A to Z South Derbyshire - Part 6 | Midway to Overseal profiles

A TO Z HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTH DERBYSHIRE - PART 6

MIDWAY

Divided into Upper and Lower Midway, the neighbourhood lies to the east of Swadlincote close to the A511. It is mainly composed of residential housing. Noted exceptions are Eureka Park and the Bretby Estate. Close by the park entrance was once the home to Moses Cartwright’s colliery nicknamed the ‘Owd Shoddy.’ Because of the poor working conditions and badly faulted coal seams within it. The tram sheds of the Burton to Ashby line were adjacent to Eureka Park. It operated from 1906 to 1927 when competition from bus transport forced its closure.

MILTON

Milton is a small village about a mile to the east of Repton in South Derbyshire and consists of about 60 dwellings. Both Milton and Repton are part of the same parish and share an entry in the Domesday Book when it is thought one of the two mills mentioned was located at Milton.

Although only approximately one mile distant Milton and Repton are two quite different villages, despite the fact families have moved between the villages over the centuries. The fields between the two villages provide a sufficient gap for both villages to go largely unseen by one another. Milton until recent years was very much a small farming community.

The old mission hall, which was built by the Burdett family, for religious purposes, is now the village hall. It has been carefully maintained by the local community for more than 100 years and new facilities added. A wide range of events takes place there every year for many diverse groups of people. The stone standing outside is believed to date back to the Ice Age.

NETHERSEAL

Netherseal is situated in southeast Derbyshire, near Swadlincote. Most of the old village lies in a conservation area with attractive cottages set around a village green. The 13th century St Peter’s Church is where Nigel Gresley’s father was rector. Nigel’s early life was spent at the rectory in Netherseal, before going to school in St Leonard’s, Sussex and later Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where he developed a flair for engineering and mechanical drawing. One of his drawings completed at the age of 14, still hangs in the gallery of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London. Following joining the London and North Western Railway Company as an apprentice, he rose rapidly through the ranks and in 1924 became well-known in the railway industry. He was appointed as chief mechanical engineer of the new London and North Eastern Railway in 1923. Shortly afterwards one of the most famous engines of all time, The Flying Scotsman was built. In 1934, it became the first steam locomotive to reach 100mph. Two years later, Nigel was knighted, Shortly afterwards another of his famous locomotives, The Mallard, set the world steam record between Grantham and Peterborough, a record that still stands today. A year later the 100th Pacific locomotive, built to his designs was named the Sir Nigel Gresley. He died on 5th April 1941 and was buried at St Peter’s Church, Netherseal.

NEWHALL

Newhall is a large village located between Swadlincote and Burton. In an area where coal mining was the main industry for most of the last century. The Abbots Farm Estate was built in 1963 specifically to provide housing for miners moving from Scotland and Durham. Mining has now ceased and most of the inhabitants of a working-age commute to work in nearby towns and cities.

The Old Post Centre, on High Street, opened in 2002 with learning facilities, meeting rooms and a café. Formerly the New Inn, an old coaching inn where horses were changed on the way to Burton, One of the rooms in the centre was once used as a stable the post-horses. The centre has achieved wide recognition for its outstanding contribution to the community. These include an East Midlands Empowerment Award and getting through to the Regional Finals of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust award scheme.

Jack Bodell, the ‘Gentle Giant’ was born in Newhall and after working as a miner went into boxing. He became Amateur Boxing Association Light-Heavyweight champion in 1961 and later British Heavyweight Champion a title that he held twice. The highlight of his career was beating Joe Bugner in a title fight to become the British, Commonwealth and European Champion.

NEWTON SOLNEY

A writer in the 1950s described Newton Solney as “A village planted out in a garden, and half its population seem to be gardeners.” Although the village has grown in size since then, a better-kept village is hard to find. Immaculate, colourful gardens, well-maintained verges and rarely any sign of litter. It is not surprising to find that so many awards have been won in the Best Kept Village and Britain in Bloom contests. It is located on the B5008 between Repton and Burton.

Few people who regularly drive through Newton Solney realise that hidden away on the riverside of the village is a sizeable estate of houses. Even fewer are aware of the small attractive estate built up around the lake at Newton Park on the other side of the road. It is a medium-sized village with a population of about 700. There is an infant school, a church, a village hall, a hairdresser, a recreational field, two pubs and a hotel. There is a second school, Bladon House, within the parish boundary.

Although the River Trent flows close to the northern end of the village, it remains largely unseen. Three lanes lead off the main street, but Trent Lane alone leads to the river and then it only comes into view at the last minute. Blacksmith’s Lane takes its name from the charming old Forge Cottage at the entrance to the lane that leads to the housing estate. The view of the river from Church Lane is blocked by the Church of St Mary and Rock House, which some think is built on the site of the old Manor House

OVERSEAL

The village is three miles south of Swadlincote and was once part of the district of Seal, which included several settlements. A word that probably indicates the area was once heavily forested. Historically both Overseal and Netherseal were part of Leicestershire but were transferred to Derbyshire in 1897.

In their heyday, the mines were big employers in Overseal. This is commemorated on the grounds of the local primary school with the positioning of the winding wheel from Donisthorpe Colliery. The village also had pipe and brickyards, but it was the opencast coal and clay pits that blotted the landscape. Fortunately, the arrival of The National Forest is gradually changing the landscape back again from black to green.