Dale Abbey, Ockbrook and Stanton-by-Dale, 23rd September 2018

The weather defied the forecast to encourage a good turnout (20) for this nine-mile, varied and undulating walk in countryside tucked in between the industrial areas of Derby and the Erewash Valley and taking in the three interesting villages of Ockbrook, Stanton-by-Dale and Dale Abbey itself.

The walk started with a visit to the Hermitage, a rock shelter carved out of the local sandstone in 1130 by a baker from Derby who lived there for 20 years, ...

... and continued across fields and through woods ...

... to reach Ockbrook and its impressive Moravian Settlement and school.

Moravian Chapel

In 1750 the Moravian Church, one of the oldest Protestant denominations in the world, established a settlement here, one of only three remaining in the country. The adjacent Ockbrook School was founded in 1799 by the Church.

Leaving Ockbrook we came upon the site where the Risley Park Lanx, a large Roman silver dish, was discovered in 1729. Subsequently lost, the Lanx re-emerged in the 1990s, as a supposed heirloom of the now-notorious art forger Shaun Greenhalgh and his family who made it in their garden shed gang in Bolton.  See here to read about this tale of fake or fortune, much more interesting than the ones on TV.

Over the hill to Stanton-by-Dale.

"The village gave its name to the world famous Stanton Ironworks whose blast furnaces and foundries dominated the valley below for over two centuries.  Founded in 1789 to produce pig iron and, later, iron pipes for water and gas mains, Stanton was the first in the world to produce spun iron pipes in 1921.  Its foundries supplied much of the tunnel linings for London Underground; bombs in World War II; roadway castings across the world.  Stanton joined French producer Saint-Gobain in 1985 creating the largest global iron pipe group in water pipelines.  Local production ceased in 2007 but major national distribution of modern iron pipe remained.At its peak in 1951 the famous company employed 10,000 mainly local people.  This plaque pays tribute to its historical place in British industry and to all those who worked there through the generations."

"Erected in commemoration of the beneficent reign of Queen Victoria, June 22nd 1897, the gift of the women of Stanton"

The route back skirted the site of the ironworks before visiting the remains of the Abbey. 

This was founded by Augustinian monks in 1162 from their previous home at Calke Abbey.  In 1539, the Act of Dissolution brought an end to almost four centuries of monastic life in the Dale.

The walk then went past All Saints Church ... 

... in Dale Abbey village before we retraced our steps through Hermit's Wood to the start.