater Manchester following the reorganizations in 1974. And that’s that for Chisworth. Not the biggest village in Darbasher, you’ll agree, but certainly one of the most industrious. Life in Chisworth is nothing like what it used to be. It’s now a peaceful rural gem on the border with Greater Manchester, but still proudly shows the remnants of its past if you know where to look. Next up, we have a village that’s famous for a lot of reasons. It has a cricket club that wouldn’t exist had it not been for a TV icon, Captain Manoring from Dad’s Army. Join me tomorrow to discover why. [Music] In 300 y, turn right onto News Road. Take the next right onto New Mills Road. [Music] Now, just before I go, remember this video is part of a huge project to visit every civil parish in England. That’s more than 10,000. These routes are pre-planned, and due to time constraints, I can’t cover every detail or walk down every street. Please don’t complain if this video missed something out. I pronounce names how I choose to. I am very aware that local dialect may vary and I don’t take kindly to criticism about this. You’ve been warned. It’s impossible to know everything, too. If this video was terrible, make your own. If you’re a regular watcher of the Village Idiot, you’re not the only one. If you’ve got a small business, why not use my videos to advertise it? Leave a comment below if you’re interested. And finally, thanks for watching this episode, everybody. Give us a like and a subscribe if you’ve enjoyed this episode and share it with your friends and relatives. It all helps to keep this mission going. Until next time, I’ve been Andy, also known as the Village Idiot, and I’m out. [Music]