MILTON WALK

THE WALK

This is a lovely South Derbyshire countryside walk with excellent views and some particularly interesting historical aspects. A glimpse of Foremarke Hall and its picturesque lake provides a bonus as well as the opportunity to take a close look at St Saviour’s Church.

The Green, Milton
The Green, Milton

LOOK OUT FOR

Point 3 – Sir Francis Burdett, built St Saviour’s Church on the estate at Foremarke, in 1662, and many residents regard it as their local parish church. It is one of the first churches to be built in England after the Restoration of the Monarchy and the lifting of the ban on church building. The church was built to serve Foremarke and Ingleby.

Point 4 – Foremarke Hall is an impressive Georgian mansion, built in Palladian style in 1760 for the parliamentary reformer, Sir Francis Burdett. During World War I, it was taken over by the British army as a military hospital. World War II saw it being used as an Officer Cadet Training Unit. The military identification plate nailed to one of the pillars of the front entrance is still present. The army left in 1946 and Repton School moved in and rented the building from the Church Commissioners the following year. In 1967, the school purchased the freehold of the current campus together with 40 acres of land and three cottages. It is a preparatory school for boys and girls from nearby Repton School. Visitors and walkers much admire the view of the hall and the ornamental lake, the hall is out of view from Milton to Ingleby Road.

St Saviour's Church, Foremark
St Saviour’s Church, Foremark
Gateway to Foremarke Hall
Gateway to Foremarke Hall

Point 5 – Willington Power Station which can be seen in the distance is a prominent landmark. It came into being in the 1950s and is, two almost entirely independent generating units, with separate management and staff. Logically the two stations were named Willington ‘A’ and Willington ‘B’, the former occupying the site closest to the Willington to Swarkestone road. The five cooling towers of the power station can be seen for many miles, so much so that they were used as a ‘sighting point’ by pilots approaching East Midlands Airport, 15 miles away. After just over 41 years of electricity generation, the final unit of Willington Power Station closed on 31 March 1999. Demolition commenced later in the year for the majority of the site, but the most distinctive features, the cooling towers were left standing.

Point 6 – At the southern end of the village of Milton is an area known as Saw Mill. The actual sawmill is well hidden from view, nestling in the remains of a former gravel pit. It was widely used by the Burdett Estate during the 19th and 20th centuries. Unfortunately, it is now in a somewhat dilapidated state. Milton is a small attractive village lying about one mile to the east of Repton consisting of about 60 dwellings. Thomas Burdett moved from Bramcote to marry a local heiress, in 1602, and five years later the estate came into the hands of the Burdett family. The old mission room was provided by the Burdett family and is now the village hall.

Willington Power Station
Willington Power Station
Cottage at Sawmill
Cottage at Sawmill

WALK DETAILS

Length: 2.25 miles.

Start:    Park on the main street a short distance from The Swan public house in the centre of the village (SK321266). Please ensure you dress appropriately and carry the correct Ordnance Survey Map – The National Forest OS245. 

Terrain:    An easy short walk, with very little ascent or descent along good, well-marked paths. A mixture of long open views across the countryside and attractive woodland makes this walk particularly appealing.  It is worth spending a little time admiring Foremarke Hall and its surroundings, as it is hidden from the sight of road users, and only seen by walkers and those with a reason to visit. 

THE ROUTE 

  1. Brook Farm, Milton
    Brook Farm, Milton
    As you face The Swan public house from the opposite side of the main street in Milton, turn left and walk along the pavement for a short distance. Cross the road when you see a fingerpost sign next to Brook Farm and follow a passageway into a field.
  2. Continue along a discernable path straight down the field, to go over a stile on the left, near the bottom. Keep to the waymarked path around Mill Farm, before turning right to go up a slope and cross a stile by a metal gate.
  3. Maintain the same direction uphill along a well-trodden path, to go over another stile at the top of the field. Maintain the same direction along a clear path, passing close to an area of woodland, with St Saviour’s Church soon coming into view on your right.
  4. Turn left down the access track away from the church, then right at the Foremarke Hall sign. Walk along the drive to view the hall and its scenic lake. When you are ready return to the access track leading to the church.
  5. Continue along the track, past the church, which bends to the left past Home Farm and then angles very slightly to the right through a field. Until you reach a crossroads of footpaths where you turn right. As you walk along you will get good views of the cooling towers at Willington Power Station.
  6. Maintain the same direction and go down a cart track and follow it to the hamlet of Saw Mill. At the bottom of the hill, turn right up an access road to houses in the hamlet to join the road leading into Milton. Continue past the Village Green up the main street back to the starting point of the walk.

MILTON