Posts by
Bryan Smith
-
Catton Hall Visit
The origins and history of Catton are rich with stories of valour, intrigue, conquest, love and loss, much of it evoked by the many paintings in the Catton Collection. The Horton family and their descendants have been at Catton since 1405 when it was purchased from the descendants of the Norman Nigel D’Albini. He had…
-
-
The Swan Inn, Milton
Dating back to the early 18th Century The Swan has been at the centre of village life for over 200 years. Prior to 1821, much of Milton had been Harpur Crewe property, but in that year a large-scale exchange of land and property was agreed between Sir George Crewe 8th Bart. of Calke Abbey and…
-
Join the Ticknall Life Team
Ticknall Life community magazine depends heavily on the contributions of volunteer writers. Our magazine can only be sustained by the support and involvement of the volunteer community. But that’s fine – we do it for the community. We create articles for ourselves, for each other and for visitors, too. And – say it quietly –…
-
Derbyshire Village Websites in Focus
It was in April 2009 when our website was the subject of glowing praise from Tim Fletcher through the pages of the Burton Mail newspaper. We all felt proud when the website for our quiet little South Derbyshire village was compared with national newspaper portals being “packed with relevant, informative and up-to-date content.” Tim showered…
-
Royal Oak, Ticknall
Closed. Some history here? Another opportunity to do some interesting research. In the 18th C when the population of Ticknall was twice its present size, there were more pubs than there are today. But where was the Turks Head?
-
Ticknall Area Events Calendar
Include your Ticknall event or announcement here. All local events of all kinds, relating to all groups and organisations are included in this events calendar. Reviews of past Ticknall events can be found here.
-
Crown Inn, Ticknall
The featured image is a modern photo ©Ticknall Life of Springfield House Farm, which was once a Ticknall pub called ‘The Crown’ and is recorded as an ale house in 1846. Does anyone have any early pictures or other material for an article here? Another great topic to research and write up. Could this be…
-
Do They Have Someone in Mind?
Being a life-long jazz fan, I received an email from Derby Jazz today. It included this: (image) No hope for us then! Pity we live outside Belper! It matters little how capable, knowledgeable, experienced or enthusiastic you might be. Unless you are a young black female (or trans) addicted to social media living in or…
-
Situation
With a population of just 612 (2021), the parish of Ticknall is situated in the heart of England, just south of the River Trent, 9 miles from the city of Derby and is widely regarded as southern Derbyshire’s most attractive village. It is perhaps best known today for Calke Abbey which is the second-largest stately…
-
Village Location
We folks who live in and around the parish of Ticknall (well, most of us, anyway) have a rough idea where Ticknall Village is, but if you are not from the area, then this map should help you to place us. Looking for Calke Abbey? From the centre of Ticknall village, it’s right a bit…
-
Dame Catherine Harpur’s School
Dame Catherine Harpur’s School is on Rose Lane, Ticknall and is a flourishing rural school catering for children at foundation stage (3-5) key stage 1 (5-7) and key stage 2 (7-11). There is the facility for three class groups, each group not exceeding 15 children, with a maximum of eight children in the foundation stage…
-
Anchor Church and Knowle Hill
A circular walk from the village hall via Foremark, Anchor Church Caves, Ingleby and Knowle Hill. Start/Parking: Ticknall Village Hall.Distance: 6.25 miles.Terrain: Moderate.Refreshments: Village Shop Ticknall, John Thompson Inn, Ingleby.Pubs: Ticknall (3), and Ingleby (1).Public transport: Derby to Swadlincote Bus Service 69.Maps: Landranger 128 Derby and Burton; Explorer 245 – National Forest.
-
Submit your copy here.
Submitting content to Ticknall Life has never been easier! Just fill in your name, email and the title of your post. Choose a post tag (e.g. ‘News’). Type or paste your copy into the content box. If you have an image, use the ‘Browse’ button to choose the image on your computer. Hit ‘Submit Post’…
-
Ticknall Water Spouts
Visitors to Ticknall often ask about the cast iron water spouts that are seen in various places in the village. They were part of a public water supply installed on the instruction of Sir Vauncey Harpur-Crewe in 1914. The pillar fountains are Grade II Listed and were manufactured by Glenfield and Kennedy Ltd of Kilmarnock.…
-
New Year New Neighbourhood Watch?
With 2020 now upon us could this be time to start your next volunteering adventure? Neighbourhood Watch is the biggest and only formally recognised crime prevention organisation with a national membership of over 2.3 million members and co-ordinators who together with the police and other partners work together to reduce crime, the fear of crime…
-
Potted History
This old photo of the original Dexter’s Cottage was taken from the Limeyards immediately opposite the weighbridge office which is now part of the present Limeyards Stables and shows the main road servicing the Limeyards. More about the Dexter family. The old village of Tichenhalle is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and probably existed from…
-
Well done Ticknall!
Thanks to great community support, Ticknall Life has won strong praise from the Webwatch column in the Burton Mail, out today. This is what Tim Fletcher, who writes their excellent column, had to say:- “Most village websites are relatively small-scale, low-tech affairs. Not Ticknall’s. The South Derbyshire village boasts a highly impressive site “Ticknall Life”…
-
Contributors
A page dedicated to our valued contributors. Shown below are authors who have contributed more than one post.
-
And the winner is . . .
A decade of dedication to the community by Mary Magson and her team of Ticknall Luncheon Club volunteers has been recognised in the South Derbyshire Community Awards. The South Derbyshire Community Awards is an initiative to recognise and celebrate the good work done for the community by volunteers, voluntary groups and local businesses. After a…
-
Using the Defibrillator
There is a defibrillator installed on the north face (the main car park side) of the Village Hall. If you have an emergency which you think may need the defibrillator, please follow the procedure below. Telephone 999 immediately. The operator will take details and send an ambulance. (Meanwhile, send someone to the village hall to…
-
Ticknall Limeyards
The Thringstone Fault crosses the parish of Ticknall from east to west, separating the Coal Measures clays to the south from the upthrust Carboniferous Limestone to the north. Other outliers of limestone occur at Calke, Dimminsdale, Breedon and Cloud Hill, but otherwise limestone is fairly rare in the area. The Romans were well aware that…
-
Ticknall Life – be a part of it!
You can be a part of Ticknall Life community magazine by enjoying the content, sharing with friends and – best of all – producing and updating your own Ticknall articles or posting items of community news and forthcoming events.
-
Will You Become a Victim of Crime?
Please consider your security methods to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime. It can only take a moment to be targeted by an opportunist thief. Offenders are after items that they can pass on quickly & without being traced. Money is the most desirable, so make sure you keep it safe, but…
-
Lunch Club Christmas festivities 2018
Today more than 50 diners sat down to a festive meal of canapes, turkey and ‘pigs in blankets’ with roast potatoes and a selection of vegetables followed by christmas pudding (ceremoniously delivered to the tables with a musical accompaniment), chocolates, and coffee. Everyone was in good spirits as befits the season – not least because…
-
John Oliver Remembers
The Cruiser HMS Neptune sank with the loss of 764 officers and men on the night of 19 December 1941. Just one man was rescued by an Italian torpedo boat, after 5 days in the water. Among those missing presumed dead was John Olivers brother, 20 year old Thomas Oliver. The boat went down as…
-
Contact Ticknall Life
If you have a comment that would be of interest to other readers of Ticknall Life community magazine, please use the comments facility. To send a message directly to the editor please use this form.
-
Ticknall Village Trail
The Trail starts from the car park at Ticknall Village Hall [35]. The Village Hall was built in 1992 and is, with its gardens, a credit to such a small village. It may be convenient to break the walk into two parts or to cut it short where indicated along the road to Ashby de…
-
Signal blockers to prevent car theft
This week we received the message below from Neighbourhood Watch concerning a high-tech but quick and simple method used in car theft. If you own a modern car that identifies the presence of your keys by radio, you may be vulnerable. People who own cars with locks that depend on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology…
-
John and Rosemary at the National Arboretum
The 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Neptune Association was held at the National Arboretum at Alrewas. Captain Craig Mearns from the Clyde Naval Base HMS Neptune attended and the meeting concentrated on the search for and discovery of the wreck of the Neptune. A service was held for HMS Neptune and HMS Kandahar at…
-
In the beginning . . .
Having spent about ten years developing the derelict stables at the limeyards, we found ourselves with empty bedrooms and empty bank accounts – perfect conditions for the emergence of a bed and breakfast business. But how to get it off the ground without spending a small fortune on advertising and commissions? Obviously (even in the…
-
From Toronto to Ticknall for Janes Ancestry
Canadians Jane Roberts and husband Malcolm are in Ticknall exploring the places where Janes ancestors lived and worked in the days when beer, bricks, malt, pottery, coal, lime, bread, tailoring, education and veterinary services (to name but a few) were all sourced locally. Janes ancestors include two prominent locals Rowland Ordish and William Garrard who…
-
Publications
The Ticknall Preservation and Historical Society, a voluntary non-profit-making group, have available a number of publications devoted to the economic and social history of the area. Most of these are usually available from the bookstall at the monthly meeting of the Society, usually held on the last Friday of each month in Ticknall Village Hall,…
-
The Wheel Inn, Ticknall
Perhaps most peoples favourite Ticknall pub some years ago, it has now been closed for some time. Time will tell if it can survive. If you become the proprietor of the Wheel Inn, please get in touch so that we can update this page for you. By the way, just in case you were wondering,…
-
The Trouble with Democracy
Democracy. What other system of government could you even think of? We Brits love our parliamentary democracy and we are fiercely proud of our ‘Mother of Parliaments’, a model of democratic government that has been exported over much of the world. However, few of us would argue with Winston Churchills assertion that “Democracy is the…
-
Ticknall Tramway – The Video
The Ticknall Tramway was a primitive form of horse tramway which was born in the Canal Age and survived long into the Railway Age. For a distance of 8 miles, it wound its way through the rural areas of North Leicestershire and South Derbyshire. As much of this area is woodland or pasture, many remains…