A 7th-century Saxon cross, stained glass windows dating from 1863 and paths that preserve the route of a historic long-distance route offer different perspectives on Smalley. Visitors can focus on church art, architecture or traces of the historic landscape. The themes range from medieval remains to buildings and changes around 1900.
St John the Baptist Church: Art and History
In the porch of the parish church of St John the Baptist is a Saxon cross from the 7th century. All the windows in the chancel feature brightly coloured stained glass dating from 1863. The church thus brings together an early medieval object and 19th-century decoration in different parts of the building. The bells add another element: one bell dates from 1796 and was made by London bell founder Old John Warner. The tower houses a peal of five bells with a total weight of 117 cwts.
The church welcomes everyone to its services. Service times and arrangements may change; check the latest times before making plans. The details of the cross, windows and bells also give visitors interested in religious architecture and its furnishings several different points of connection with the church.
Smalley Hall and Morley Manor
Smalley Hall, with its conservatory, is an 18th-century house, with later additions and alterations dating from the late 19th century and around 1902. The fine interior of 1902 draws on the 18th-century style. Its features include an open staircase and turned balusters. The house therefore reveals different building phases alongside an interior deliberately designed with reference to an earlier style.
Morley Manor provides another architectural highlight: this Grade II* listed house was built in 1900 by George Bodley in the Neo-Tudor style. Its interior includes wall panelling, a staircase and Tudor-style fireplaces. The gatehouse, also built by Bodley around 1900, has two fully formed gabled dormers. Their recessed windows have two lights and chamfered mullions with tracery.
South of Morley Manor, the garden staircase consists of eight steps made of dressed sandstone. Tudor-style balustrades run along both sides. Built around 1900 by G Bodley, the staircase was part of a formal garden laid out along with the house. The house, gatehouse and garden staircase thus offer a range of specific details for comparing the Neo-Tudor style and the design of buildings and gardens.
Kidsley Park: Park History and Paths
Kidsley Park was recorded in 1235 as a medieval deer park belonging to the Abbot of Chester. The paths are also part of its history: today’s bridleway and footpaths preserve the route of a historic long-distance route. A bridleway runs through the park and continues as a footpath past Bank's Barn to the A608. If you plan to use these paths, check their current condition locally.
A later historical reference point concerns the parklands around Smalley Hall and Stainsby House: they were already in existence in 1791. Together with the reference to Kidsley Park in 1235, this provides several different historical points of reference for the history of the landscape.
Smalley Mill and the Millpond Site
The history of milling adds to the architectural and landscape themes. Smalley Mill was advertised in 1790 as a water-powered corn mill with three pairs of millstones. The stone mill complex was demolished in 1965; the millpond site remains recognisable, although its visibility on site may vary. For travel planning, this is a different kind of historical trace from the surviving architectural details of the church and houses: the focus here is on the mill’s former use and the site of the former millpond.
Discover more destinations: Morley, Hackney, Sutton On The Hill, Bakewell, Long Eaton, Pilsley, Newton Solney, Kirk Langley
For the wider travel overview: Derbyshire.
