Pleasley
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Pleasley is a village and civil parish with parts in both
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
and
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
. It lies between Chesterfield and
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
, south east of
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
, Derbyshire, England and north west of
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
, Nottinghamshire. The
River Meden The River Meden is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source lies just north of Huthwaite, near the Derbyshire border, and from there it flows north east through Pleasley and Warsop before merging temporarily with the River Maun near ...
, which forms the county boundary in this area, runs through the village. The bulk of the village is in the Derbyshire district of
Bolsover Bolsover is a market town and the administrative centre of the Bolsover District, Derbyshire, England. It is from Sheffield, from Nottingham and from Derby. It is the main town in the Bolsover district. The civil parish for the town is c ...
, and constitutes a
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of the same name. The population of this civil parish at the 2011 Census was 2,305. The part in Nottinghamshire is in the district of
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
and is unparished. Pleasley is not mentioned in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
when it was part of
Glapwell Glapwell is a rural village and civil parish on the A617 road in the Bolsover District of north-east Derbyshire, The village is at the top of a steep hill at an elevation of 176m, on the western edge of the Southern Magnesian Limestone, overloo ...
parish.Pleasley Colliery site
/ref>


Buildings

The parish church of St. Michael is built of squared sandstone and is believed to originate from the 12th century, as it includes a 12th-century chancel arch and font. There are also features from the 13th and 14th century, and evidence of significant restoration in the 19th century, when it was re-roofed in Welsh
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
. A new south window was fitted in the chancel at this time. The pulpit came from
Derby Cathedral The Cathedral Church of All Saints, Derby, better known as Derby Cathedral, is a cathedral church in the city of Derby, England. In 1927, it was promoted from parish church status to that of a cathedral, creating a seat for the Bishop of ...
, and there is a second font, which carries the date 1662. The building is a
grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
structure. It is situated close to the
River Meden The River Meden is a river in Nottinghamshire, England. Its source lies just north of Huthwaite, near the Derbyshire border, and from there it flows north east through Pleasley and Warsop before merging temporarily with the River Maun near ...
which marks the county boundary and also the boundary of the ancient
Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is the remnants of an ancient royal forest, Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, within the East Midlands region in England. It has association with the legend of Robin Hood. The forest was proclaimed by William the Conqueror and ...
.


Industry

George Sitwell Sir George Reresby Sitwell, 4th Baronet (27 January 1860 – 9 July 1943) was a British antiquarian writer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1895. Early life Sitwell was born in London, the son of Sir ...
,
ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a larg ...
, mined iron locally and at Pleasley built a furnace, a forge and power saws in the seventeenth century.Philip Riden, 'Sitwell, George (bap. 1601, d. 1667)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 2 March 2010
/ref> Pleasley was a coal mining village for over 100 years. The Stanton Ironworks Company leased the mineral rights in 1872, and work on building the shaft for
Pleasley Colliery Pleasley Colliery is a former coal mine in central England. It is located to the north-west of Pleasley village, which sits above the north bank of the River Meden on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. It lies 3 miles (4.8 km) nor ...
began soon afterwards. Stanton's continued to operate it until nationalisation in 1946, after which it was run by the
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "ve ...
until it closed in 1983, with some of the workforce transferring to nearby
Shirebrook Shirebrook is a town and civil parish in the Bolsover District of Derbyshire, England.OS Explorer Map 270: Sherwood Forest: (1:25 000): It had a population of 13,300 at the 2021 Census. The town is on the B6407 road and close to the A632 road ...
colliery from where the accessible remaining underground coal reserves were mined. The mine was partly demolished but during the demolition it was realised that the pit winding engines were the only pair of such engines left. The former mine is now a museum. The spoil heaps have been turned into a large nature reserve, complete with large ponds, cycle and walking tracks. Pleasley, as a whole, spreads into two counties, with the old coal mine high above the old village centre and a series of very large old weaving mills below in the Vale being the historic main industries, together with farming. Pleasley was served by two railway stations Pleasley East and Pleasley West. Both stations closed as well as the lines through them and the nearest active railway stations are now in
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
and
Shirebrook Shirebrook is a town and civil parish in the Bolsover District of Derbyshire, England.OS Explorer Map 270: Sherwood Forest: (1:25 000): It had a population of 13,300 at the 2021 Census. The town is on the B6407 road and close to the A632 road ...
.


Education

Pleasley has two primary schools, one on the Nottinghamshire side of the village and one on the Derbyshire side.


Anthony Bek Primary School

Anthony Bek Primary School is located on the Derbyshire side of the village. First opened in 1899, the school is named after Antony Bek, a
Bishop of Durham The bishop of Durham is head of the diocese of Durham in the province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler (bishop), Paul Butler was the most recent bishop of Durham u ...
. The Bek family acquired half of the manor of Pleasley in 1280 and Anthony often returned during the crusades with Prince Edward. The school is situated on Rotherham Road, on the opposite side of the bypass to the village centre.


Farmilo Primary School

Farmilo Primary School is situated on the Nottinghamshire side of the village, close to the Radmanthwaite estate. Farmilo Primary School was originally situated on Chesterfield Road North where it was built in 1920, and is named for Councillor Farmilo who campaigned to have the school built. The school moved to its present location on Woburn Lane in the early 1970s. In 2017 the school took over the adjacent
Sure Start Sure Start (named Flying Start in Wales, Best Start in Scotland) is a UK Government area-based initiative, announced in 1998 by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, applying primarily in England with slightly different versions in ...
centre and extended into it.


The localities of Pleasley

The area of Pleasley itself consists of four distinct areas: Pleasley Village, Upper Pleasley, Pleasley Hill with the Radmanthwaite Estate and Pleasley Vale. Pleasley Village is the oldest part at the lowest point where the River Meden flows through the valley with a dam and
mill pond A mill pond (or millpond) is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Description Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam or weir (and mill stream) across a waterway. In many places, the co ...
in the centre of the village. Some original buildings remain, built from local
sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
, noticeably around the old mill site, and the two
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s.


Upper Pleasley

Upper Pleasley is situated at the southern end of the village, and is today the area around Terrace Lane. Terrace Lane was initially surrounded by fields, and eventually served as the back entrance to
Pleasley Colliery Pleasley Colliery is a former coal mine in central England. It is located to the north-west of Pleasley village, which sits above the north bank of the River Meden on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. It lies 3 miles (4.8 km) nor ...
, which is still visible today. Between 1875–1899, two rows of terraced houses were built on what is now Old Terrace. These were built for workers at the colliery. Private bungalows were built along Terrace Lane, and in the 1920s, more pit houses were built on New Terrace, and along the top of Terrace Lane. The terraced houses on Old Terrace were demolished in the 1970s, and the land stood empty for 30 years. In the early 2000s, this land was built on and a new estate was built, with two new cul-de-sacs being built, and new houses being built along Old Terrace. In 2009, the older houses on New Terrace were demolished, and the remaining houses renovated. New homes were built in the place of the demolished houses, following the existing road layout.


Pleasley Hill

Pleasley Hill is an area in Mansfield, adjacent to Pleasley. It once consisted of rows of derelict terraced houses running along the main A617 road leading from Glapwell and the Pleasley By-pass towards Mansfield. These were the subject of lengthy debate in the area, and were demolished in 2013. In 2015, new houses were built on the land. A small amount of housing regeneration was created by seven derelict terraced homes on Hillmoor Street being sold by Mansfield District Council to a social enterprise group named ''TREES'' for just one pound. TREES (Training Regeneration Education Employment and Sustainability) – administered under Mansfield-based ex-servicemen's charity ''Joint Forces Alliance Ltd'' – helps veterans to refurbish and ultimately live in the homes. The area is strictly part of Mansfield and prior to Mansfield Mayor Tony Egginton's reorganisation of the
Wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
and ward boundaries in time for the 2011 elections, it had its own 'Pleasley Hill' ward but afterwards the name became ''Bull Farm and Pleasley Hill''.


Pleasley By-pass Extension

The Pleasley area is situated around the main A617 road. The Pleasley Hill section is a steep, old winding single-carriageway which was scheduled for an improvement scheme designated ''Pleasley By-pass Extension'', a
Nottinghamshire County Council Nottinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes the city of ...
initiative intended to link the A617 Chesterfield Road North and MARR junction to the existing Pleasley By-pass, a long-established dual-carriageway created by
Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Derby. The county council is ba ...
which terminates on the Nottinghamshire side at the base of Pleasley Hill. The intended extension situated on the Nottinghamshire side has never been scheduled, and remains as a 'missing' section and
bottleneck Bottleneck may refer to: * the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle Science and technology * Bottleneck (engineering), where the performance of an entire system is limited by a single component * Bottleneck (network), in a communication network * ...
to the MARR route. Three proposals were mooted in 2004 with two alternate routes: # A single carriageway upgrade of the existing Pleasley Hill route # A single carriageway extension from the MARR junction at the top of Pleasley Hill routed through land running at the back of the old cemetery # A dual carriageway extension from the MARR junction at the top of Pleasley Hill routed through land running at the back of the old cemetery. Nottinghamshire County Council summarised the scheme as:
''Pleasley bypass extension has mixed impacts. It has clear economic benefits, and also will reduce accidents, pollution and noise along the existing route. However these are balanced by adverse effects along the new route, such as possible impact on wildlife and also a nearby primary school''.
Mansfield District Council summarised the scheme as:
''As with the Rainworth Bypass this scheme will provide considerable environmental benefits and will be an important component in improving links between the District and the M1, via junction 29. Depending on finance being made available it is anticipated that construction of this proposal will commence after 2000/2001''.
Despite extensive planning and preparation, the road scheme was abandoned by
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...
's allocation of regional transport funding in 2009.


Pleasley Vale

Pleasley Vale is a deep, narrow valley, much of which is wooded, which has been formed by the River Meden cutting down through the underlying limestone escarpment.Butler (1997), Section 1, 3 The Vale has been the location for industry since at least 1767, when two forges and a corn mill are known to have been operating, powered by the river. The forges were run by George Sitwell, and were called Nether and Upper forge. The engineered river channel made it a good site for further development, and a consortium of businessmen from Nottingham and
drapers Draper was originally a term for a retailer or wholesaler of cloth that was mainly for clothing. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. History Drapers were an important trade guild during the medieval period ...
from
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area and the second largest settlement in Nottinghamshire (following the city ...
leased the vale and Pleasley Park in 1782, to construct water-powered
cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...
s. The Upper Mill was built first, on the site of the previous corn mill, and was operational by 1785. The Lower Mill was completed seven years later at a cost of £1,190, and was much bigger. A manager's house and a row of ten houses for the workers was also completed in 1792. The mills supplied cotton to the expanding East Midland
hosiery Hosiery, (, ) also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the foot, feet and human leg, legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also ...
industry. One of the original three businessmen was Henry Hollins, and by the early 18th century, the mills were run by William Hollins and Co. They were the first and one of the most successful cotton producers in the East Midlands. The Hollins family managed the mills for many years, but from the 1830s were joined by the Pagets, who introduced steam power to the mills. Fire destroyed the Upper Mill on 25 December 1840, but it was rebuilt by 1844. The Lower Mill also burnt down, and was replaced in 1847. Newer equipment fitted as part of the rebuilding enabled the mills to stay competitive. William Hollins lived at Pleasley Vale, and oversaw the expansion of the community, with the construction of more houses for the workers, the provision of public facilities including a school, wash house, and a cooperative society, and attention to leisure activities by the establishing of a
Mechanics Institute Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult ed ...
, a library and a cricket club. A company farm was also established. St Chad's Chapel and the vicarage were commissioned by Charles Paget in 1876. The Chapel was opened in 1881, but was reputedly built in 1861 at Stuffynwood,
Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, and later moved to its present site. It has a small bell turret at its western end, and a number of its features mimic thirteenth and fourteenth century styles. Internally, there is a brass memorial to Paget and his wife Helen Elizabeth. From the 1890s, the mills produced Viyella, a mixture of cotton with Merino wool, which produces a soft fabric. A third mill (now called Mill 2) was built between the upper and lower mills in 1913.''Interpretation panel, Reception area, Mill 1''. Bolsover District Council It was originally built as a
combing Combing is a method for preparing carding, carded fibre for spinning (textiles), spinning. Combing aligns fibers in parallel before spinning to produce a smoother, stronger, and more lustrous yarn. The process of combing is accompanied by ''gil ...
shed, where the cotton fibres were straightened and aligned prior to the production of fabric, but became a mill in 1952 following the addition of a further two floors to the main building, and a three-storey extension on the side. The mills continued to flourish, employing 980 workers at the site in 1934. Transport of raw materials and finished product was provided by the
Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...
, who opened their Tibshelf and Pleasley branch in 1883, primarily to serve Pleasley Colliery, which began production in 1878.Mansfield (2009), pp.13–16 The branch connected with other lines at
Mansfield Woodhouse Mansfield Woodhouse is a town and civil parish in the Mansfield District, Mansfield district of Nottinghamshire, England. It is about north of Mansfield, along the main A60 road in a wide, low valley between the Rivers River Maun, Maun and Rive ...
in the east and
Alfreton Alfreton ( or locally ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton parish was 8,79 ...
in the west. Sidings and a warehouse were built below the lower mill. By 1938, the upper sidings had been built, which provided direct access to the Upper Mill and the combing shed. The railway and its sidings had both been dismantled by 1967. The first workers houses were demolished in 1961, to be followed by the school, the baths and the Mechanics Institute. By 1987, production had moved abroad, and the mills closed.
'Our Mansfield and Area' website administered by Mansfield District Council Museum ''ANNALS OF MANSFIELD'' – 'Timeline' "''1987, 3 July. William Hollins mills at Pleasley Vale closed after a working life of 200 years''" Retrieved 31 December 2013
Bolsover (district), Bolsover District Council sought to buy the mill buildings in 1992, using
compulsory purchase Compulsion, Compulsive, Compelling, or Compulsory may refer to: Psychology * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compu ...
powers. They were to be converted for use as offices and by light industry. The Council obtained them for just £1.00, and secured over £1 million in funding for the first phase of restoration. The initial building tackled was the latest to be built, and Mill 2 provided of accommodation when it was completed in 1994. Phase 2 consisted of Mill 1 and the North Wing, which provided a further and was completed in 1997. Stage 3 was the refurbishment of Mill 3, which provided of space. By 1998, over £4 million had been spent of the work, and the mill buildings provided accommodation for 45 businesses employing 244 people.


Gallery

File:Pleasley Vale Mills - geograph.org.uk - 678047.jpg File:Pleasley Mills - geograph.org.uk - 121577.jpg File:Pleasley Mills - geograph.org.uk - 121580.jpg File:Pleasley Mills - geograph.org.uk - 855533.jpg File:Pleasley Mills - geograph.org.uk - 855531.jpg File:Pleasley Vale - geograph.org.uk - 569172.jpg File:View of mill from the top floor. - geograph.org.uk - 480084.jpg File:Chimney at Pleasley Mill - geograph.org.uk - 468582.jpg


See also

*
Listed buildings in Pleasley Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

*http://pleasleyparishcouncil.org.uk/ *https://www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk
St Michael's Church
(Archived) {{authority control Bolsover District Civil parishes in Derbyshire Villages in Derbyshire Villages in Nottinghamshire Mansfield District