Nearby places
DARLEY (DALE), Derbyshire
"DARLEY DALE is a hamlet, in the parish of Darley, which is
partly in the hundred of Wirksworth, but chiefly in the
hundred of High Peak, lying on the road between Matlock Bath
and Bakewell, about five miles from either place. The
situation of this hamlet is one of great beauty, being
seated in a lovely valley, upon the banks of the Derwent."
[There is further information for Darley (Dale)]
[Description from
Pigot and Co's Commercial Directory for Derbyshire, 1835]
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Early 20thC Map Click to view larger area.
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- Jackson, Lewis - My Darley and Beyond : The Journey of a Lifetime, 2006.
Read more in this
Review of ‘My Darley and Beyond : The Journey of a Lifetime’
(Peak Advertiser, 4th December 2006)
- Kilburn, Terence - Darley's 'Lady Bountiful' and The Whitworth Trail, 2005.
Read more in this
Review of ‘Darley's 'Lady Bountiful' and The Whitworth Trail’
(Peak Advertiser, 23rd May 2005)
- Taylor, Keith - Darley Dale Remembered: Through 50 Years of War and Peace, 2002.
Read more in this
Review of ‘Darley Dale Remembered’
(Peak Advertiser 18th November 2002)
- Kilburn, Terence - Joseph Whitworth: Toolmaker, 2002.
Read more in this
Review of ‘Joseph Whitworth: Toolmaker’
(Peak Advertiser 4th November 2002)
- Here is an early twentieth century postcard of
St Helen's Church, Darley, showing
the Yew tree, said to be 2000 years old.
In medieval times wood was an important commodity in the defence of
the realm. For instance at the Battle of Agincourt the skill of the
English Longbow Archers was the deciding factor in bringing victory to
Henry V, and following his success, the King, having decided he was
onto a winner, decreed that each parish should be responsible for
providing the raw material for making Longbows, and for providing a
quota of archers with the necessary skills for using them.
Wood from yew trees was particularly suited for this purpose, and
churchyards were a convenient place for planting them. Many
churchyards even today contain a yew tree which may have been
planted for this purpose, as they do seem to be particularly long
lived. The Archers practised, and were trained in areas known as
Archery Butts and some villages and towns
still have areas, or streets, called "The Butts"
as relics of this time.
The training of Archers was decreed by law, and as a result the English
Longbowman was second to none. A skilled archer could develop a speed of
15 arrows a minute, and an arrow was lethal at 300 yards - a firepower
and range which wasn't equalled until the 19th Century with firearms.
Indeed, some battles were decided on a shoot-out between the opposing
archers! Archers comprised 10 percent of an Army, with 10 percent
Knights in Armour, with the remainder Infantrymen.
Nevertheless, somewhat ironically, shortly after Henry V's decree,
the Longbow was superseded by the Crossbow, which required less skill,
and its effects were more incapacitating.
Although the postcard referred to above is now 80-plus years old, the
church still looks very much the same, even today (see below).
-
Photograph of St Helen's Church, Darley (Dale), from Paul Slater.
-
Photograph of Disused Church at Two Dales, Darley Dale, from Alf Beard.
- A short Description of Darley and St
Helen's Church, published originally in Derbyshire Ancestral
Research Group (DARG) Newsletter, October 2004, to accompany the MIs
(see above, Cemeteries).
- The Darley Dale Town Council
Official Website has a good deal of interesting information about Darley, including
its History, from 1086 until the present day, and some attractive photographs in the
Photo Gallery.
- An account of
Cowley Hall, 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.

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[Last updated 27 Oct 2008 - 10:48 by Rosemary Lockie]