KINGS NEWTON
INFORMATION
Where is it? – Off the B587 Stanton-by-Bridge to Melbourne Road (SK391263).
What to do? – Walk down Jawbone Lane and take a look at the whale jaw bones, located on the right-hand side of the road near Melbourne – visit the Holy Well in Ward’s Lane, a spring of pure drinking water which the locals used before the arrival of mains water – enjoy a visit to the fascinating little town of Melbourne which almost merges with Kings Newton. It has a wealth of historic buildings, a famous country house with formal gardens, and one of the finest Norman churches in the country.
Where to eat? – The Hardinge Arms is now the only pub left in the village, it dates back to the 16th century and provides accommodation as well as good food and refreshment – Melbourne Hall Tea Rooms are situated in what used to be the washrooms and bakehouse of the hall. One of the old baking ovens remains in these delightful old tea rooms that have built up an enviable reputation for light meals and teas.
Other places to visit – Calke Abbey was described by the National Trust when they acquired it in 1989 as ‘The place where time stood still.’ It is one of the most unusual English country houses with large collections of birds, ornaments, paintings and photographs. There are extensive grounds, a deer enclosure, gardens a distance from the house and a church – Ferrers Centre for Arts and Crafts, located in the Georgian Stable Block of Staunton Harold Hall, where a wide range of goods can be obtained. Teas are available at the centre and also at the adjacent garden centre complex. – In the grounds of the hall is the ancient Holy Trinity Church now in the hands of the National Trust and open to the public on selected days.
PROFILE
The main road through the small village of Kings Newton was described by Nicholas Pevsner as, ‘one of the most attractive main streets in Derbyshire. Pevsner wrote a series of 46 volumes of county guides, under the title of ‘The Buildings of England’ (1951-1974).
Kings Newton is a gem of an old English village, with a great variety of well-cared-for old houses covering a wide age range, that all blend superbly together as a whole. A cottage with three crucks, one of which is visible from the outside, is considered to have been ancient when Elizabeth I came to the throne. Many of the other houses date back to the 18th century and there are a few of recent origin down Trent Lane and a small new development behind the Hardinge Arms. A further small development is located behind the former Packhorse pub. Jawbone Lane is named after the whale jaw bones, located on the right-hand side of the road near Melbourne
MARKET GARDENING
The village is contained within the parish of Melbourne, which became a centre for the supply of fruit and vegetables several centuries ago. Set among pleasant rolling countryside in South Derbyshire with its good loamy soil and relatively frost-free north-facing slopes, the area was ideal for market gardening. In the 1950s there were over 70 market gardeners in Melbourne Parish, with about half of them in King’s Newton. Increased competition has reduced its importance significantly, but there is still confirmation of its existence in the area.
KINGS NEWTON HALL
The Hall is the principal building in the village, but it looks much older than is the case. For many years it was owned by the Hardinge family. Until, on the death of John Hardinge, who died childless in 1729, the hall and grounds passed to the Melbourne Estate. In 1859, it was gutted by fire and remained as an empty shell until it was rebuilt in 1910, by Sir Cecil Paget. He had acquired it the previous year and meticulously restored the house to its former grandeur. As General Superintendent of the old Midland Railway, he had shown the same attention to detail in establishing the railway as reputedly the cleanest, smartest and most efficient in the world.
HARDINGE ARMS
There is only one public house left in the village, the Hardinge Arms, now the Packhorse Inn no longer trades. It is famous as the home of the ‘Newton Wonder’ a rosy red cooking apple that was also sweet enough to eat after being stored for a few months. It was traditionally used in mincemeat and in stuffing for turkey at Christmas. William Taylor, the landlord, developed it at the rear of the pub from a seedling.
The former Packhorse Inn stood on the route once used by packhorses travelling from London to Derby and beyond. It was built around 1727 and probably succeeded an earlier medieval hostelry. The pub closed a few years ago to make way for a housing development.
HOLY WELL
A short distance from the former Packhorse Inn, down Ward’s Lane, is the Holy Well, a spring of pure drinking water where local inhabitants once filled their buckets. In 1985, the local Civic Society restored the well and its surrounds and it was re-dedicated by the Vicar of Melbourne. There is a plaque by the well on which is carved the original inscription.
MARKET CHARTER
Kings Newton was granted a market in 1231, and the steps of the market cross remain, surmounted by a modern cross erected to commemorate the accession to the throne of Edward VIII. It represents a very rare commemoration of a King who was never crowned!
Facing the market cross stands Kings Newton House, which was acquired by the Cantrell family in the early 1600s and became their long-term home. It remained in the family until the last Cantrell died in 1909. The road at the rear is Jawbone Lane, named after a pair of whale bones that were erected at the back of the house by the Cantrells. The bones eventually deteriorated, but replacements have been found and now form an arch a little further down the road.
CHANTRY HOUSE
There is no church in the village, but in the 19th century, Judge Cantrell set up a private church, in what is now called Church House. The vicar of Melbourne performed divine service every Sunday evening. It is unlikely that Chantry House was ever used for the purpose that its name suggests, probably being called after a field belonging to it, called Chantry Close.
DERBY TO ASHBY RAILWAY
Elms Farm, down Trent Lane on the eastern side of Kings Newton, was the home of John Joseph Briggs, who wrote a history of Melbourne and various other short articles and poems. A short distance further on, the former Derby to Ashby Railway used to operate. It was opened in 1867 but closed in 1982. During the Second World War, the line was taken over by the War Department and used as a railway training centre. Following the closure, the line has been converted by Sustrans, into a footpath and cycle track, known as Cloud Trail.
