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© Pentrich Historical Society 2000-2007

Updated Friday, 08 June, 2007

Web site maintained by Helen Wilson

<<Home  <<Site Map  <<Pentrich History  >>‘The Landscape of Pentrich’ by Barry Lewis

Barry has a web site regarding ‘Peak District Tours’, as Barry now offers archaeological, historical and landscape tours of the Peak District National Park;

see http://www.peakdistrict-tours.co.uk for full details.

Barry Lewis explores

‘THE LANDSCAPE OF PENTRICH’

Article originally published in ‘Derbyshire Life’ magazine; February 2000.

Transcription supplied & by kind permission of Barry Lewis BA (Hons) MA FRGS © Feb 2006

Barry also has a site regarding the ‘Wessington & Brackenfield Archaeological Project’

       First recorded in 1087, Pentrich was the more eminent of the two hamlets of Ripley and Pentrich right up until the Industrial Revolution, when it was superseded by Ripley; because of this Pentrich remains a quiet rural backwater, largely unchanged since later medieval times.

       Pentrich is blessed in having largely escaped the ravages of the Industrial Revolution and its hunger for coal to fuel factories. This has meant that aspects of its landscape archaeology have been preserved in a way that is rare in this corner of East Derbyshire.

      The Roman Road, Rykneld Street, runs within a few hundred metres to the west of the village. It behaves for much of its course like an ancient ridgeway; a straight road prehistoric in origin that follows the crests and ridges of hills for much of its course. At an archaeological excavation carried out at Castle Hill, Pentrich, in 1909 a prehistoric flint tool was discovered and more recently at excavations in Chesterfield, evidence of prehistoric activity has been recovered; suggesting that there must have been some form of road communication in-place long before the Romans.

       After the Norman Conquest the first stone building was erected in Pentrich. This was the church of St. Matthew’s, which was built during the reign of King Stephen (1135-1154). The architecture of this period can still be seen in the form of Norman arches and the great thickness of the walls in the lower part of the tower.

Photo by Barry Lewis © Feb 2006

       Other evidence of the Norman period has been built into later additions to the church in the form of some reused 12th century grave slabs that were used as lintels for 14th century windows. These five lintels are easily identified as they bear crosses, or parts of crosses on their surfaces.

       In the fields to the rear of the church are several lumps and bumps; amongst which fairly distinctive doughnut-shaped earthworks can be identified. These are the remnants of bell-pit workings (for coal), which date to the late medieval/early post-medieval, period (1600 to 1700). Signs of ridge and furrow are also present, as are the linear banks of long removed field boundaries. In a field to the south there are two more linear banks, which terminate at two oak trees. There are more bell-pit workings in this field as well as an unusual pond feature, which may in some way be associated with these coal workings.

       The layout of strip fields, which radiate off the axis of Pentrich, are still recognisable as being medieval. On a map, in the care of the Devonshire collection (*1), dates to the 1580’s, one can see the layout of Pentrich and its strip fields has changed very little since then. Field boundaries that were already ‘old’ by the end of the 16th century have been ‘fossilized’ ever since.

       The name ‘Pentrich’ is very old, a primitive Welsh place-name which dates to a fairly brief period of topographical naming from around 550 to 700 AD, and means ‘hill of the boar’. Nearby Crich, also has a primitive Welsh place-name meaning ‘hill’ and there is no doubt that a long-standing link exists between Pentrich & Crich. Just a few hundred metres to the northwest of Pentrich at ‘Castle Hill’ there are the remains of a Roman fortlet, indicating some form of interaction with local people, perhaps with those occupying a small farmstead in the vicinity of Pentrich. Crich was an important lead mining area during the Roman occupation and was somewhat off the beaten track. However, it has recently been pointed out to me that there is a section of track, which is now a farm track and bridle way, in the Wingfield Park area known to some as ‘Street Lane’. This small section of track can be easily joined to other paths, tracks and lanes to form a direct route between Crich and Pentrich. Local field-names strengthen this argument.

The Roman fortlet at Pentrich is easily accessible to the walker and is a place well worth visiting, if only for the splendid views of the Amber and Derwent valleys. There is also a sense of being in on an ancient secret here, with all the layers of the landscape’s history peeling away before you.

Also see postcard of St. Matthews Church interior c.1940

(Above) St. Matthews church ... Much of the nave is the original Norman construction, as are parts of the south aisle and the base of the tower. The clerestories, chancel, porch, north aisle, tower and the windows of the south aisle date to the 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th centuries.

References

(*1)  ‘Devonshire Collection’; part of archives held at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire.

Also see - >>Pentrich History - Page 1  >>Page 2  >>Page 3  >>Page 4

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