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 Hallto the
ReverendGresley 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 oppositeForge 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.
