Smalley: Church Art, Manor Houses and Historic Routes

Smalley can be explored through several historical themes: the parish church of St John the Baptist, manor house architecture, old routes and the history of a mill. These different traces help you understand the village through specific interests, such as church art, architectural history or historic landscapes. If you are looking for a hotel in Smalley, the village’s history provides an objective basis for assessing the destination for your stay.

The church and its bell history

All the windows in the chancel of St John the Baptist church contain richly coloured stained glass dating from 1863. One bell dates from 1796 and was made by the London bell founder Old John Warner. The peal in the church tower is also described in detail: it comprises five bells with a total weight of 117 cwts. The church’s history thus brings together 19th-century stained glass and late 18th-century bell founding. The parish welcomes everyone to its services. As service arrangements may change, it is advisable to check the current times in advance.

Manor houses and designed grounds

Smalley Hall is an 18th-century house. Later extensions and alterations followed in the late 19th century and around 1902. The high-quality 1902 interior is designed in the 18th-century style and includes an open staircase with turned balusters. The history of the landscape extends beyond the building itself: the later parkland around Smalley Hall and Stainsby House was already in place by 1791.

Morley Manor offers a different architectural emphasis. This Grade II* listed house was built in 1900 by George Bodley in the Neo-Tudor style. Its interior includes Tudor-style panelling, a staircase and fireplaces. The gatehouse also dates from around 1900 and was designed by Bodley in the Neo-Tudor style. Its features include two fully formed, gabled dormers with recessed two-light windows and chamfered mullions with tracery. South of the house is the garden staircase, made up of eight steps of dressed sandstone and framed by Tudor-style balustrades on both sides. G Bodley built the staircase around 1900. It formed part of the formal garden, which was laid out together with the house.

Kidsley Park and historic routes

Kidsley Park combines landscape history with a route passed down through time. The park was mentioned in 1235 as a medieval deer park belonging to the Abbot of Chester. A bridleway runs through Kidsley Park and continues as a footpath via Bank's Barn to the A608. Today’s bridleways and footpaths preserve the course of a historic long-distance route. Here, you can therefore explore both the park’s earlier history and the continuity of a route. Check the current condition of the paths locally.

Traces of Smalley Mill

The history of the mill is also part of the village’s character. 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 site of the millpond is still discernible, although its visibility on site may vary. The contrast between the vanished complex of buildings and the still discernible site of the millpond brings this chapter of the village’s history to life, even though the mill itself no longer survives as a building.

Discover more destinations: Eckington, Ashbourne, Taddington, Barlborough, Tansley, Tideswell, Crich, Kirk Ireton

For the regional travel overview: Derbyshire.