Morley offers a range of ways to explore during your stay: St Matthew’s Church, the remains of Morley Manor and evidence of historic stoneworking tell the story of the village. Animal experiences and a seasonal horse ride offer different highlights. Depending on your interests, you can choose between architectural and industrial history or a clearly timed activity.
Church, Manor and Village History
St Matthew’s Church is a Grade I listed building, set in an old, well-maintained churchyard. Inside are medieval stained-glass windows. They were rescued and brought here after the dissolution of nearby Dale Abbey in the 16th century. Their origins provide a distinct historical connection alongside the church building itself.
Morley Manor was built during the 14th century and was connected by a covered passage to the west end of the north chapel of the present-day church. A doorway and around five metres of stone walling survive from the complex. The Village Cross stands on church land that was once the village green, before it was enclosed. These details reveal different aspects of the village’s history: the connection between the Manor and the church, as well as the land’s earlier use.
The Roman road Ryknield Street can also be traced in Morley, although in separate sections. This sets it apart from the surviving doorway and walling at the Manor: it recalls a road whose sections have not survived continuously.
Quarries and Designated Nature
The quarries of Morley Moor produced gritstone. It was used to make holystones for scrubbing ships’ decks, circular millstones and scythe stones. The purpose of the holystones, in particular, illustrates the range of products: the material was made into not only millstones and scythe stones, but also stones for cleaning ships’ decks.
The old clay pits at Brick Kiln Lane are now a nature reserve and are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This offers a different perspective on Morley’s landscape from the traces of historic stoneworking: here, the focus is on its present-day protected status.
Animal Experiences and Horse Ride
The Animal Unit offers 90-minute animal experiences featuring reptiles, farm animals, small mammals or a combination of these areas. You can choose either a single subject area or a combination of several animal groups; all the experiences offered have the same stated duration.
There is also a full-day, one-to-one animal care experience with a member of the team. It is offered at weekends or during school holidays and is for children aged six and over. Compared with the 90-minute format, this is the longer activity, focused on animal care.
The Equestrian Centre offers a 5 km horse ride, away from paved roads, around the Broomfield estate just outside Morley, from Easter to September. Its duration and season differ considerably from the Animal Unit experiences: the ride is a seasonal option around the estate, available for a limited period.
Plant Centre and Planning Your Visit
The Plant Centre is located at Derby College’s Broomfield Hall campus in Morley. It is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, including public holidays. Opening hours may change, so check them before travelling.
The activities offer clear differences in timing to help you plan: 90 minutes for the animal experiences, a full day for the animal care experience and a seasonal period from Easter to September for the horse ride. The Plant Centre, in turn, is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm. These details can help you compare activities by duration and time of year; if you plan to visit the Plant Centre, check its opening hours again beforehand.
Discover more destinations: Whitwell, Swadlincote, Shottle, Alton, Glossop, Hayfield, Kirk Langley, Bakewell
For the overview of the wider area: Derbyshire.
