Hollinsclough
Encyclopedia
Hollinsclough is a small rural Staffordshire
village that lies by the River Dove in the English Midlands
. It is within the Peak District National Park.
, at one end of a level plane between the Dove and the River Manifold
, not far from their sources on the eastern side of Axe Edge Moor
. Here the Manifold flows through moorland which is rather different from the Manifold Valley. The moorland is mainly sandstone and various gritstones, while the valley further downstream is limestone. There is a conspicuous change at Hulme End
, about 6 miles downstream. For all its length, the Dove marks the border between Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Not far downstream from Hollinsclough the Dove is in the limestone valley which ends with the more famous Dove Dale
The Church of St Agnes, built as a Chapel of Ease in 1840 when Hollinsclough was in the parish of Quornford
, is now linked with the parish of Longnor
, about 2 miles east. The church has been abandoned for worship, and is now used as a residential centre for visitors to the Peak District.
, the name Hollinsclough comes from Howel's ravine. Various documents, including tenancy records for the Manor of Haysgate in the County of Stafford, from 1651 to 1850 give the following variants of the name. Hollescloughe (1651), Holling Clough (1750), Hollingclough (1767), and The Liberty of Hollinsclough (1769). The population list for 1769 has 112 names. The 1851 Census
has 211 male and 189 female inhabitants. Like many other such villages dependent upon hill farming, the population has declined rapidly since then.
The various activities in the village are a good example of how village life can thrive in spite of the difficulties of rural life. In particular, the local historians have produced a most informative village web site, Hollinsclough.org.
. Rev. J B Dyson records his conversion at Flash
Hollinsclough is the only chapel still open in the former Wetton and Longnor Methodist Circuit
, and celebrated its bicentenary at Easter 2001
The chapel hall serves teas during the summer and plays host to an active and friendly community life, including the monthly meetings of the local history group (History Live) and the local charity (Hollinsclough Action Group).
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
village that lies by the River Dove in the English Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. It is within the Peak District National Park.
Location and geography
Hollinsclough is situated by the River DoveRiver Dove, Derbyshire
The River Dove is the principal river of the southwestern Peak District, in the Midlands of England and is around in length. It rises on Axe Edge Moor near Buxton and flows generally south to its confluence with the River Trent at Newton Solney. From there, its waters reach the North Sea via the...
, at one end of a level plane between the Dove and the River Manifold
River Manifold
The River Manifold is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove ....
, not far from their sources on the eastern side of Axe Edge Moor
Axe Edge Moor
Axe Edge Moor is the major moorland west of Buxton in the Peak District. It is mainly gritstone . Its highest point is at . This is slightly lower than Shining Tor .The moor is the source of the River Dove, River Manifold, River Dane, River Wye and River Goyt...
. Here the Manifold flows through moorland which is rather different from the Manifold Valley. The moorland is mainly sandstone and various gritstones, while the valley further downstream is limestone. There is a conspicuous change at Hulme End
Hulme End
- Introduction :Hulme End is a small hamlet in Staffordshire, England. It is located in the Peak District National Park about 10 miles north of Ashbourne...
, about 6 miles downstream. For all its length, the Dove marks the border between Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Not far downstream from Hollinsclough the Dove is in the limestone valley which ends with the more famous Dove Dale
The Church of St Agnes, built as a Chapel of Ease in 1840 when Hollinsclough was in the parish of Quornford
Flash, Staffordshire
Flash is a village within the Staffordshire Moorlands, England, and the Peak District National Park. It is recognised by the Ordnance Survey as the highest altitude village in the United Kingdom. It was an early centre for Wesleyanism....
, is now linked with the parish of Longnor
Longnor, Staffordshire
Longnor is a village in the Staffordshire Peak District, England. The settlement dates from early times, the first recorded Church building being in the Middle Ages. The village was named Longenalre in the Domesday Book. Located on a major crossroads, Longnor was a significant market town in the...
, about 2 miles east. The church has been abandoned for worship, and is now used as a residential centre for visitors to the Peak District.
Village name and population
According to the English Place-Name SocietyEnglish Place-Name Society
The English Place-Name Society is a learned society concerned with toponomastics and the toponymy of England, in other words, the study of place-names ....
, the name Hollinsclough comes from Howel's ravine. Various documents, including tenancy records for the Manor of Haysgate in the County of Stafford, from 1651 to 1850 give the following variants of the name. Hollescloughe (1651), Holling Clough (1750), Hollingclough (1767), and The Liberty of Hollinsclough (1769). The population list for 1769 has 112 names. The 1851 Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
has 211 male and 189 female inhabitants. Like many other such villages dependent upon hill farming, the population has declined rapidly since then.
Village description and activities
There is a Methodist Chapel, a primary school and a chapel hall yet the nearest shops or pubs are 2 miles away in neighbouring village of Longnor. Historically, There was a silk weaving business in the 18th century in the village that transported the silk over to the mills in Macclesfield by packhorses. Today, Hollinsclough is a popular departure point for walkers and tourists visiting the surrounding countryside.The various activities in the village are a good example of how village life can thrive in spite of the difficulties of rural life. In particular, the local historians have produced a most informative village web site, Hollinsclough.org.
Methodist Chapel
Tha Chapel was built in 1801 by John Lomas. He was a pedlar and tinker by trade, which at that time was a respectable occupation, dealing in "Manchester goods" such as clothing but chiefly transporting the local silk to mills at MacclesfieldMacclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
. Rev. J B Dyson records his conversion at Flash
Flash, Staffordshire
Flash is a village within the Staffordshire Moorlands, England, and the Peak District National Park. It is recognised by the Ordnance Survey as the highest altitude village in the United Kingdom. It was an early centre for Wesleyanism....
Hollinsclough is the only chapel still open in the former Wetton and Longnor Methodist Circuit
Methodist Circuit
The Methodist Circuit is part of the organisational structure of British Methodism,or at least those branches derived from the work of John Wesley. It is a group of individual Societies or local Churches under the care of one or more Methodist Ministers. In the scale of organisation, the Circuit...
, and celebrated its bicentenary at Easter 2001
The chapel hall serves teas during the summer and plays host to an active and friendly community life, including the monthly meetings of the local history group (History Live) and the local charity (Hollinsclough Action Group).