Fenny Bentley is a small village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

located close to

Dovedale Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District of England. The land is owned by the National Trust and attracts a million visitors annually. The valley was cut by the River Dove and runs for just over between Milldale in the north and a wooded ...

in the

Derbyshire Dales Derbyshire Dales ( ) is a local government district in Derbyshire, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 71,116. Much of it is in the Peak District, although most of its population lies along the River Derwent. The borough borders ...

district of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, England. The population in 2009 was 305 reducing to 183 at the 2011 Census. It lies two miles north of Ashbourne, on the A515

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level. It is one of the most southerly villages in the

Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, whe ...

History

Records show that a settlement has existed at Fenny Bentley since being mentioned in The

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

in 1086, when it was known as Benedlege. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, with much of the available historical data that provides information on the village being associated with the church and the information recorded here. The introduction of the

census in the United Kingdom Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 (during the Second World War), Ireland in 1921/Northern Ireland in 1931,https://www.nisra.gov. ...

in 1801 means that more consistent information on the parish and how it has developed over time is now available. The population of the village has fluctuated slightly since the 19th century, with a peak in 1841 of 343 people living there.
Derbyshireuk.net (2011) ''Fenny Bentley village in Derbyshire England''- Information and photographs from Fenny Bentley. nlineAvailable at: http://www.derbyshireuk.net/fenny.html ccessed: 23 April 2012.

St Edmund's Church

Located in the centre of the village, St Edmunds is an Anglican church that has been heavily restored since being built. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, which show that Fenny Bentley was one of six chapelries attached to

St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne St Oswald's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Ashbourne, in the county of Derbyshire, England. Background The church is named after Oswald of Northumbria. A brass plaque in the chapel on the south side of the church co ...

Derbyshireheritage.co.uk (2012). ''St Edmund's Church at Fenny Bentley.'' nlineAvailable at: http://www.derbyshireheritage.co.uk/Menu/Buildings/Churches/St-Edmunds.php ccessed: 22 April 2012]. The north aisle was added in 1850, and in 1864, the spire was added to the original tower. It has seating for around 200 people. Some interesting features of the building are its 16th-century traceried screens as well as the

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...

Beresford tomb located there, which holds the bodies of Sir Thomas Beresford, his wife Agnes and their 21 children, all shrouded.

Beresford family name

Sir Thomas Beresford, who died in 1473, is buried with his family in St Edmunds Church in the village. They were from a prolific family who lived in the area for generations, and owned much of the property and land there. It is suggested that everyone with the surname Beresford is descended from them and there are still reunions held in Fenny Bentley every spring as it is now the meeting place for the Beresford Family Society.

Cherry Orchard Farm

Cherry Orchard farm is located opposite St Edmunds Church. Previously known as Bentley Hall, it was once the home of the Beresford Family and at the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th century it was the home of Thomas Beresford as well as his wife and children.

Tattersall Cotton Mill

Many of the residents of Fenny Bentley in the past worked at Tattersell Cotton Mill, which was located in Woodeaves, a nearby hamlet approximately 1 mile from Fenny Bentley. The mill was built in 1784 by John Cooper, and was originally powered by the

Bentley Brook Bentley Brook is a stream in Derbyshire, England. It rises on Matlock Moor, flowing south through Cuckoostone Dale, under the A632, into Lumsdale, gathering the valley's waters—notably from Knabhall Brook, out of Tansley, itself dammed and s ...

. Around 100 people were employed there, mainly for the

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

lace and cotton trade. In 1886, the mill was brought by

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

cotton merchant Cornelius Tattersell, father of John Lincoln Tattersall who was also employed there; he established a home in nearby village

Thorpe, Derbyshire Thorpe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Derbyshire; it is on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border, on the east bank of the River Dove, about four miles north of Ashbourne. The population of the civil parish as at the 2011 ...

with his wife Lizzie Harland in 1893. In 1908, the mill ceased production but the warehouse was taken over in 1910 by William Nuttall. Originally from

Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray () is a town in Leicestershire, England, north-east of Leicester, and south-east of Nottingham. It lies on the River Eye, known below Melton as the Wreake. The town had a population 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promo ...

, he was the brother of John Nuttall, who was the owner of the Harlington Cheese Factory.

Stilton cheese Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: Blue, which has '' Penicillium roqueforti'' added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and White, which does not. Both have been granted the status of a protected designation of ...

was produced there until 1930.Hartingtoncheeseshop.co.uk ''The Hartington Cheese and Wine Company – a history of Hartington and Stilton Cheese.'' nlineAvailable at: http://www.hartingtoncheeseshop.co.uk/hartington_cheeseshop.asp ccessed: 31 April 2012 On the outskirts of the village is the Leatherbritches Bentley Brook Inn and Fenny's Restaurant, a traditional busy country Inn with its own brewery. The brew house is established in the old washhouse and coal store at the back of the Inn where real ales are brewed two or three times each week.

Geography

Fenny Bentley lies on the southern edge of the Peak District, within the

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, L ...

. It lies approximately 3 miles from

, a

Dale Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia * The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada * Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia * Dale (woreda), district ;Norway * ...

that features riverside paths accessible for walkers. Dovedale is centred on the River Dove in a

Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

valley.Peakdistrict.nationaltrust.org.uk (2011) ''Dovedale , Peak District , The National Trust.'' nlineAvailable at: http://www.peakdistrict.nationaltrust.org.uk/dovedale ccessed: 30 April 2012 The site is owned by the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

, and the area is very popular with tourists, with the

claiming to be the second most visited National Park in the world with 22 million visitors per year, behind

Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest ...

National Park in Japan.Roachestearooms.co.uk (n.d.) ''The Peak District National Park, Tea Rooms, Holiday Cottage.'' nlineAvailable at: http://www.roachestearooms.co.uk/the_peak_district.html ccessed: 1 May 2012 Tourism plays an important role for the few businesses that have been established in Fenny Bentley, such as the Coach and Horses inn which lies on the main route through the village, appealing to visitors to the area who may pass through on the A515

Buxton Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level.Peak District Boundary Walk The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District (a ...

runs through the village.

Demography

Early census reports show that many of the people living in Fenny Bentley in the past worked locally. The majority of males worked in agricultural professions in the area, whilst the majority of females were distributed between having no known profession or being employed in the textiles industry, most likely to be the Tattersall Cotton Mill and other similar locations within the region. More recently, the population of Fenny Bentley is seen as generally a little older, with a mix of families with older children and retired households. The income in this area is generally above average and residents typically work in managerial positions, are well educated and are likely to have paid off their mortgages. The average house price in the area has decreased more recently, with the average price for a detached house in 2010 being £344,290, compared to an average in the first quarter of 2012 of just £267,833.Upmystreet.com (2009) 2012 Property Price in DE6 1LB. nlineAvailable at: http://www.upmystreet.com/properties/house-prices/de6-1lb.html ccessed: 30 April 2012

Transport

Fenny Bentley has very few transport connections, although being within easy reach of cities such as

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

by road, this is the only transport access to the village. The nearest alternative transport connections are slightly further afield,

Matlock Bath railway station Matlock Bath railway station is a Grade II listed railway station owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway. It is located in the village of Matlock Bath in Derbyshire, England. The station is unmanned by rail staff and is loca ...

is located 8.98 miles away, whilst

East Midlands Airport East Midlands Airport is an international airport in the East Midlands of England, close to Castle Donington in northwestern Leicestershire, between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is () to the south and Lincoln () ...

is 22.98 miles from the village. The nearest port is located in

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, approximately 57 miles from Fenny Bentley.Localities

References

External links

Landslide on the B5056 Fenny Bentley
British Geological Survey
Yew Tree Cottage, Fenny Bentley
.
Derbyshire Heritage

{{authority control Villages in Derbyshire Towns and villages of the Peak District Civil parishes in Derbyshire Derbyshire Dales