Chapel-en-le-Frith
Encyclopedia
Chapel-en-le-Frith is a small town in Derbyshire
, England, on the edge of the Peak District
near the border with Cheshire
, 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) from Manchester
. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans
in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest of High Peak
. This led to the French-derived name of Chapel-en-le-Frith ("Chapel in the forest"). The population of 'Chapel', as the locals commonly refer to it, is approximately 10,000. For some years Chapel was the location of the High Peak Borough Council
offices. There is a golf club, a cricket club and a football club.
) was originally built by the Normans but was replaced with a larger building a hundred years later. It stands at the highest point in the town. The current building is now almost entirely of 18th-century construction. Buried in the churchyard are soldiers of the Scottish
army of the Duke of Hamilton
who marched south in support of Charles I
in 1648. After their defeat at Preston
, they were marched to Chapel and imprisoned in the church for sixteen days in such squalid conditions that forty died; a further ten died when they were marched towards Cheshire
. The Eccles Pike Cross lies in the churchyard. It was moved here from Ollerenshaw Farm in 1925. It is believed to be Anglo-Saxon
and is covered in very worn carvings.
bell has been rung in the town since 1070, and on Shrove Tuesday
a Pudding Bell is rung at eleven in the morning to remind housewives to prepare their batter.
There is a regular market place
, cobbled
and raised above the High Street, which is still used every Thursday to host the local market (though due to the current economic climate the number of stalls present has declined considerably). A market cross
has a faint date which may read 1636, but the cross itself is considerably older.
(an anagram of Frood, the 19th-century founder's name, with the addition of a letter "e") was a family concern for over a hundred years; it is now part of the international conglomerate Federal-Mogul
.
was built c.1840 on the Whaley Bridge
road . It consisted of an entrance range and an accommodation block of three wings centred on an octagonal hub, an infirmary and an isolation hospital. The workhouse was later converted to an old people's home, and was demolished in the early 1980s.
High Peak Radio
, Independent Local Radio for High Peak and the Hope Valley, broadcasts from studios just off the High Street.
is located 1.5 km (ca. 1 mile) from the town centre, on the commuter line from Buxton
to Manchester Piccadilly
. The other railway line passing through the town, which has a more centrally located station ' onMouseout='HidePop("65541")' href="/topics/Midland_Railway">Midland Railway
), was once one of the main lines from London
to Manchester
. While it no longer carries passenger traffic, it now carries a constant stream of roadstone from the quarries around Buxton
. It terminates at its junction with the Manchester–Sheffield
trans-Pennine line by way of two viaducts, diverging east and west, above the Black Brook valley at Chapel Milton
near Chinley
signalbox.
highlands, which are made up of millstone grit and are heather
-covered, rugged and bleak. Here are Chinley Churn and South Head with, a little further off, Kinder Scout
, which looms above the whole area. To the south is the gentler and more pastoral
White Peak
, consisting largely of limestone
grasslands, nevertheless with spectacular bluffs and the occasional gorge. Combs Moss, a gritstone 'edge', dominates the valley in which Chapel lies from the south and Eccles Pike rises sharply above the town to its west.
and Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School.
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, England, on the edge of the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
near the border with Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Dubbed "The Capital of the Peak District", the settlement was established by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in the 12th century, originally as a hunting lodge within the Forest of High Peak
Forest of High Peak
The Forest of High Peak was, in medieval times, a moorland forest covering most of the North West of Derbyshire, in England as far south as Tideswell and Buxton....
. This led to the French-derived name of Chapel-en-le-Frith ("Chapel in the forest"). The population of 'Chapel', as the locals commonly refer to it, is approximately 10,000. For some years Chapel was the location of the High Peak Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council
High Peak Borough Council is a non-metropolitan district council with borough status in the north of Derbyshire, England. It forms part of the two tier system of local government alongside Derbyshire County Council for the High Peak. The administrative base of High Peak Borough Council is split...
offices. There is a golf club, a cricket club and a football club.
Church of St Thomas Becket
The first chapel in the town (now the Church of St. Thomas BecketThomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
) was originally built by the Normans but was replaced with a larger building a hundred years later. It stands at the highest point in the town. The current building is now almost entirely of 18th-century construction. Buried in the churchyard are soldiers of the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
army of the Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that Peerage , and as such its holder is the Premier Peer of Scotland, as well as being head of both the House of Hamilton and the House of Douglas...
who marched south in support of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1648. After their defeat at Preston
Battle of Preston (1648)
The Battle of Preston , fought largely at Walton-le-Dale near Preston in Lancashire, resulted in a victory by the troops of Oliver Cromwell over the Royalists and Scots commanded by the Duke of Hamilton...
, they were marched to Chapel and imprisoned in the church for sixteen days in such squalid conditions that forty died; a further ten died when they were marched towards Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. The Eccles Pike Cross lies in the churchyard. It was moved here from Ollerenshaw Farm in 1925. It is believed to be Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
and is covered in very worn carvings.
Customs
A curfewCurfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
bell has been rung in the town since 1070, and on Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
a Pudding Bell is rung at eleven in the morning to remind housewives to prepare their batter.
There is a regular market place
Market Place
Market Place is the financial programme broadcast Monday to Friday at 10:30pm in Hong Kong by television channel TVB Pearl....
, cobbled
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
and raised above the High Street, which is still used every Thursday to host the local market (though due to the current economic climate the number of stalls present has declined considerably). A market cross
Market cross
A market cross is a structure used to mark a market square in market towns, originally from the distinctive tradition in Early Medieval Insular art of free-standing stone standing or high crosses, often elaborately carved, which goes back to the 7th century. Market crosses can be found in most...
has a faint date which may read 1636, but the cross itself is considerably older.
Industry
There is a certain amount of industry — especially behind the church in the lowest part of the town, where the brake-lining manufacturer FerodoFerodo
Ferodo is a British brake company based in the High Peak of Derbyshire.-History:It was founded in 1897 by Herbert Froode in Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire...
(an anagram of Frood, the 19th-century founder's name, with the addition of a letter "e") was a family concern for over a hundred years; it is now part of the international conglomerate Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul Corporation is a global automotive supplier based in Southfield, Michigan, USA. It is one of the leading engine-parts suppliers in the United States, including engine bearings, pistons, piston pins, piston rings, cylinder liners, valve seats and guides, transmission products and...
.
Institutions
Chapel Poor Law Union was established in December 1837. The union workhouseWorkhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
was built c.1840 on the Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge
Whaley Bridge is a small town and civil parish in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, England, situated on the River Goyt. Whaley Bridge is approximately south of Manchester, north of Buxton , east of Macclesfield and west of Sheffield, and had a population of 6,226 at the 2001 census. This...
road . It consisted of an entrance range and an accommodation block of three wings centred on an octagonal hub, an infirmary and an isolation hospital. The workhouse was later converted to an old people's home, and was demolished in the early 1980s.
High Peak Radio
High Peak Radio
High Peak Radio is a commercial radio station broadcasting to the Peak District. The studios are in Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire. It broadcasts on 106.4 , 103.3 , and 106.6 FM...
, Independent Local Radio for High Peak and the Hope Valley, broadcasts from studios just off the High Street.
Transport
Chapel-en-le-Frith railway stationChapel-en-le-Frith railway station
Chapel-en-le-Frith railway station serves the town of Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, England. It is 33 km south east of Manchester Piccadilly on the Buxton Line from Manchester. It was built in 1863 for the LNWR on its line from Whaley Bridge to Buxton...
is located 1.5 km (ca. 1 mile) from the town centre, on the commuter line from Buxton
Buxton railway station
Buxton railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Buxton in Derbyshire. It is managed and served by Northern Rail. The station is 25¾ miles south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton Line.-History:...
to Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
. The other railway line passing through the town, which has a more centrally located station ' onMouseout='HidePop("65541")' href="/topics/Midland_Railway">Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
), was once one of the main lines from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. While it no longer carries passenger traffic, it now carries a constant stream of roadstone from the quarries around Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
. It terminates at its junction with the Manchester–Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
trans-Pennine line by way of two viaducts, diverging east and west, above the Black Brook valley at Chapel Milton
Chapel Milton
Chapel Milton, in the heart of England's Peak District, is a hamlet on the outskirts of Chapel-en-le-Frith on the road leading from there to Chinley and to Glossop. It is notable for two major features....
near Chinley
Chinley
Chinley is a rural village in High Peak Borough, situated on the western edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 2000. Before the railway, the area was economically dominated by agriculture and quarrying. Three textile mills were established in...
signalbox.
Moorlands
To the north lie the Dark PeakDark Peak
The Dark Peak is the higher, wilder northern part of the Peak District in England.It gets its name because , the underlying limestone is covered by a cap of Millstone Grit which means that in winter the soil is almost always saturated with water...
highlands, which are made up of millstone grit and are heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
-covered, rugged and bleak. Here are Chinley Churn and South Head with, a little further off, Kinder Scout
Kinder Scout
Kinder Scout is a moorland plateau in the Dark Peak of the Derbyshire Peak District in England. Part of the moor, at 636 m above sea level, is the highest point in the Peak District, the highest point in Derbyshire, and the highest point in the East Midlands. It is accessible from the villages of...
, which looms above the whole area. To the south is the gentler and more pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
White Peak
White Peak
The White Peak is the lower, southern part of the Peak District in England. In contrast to the Dark Peak, the underlying limestone is not capped by impervious millstone grit, so caves and dry river valleys are common features of the area...
, consisting largely of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
grasslands, nevertheless with spectacular bluffs and the occasional gorge. Combs Moss, a gritstone 'edge', dominates the valley in which Chapel lies from the south and Eccles Pike rises sharply above the town to its west.
Education
There are two schools in the town; Chapel-en-le-Frith High SchoolChapel-en-le-Frith High School
Chapel-en-le-Frith High School is a mixed gender comprehensive school in Chapel-en-le-Frith in the county of Derbyshire, England. It serves pupils aged 11 to 16 from the town, from nearby Whaley Bridge, and the surrounding villages.-History:...
and Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School.
External links
- Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council
- Chapel-en-le-Frith.com website
- Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School
- Chapel-en-le-Frith High School
- The Church of St Thomas Becket
- Chapel Golf Club
- Chapel-en-le-Frith Cricket Club