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| Chelmorton has a real upland feel to it, sitting as it does in a natural bowl surrounded by low hills. It is in fact one of the highest villages of the area. The site is an ancient one, with a spring rising just above the modern village, near the church. This church is the highest in Derbyshire and was built in Norman times - the south arcade still dates from this time, while the north arcade and the tower are thirteenth century - the spire was added much later.
 Field patterns at Chelmorton
Another aspect of interest around Chelmorton is the field patterns. Those around the village are in 13 long narrow strips, a system dating from medieval times (and maybe as far back as Saxon times) but only enclosed relatively recently - probably in the 17th century. The larger fields more distant from the village were enclosed as late as 1805, and these are of a completely different shape - larger and usually almost square. This type of field pattern may also be seen near some other local villages, such as Litton. Another echo of the past is the name of the road which runs across the bottom end of the village. This is the old road between Buxton and Bakewell and is called 'The Ditch', a name which may be a relic of an ancient village boundary.
There is a public house, the Church Inn. |
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