CASTLETON, Derbyshire

Bibliography

• Clarke, Dr Liam - Castleton - A History, A Tour, People, Buildings and Industries. Owl Publishing, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9562437-0-6. Added 19 Aug 2009.

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Census

• The parish was in the Chapel en le Frith sub-district of the Chapel en le Frith Registration District.
  
  
• The table below gives census piece numbers, where known:
  
  

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Church History

• The Anglican parish church is dedicated to Saint Edmund.
  
  
• The church was partially restored circa 1837.
  
  
• The church seats 250.
  

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Church Records

• The Anglican parish registers date from 1633.
  
  
• We have a pop-up window of partially extracted Parish Register burials in a text file for your review. Your additions are welcomed.
  
  
• The church was in the rural deanery of Eyam.

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Civil Registration

• Civil Registration began in July, 1837.
  
  
• The parish was in the Chapel en le Frith sub-district of the Chapel en le Frith Registration District.
  

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Description and Travel

"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.'"

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

There is also a description of the parish at Peak Distrcit National Park.

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Directories

• Ann Andrews provides a transcription of the Castleton entry from Kelly's Directory of the Counties of Derby, Notts, Leicester and Rutland (1891).

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Gazetteers

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

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History

• The Romans develped the lead mines here and extracted vast amounts of lead for the empire.
  
  

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Military History

• The Castleton War Memorial Cross is a grade II listed structure with British Heritage.
  
  
• There is a photograph of the parish War Memorial on Panoramio.
  

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Politics and Government

• This parish was in the ancient High Peak Hundred (or Wapentake).
  

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Population

Year	Inhabitants
1881	650
1891	541

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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]

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