Nearby places

Derbyshire

Contents & Site Map

Derbyshire Towns & Parishes

CASTLETON, Derbyshire

"CASTLETON is a parish and village, in the hundred of High Peak. 164 miles from London, 27 S.E. from Manchester, 10 N.E. from Buxton, and 7 E. from Chapel-en-le-Frith. It is situate at the bottom of the steep eminence, at whose feet the 'Peak Cavern' discloses itself, and the summit of which is occupied by an ancient castle that gives name to the place, This castle was erected by William Peveril, natural son of the Conqueror, and from its situation was called 'the Castle of the Peak', or 'Peak Castle.'" [There is further information for Castleton]

[Description from Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835]

Bibliography Church History Directories Genealogy Gazetteers Manors

Early 20thC Map Click to view larger area.

Maps Newspapers Occupations Social Life and Customs Taxation

Bibliography

• Clarke, Dr Liam - Castleton - A History, A Tour, People, Buildings and Industries. Owl Publishing, 2009.
  Read more in this Review of ‘Castleton - A History, A Tour, People, Buildings and Industries’. Added 19 Aug 2009.

Church History

• Photograph of St Edmund's Church, Castleton, from Andrew McCann.

Directories

• A Description of Castleton and Directory for Castleton, Hope and Hathersage, with the villages of Bradwell, Brough and neighbourhoods transcribed from Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835 by Rosemary Lockie.

• Transcription of section of Kelly's Directory (1891) for Castleton by Ann Andrews. Added 26 Jun 2009.

Gazetteers

• The transcription of the section for Castleton from the National Gazetteer (1868) provided by Colin Hinson.

Genealogy

• Hope Valley Sources - part of Marjorie Ward's North West Derbyshire Sources - a developing site with new material being added all the time. Added 29 Mar 2006.

Manors

• An account of Peveril Castle, taken from Old Halls, Manors and Families of Derbyshire, Volume I 1892 (The High Peak) by Joseph Tilley, transcribed/OCR'd by Rosemary Lockie. Added 3 Mar 2008.

Maps

• There is a reproduction of Castleton township survey Map of 1819, and (in contrast) an aerial view of modern Castleton on the Peakland Heritage site - use the 'Digging Deeper' menu, selecting the 'Community Closeups' option. The Map and aerial view are included in More Pictures link at the bottom of Castleton's page. Alternatively select 'Community Closeups' and 'The Galleries' to reach the images directly.

Military History

• Photograph of Peveril Castle, Castleton, from Marjie Bloy.

Newspapers

• Some Newspaper Articles mentioning Castleton. Added 21 Aug 2000.

Occupations

• Photograph of The Post Office, Castleton, from Marjie Bloy.

• Bygone Industries of the Peak: The Rope Makers, article by Julie Bunting, reproduced from The Peak Advertiser. "Peak Cavern claims a history of rope making which goes back more than 500 years".

Social Life and Customs

• "Castleton should be given a wide berth on a Saturday or Sunday in the summer months. On those days it overflows with the tripper, for whom it lays itself out to provide, and the streets are apt to be uproarious until the last brakes have gone singing down the vale. Its main thoroughfares are commonplace, but the cottages on the higher level are picturesque and unspoilt. Castleton retains one interesting local custom, for May 29th, or Oakapple Day, is still honoured in a curious way. A great garland of wild flowers is made, shaped like a bell on a frame, and is carried round the town by a man on horseback, who wears it upon his head, covering his face. He plays Charles II; the part of the Queen who rides beside him is taken by a youth, dressed in a lady's riding habit and veil. Twenty girls dance the Morris dance before them as they ride through the town to the accompaniment of "plenty of brass bands". One can conceive the din! Then the garland is taken to the church and slung up by a pulley to the parapet of the tower, where it is left to wither. It is accounted a great honour to bear the garland, and the privilege has been exercised for the last twenty years."
  [Firth, J B - Highways and Byways in Derbyshire, 1905. Quoted in The Peak Advertiser, 19th May 2003; p.11]

Taxation

• A list of Names from the Hearth Tax Assessments, 1662-70, transcribed by Marjorie Ward as one of her North West Derbyshire Sources.

© Copyright GENUKI and Contributors 1996-2009, &c.
GENUKI is a registered trade mark of the charitable trust GENUKI, see About GENUKI as an Organisation

Are you lost in the Genuki hierarchy or arrived here from a Search Engine?
If so, use the up-arrow(s) at the top of the page to go up the hierarchy.

URL of this page: http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DBY/Castleton/index.html