Flash, Staffordshire
Encyclopedia
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
.
going towards Leek
. It is on the southern slope of the highest ground on Axe Edge Moor, peak 551m. The parish forms the Staffordshire corner of Three Shire Head
, a pack horse bridge on a tributary of the River Dane
, where Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire meet.
This general area has much geographical interest. To the south is Morridge, with a trig point at 489m at Merryton Low which provides outstanding sunset views across the Cheshire plain and The Roaches
. Also in this area is Ramshaw Rocks
, a part of the range which includes Hen Cloud and The Roaches. The famous "Winking Man" is a combination of upright stones on Ramshaw Rocks, which is seen to wink as one travels the A53. The River Dane
rises within the parish. East of Flash, and just over the A53, are the heads of the River Dove and River Manifold
. Further south is the head of the River Churnet
, and to the north is the head of the River Goyt. Other interesting features include caves on the west side of Axe Edge, one of which is known as "The Devil's Hole" from some strange sounds heard there when the wind is in the right direction.
has been recognised for some time by the Guinness Book of Records. In 2007 it was upheld by the BBC
, which settled a dispute with its rival claimant, Wanlockhead
in Dumfries and Galloway. The Ordnance Survey
measured the highest house in each village and Flash was higher. There is no doubt, however, about the Methodist Chapel being the highest in Britain, helped by the scarcity of Methodist Chapels in the Southern Uplands.
Flash is located at UK grid reference
, or 53°12′N 1°58′W.
after a servant girl gave them away.
During the first half of the 19th century the population of he parish was around 700; it had been reduced to half this by the end of the 1800s. In 1851 there were 40 agricultural labourers, about the same number of silk workers, and almost as many colliers. There were also stonemasons, dress makers, blacksmiths and cordwainers, and a shoemaker, errand boy, wheelwright, game-keeper, grocer, peddlar and tailor, as well as a number of house servants, 275 young people and 50 scholars. At one time 29 families were receiving weekly relief and 23 families occasional relief, nearly a quarter of the population.
The first record of coal mining in the parish comes from 1401 when Thomas Smith took a year's lease on the 'vein coal' of Black Brook
, near Upper Hulme
. There were a large number of coal pits in the area, including Orchard Common, Blackclough, Hope, Goldsitch and Knotbury. They were worked throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and some into the early 20th century, for both commercial and domestic use.
As an isolated community, Flash has a small population and a school which houses 7 pupils. It formerly had a reputation for being a centre for illegal activities such as cock fighting
and counterfeiting ('Flash money'). Prize fighting was said to have taken place at Three Shires Head.
According to some sources, the counterfeit money used to be exchanged at the nearby Three Shires Head (where Staffordshire
, Cheshire
and Derbyshire
meet) on Axe Edge Moor
.
was so well established in Flash during the 18th century that a chapel was built as early as 1784. At this time, there were 61 Methodist "members of Society
". This account suggests that Flash became a centre from which Methodism spread into other neighbouring villages, for example Hollinsclough
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...
Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands
Staffordshire Moorlands is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, is based in Leek and is located between the city of Stoke-on-Trent and the Peak District National Park. The 2001 census recorded the population as...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and 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....
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
Wesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
.
Location and geography
Flash is the main village in Quarnford Parish. It lies just off the A53 main road about 3 miles south west of BuxtonBuxton
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"...
going towards Leek
Leek, Staffordshire
Leek is a market town in the county of Staffordshire, England, on the River Churnet. It is an ancient borough and was granted its royal charter in 1214.It is the administrative centre for the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council...
. It is on the southern slope of the highest ground on Axe Edge Moor, peak 551m. The parish forms the Staffordshire corner of Three Shire Head
Three Shire Head
Three Shire Head is the point on Axe Edge Moor where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet, at UK grid reference , or ....
, a pack horse bridge on a tributary of the River Dane
River Dane
The River Dane is a river mainly in Cheshire in the north west of England.The river rises in Derbyshire, close to the source of the River Goyt just to the south west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor...
, where Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire meet.
This general area has much geographical interest. To the south is Morridge, with a trig point at 489m at Merryton Low which provides outstanding sunset views across the Cheshire plain and The Roaches
The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
. Also in this area is Ramshaw Rocks
The Roaches
The Roaches is the name given to a prominent rocky ridge situated above Leek and Tittesworth Reservoir in the Peak District of England...
, a part of the range which includes Hen Cloud and The Roaches. The famous "Winking Man" is a combination of upright stones on Ramshaw Rocks, which is seen to wink as one travels the A53. The River Dane
River Dane
The River Dane is a river mainly in Cheshire in the north west of England.The river rises in Derbyshire, close to the source of the River Goyt just to the south west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor...
rises within the parish. East of Flash, and just over the A53, are the heads of the River Dove and River Manifold
River Manifold
The River Manifold is a river in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove ....
. Further south is the head of the River Churnet
River Churnet
The River Churnet is a river that flows in Staffordshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Dove.- Etymology :The origins of the name "Churnet" are unknown, though it is thought to derive from the pre-English, British name for the river.- Course :...
, and to the north is the head of the River Goyt. Other interesting features include caves on the west side of Axe Edge, one of which is known as "The Devil's Hole" from some strange sounds heard there when the wind is in the right direction.
Highest village in Britain
At 463 metres (1,519 ft) above sea level, Flash is the highest village in England. The claim of being the highest village in Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
has been recognised for some time by the Guinness Book of Records. In 2007 it was upheld by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which settled a dispute with its rival claimant, Wanlockhead
Wanlockhead
Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland nestling in the Lowther Hills one mile south of Leadhills at the head of the Mennock Pass, which forms part of the Southern Uplands...
in Dumfries and Galloway. The Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
measured the highest house in each village and Flash was higher. There is no doubt, however, about the Methodist Chapel being the highest in Britain, helped by the scarcity of Methodist Chapels in the Southern Uplands.
Flash is located at UK grid reference
Grid reference
Grid references define locations on maps using Cartesian coordinates. Grid lines on maps define the coordinate system, and are numbered to provide a unique reference to features....
, or 53°12′N 1°58′W.
The village
There was a silk mill at Gradbach from 1640 to 1840, with silk weaving and button making as cottage industries through the Parish. In the 18th century, a gang used button presses to make cointerfeit coins (hence the name "Flash Money") but some were hanged at ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
after a servant girl gave them away.
During the first half of the 19th century the population of he parish was around 700; it had been reduced to half this by the end of the 1800s. In 1851 there were 40 agricultural labourers, about the same number of silk workers, and almost as many colliers. There were also stonemasons, dress makers, blacksmiths and cordwainers, and a shoemaker, errand boy, wheelwright, game-keeper, grocer, peddlar and tailor, as well as a number of house servants, 275 young people and 50 scholars. At one time 29 families were receiving weekly relief and 23 families occasional relief, nearly a quarter of the population.
The first record of coal mining in the parish comes from 1401 when Thomas Smith took a year's lease on the 'vein coal' of Black Brook
Black Brook
-Towns:* Black Brook, New York, in Clinton County* Black Brook, Wisconsin, in Polk County-Rivers:In England* Black Brook , a small river in Lancashire* Black Brook, West Yorkshire, a small river near CalderdaleIn New Jersey...
, near Upper Hulme
Upper Hulme
Upper Hulme is a hamlet situated on the border in North Staffordshire near the border with Derbyshire and between Leek and Buxton.The area is popular with climbers as it is located very close to The Roaches....
. There were a large number of coal pits in the area, including Orchard Common, Blackclough, Hope, Goldsitch and Knotbury. They were worked throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and some into the early 20th century, for both commercial and domestic use.
As an isolated community, Flash has a small population and a school which houses 7 pupils. It formerly had a reputation for being a centre for illegal activities such as cock fighting
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....
and counterfeiting ('Flash money'). Prize fighting was said to have taken place at Three Shires Head.
According to some sources, the counterfeit money used to be exchanged at the nearby Three Shires Head (where Staffordshire
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...
, 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...
and Derbyshire
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...
meet) on 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...
.
Methodist history
Wesleyan MethodismMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
was so well established in Flash during the 18th century that a chapel was built as early as 1784. At this time, there were 61 Methodist "members of Society
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...
". This account suggests that Flash became a centre from which Methodism spread into other neighbouring villages, for example Hollinsclough
Hollinsclough
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.-Location and geography:...