Kniveton is a village in 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...

, 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...

. It is located in 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....

, 3 miles (4.8 km) north east of Ashbourne

Ashbourne, Derbyshire

Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...

, 6 south west from Wirksworth and 150 miles (241.4 km) from London. It is close to the reservoir at Carsington Water.

Toponymy

The name Kniveton derives from "Cengifu" and "tun", meaning the farmstead of a woman named Cengifu, an OE personal name.

Early History

There are two scheduled barrows in Kniveton and Thomas Bateman

Thomas Bateman

Thomas Bateman was an English antiquary and barrow-digger.-Biography:Thomas Bateman was born in Rowsley, Derbyshire, England, the son of the amateur archaeologist William Bateman...

 excavated one in 1845. A later excavation revealed a rivetted bronze dagger with an ivory pommel, an urn or food vessel, a perforated stone axe and an amber ring.

Kniveton is mentioned in the Domesday book where it is recorded as Cheniveton. The manor belonged to the Kniveton family. The manor was sold after 1660 to the Lowe family and afterwards to the Pegge family who sold it to the Meynells.

During the 19th century the inhabitants worked in the cotton mills. Lime-burning and agriculture were other occupations.

Governance

Historically Kniveton was a township, parish and village in the Western division of the county, part of the ancient Wirksworth hundred, and part of the Ashbourne Poor Law Union which came into existence in January 1845.
The coat of arms on display in the church's stained glass window is that of the Kniveton family.

Geography

Kniveton covers 1974 acres (8 km²), the underlying rock is limestone and the soil is heavy, much of it pastureland.

Population change

Population growth in Clowne from 1881–1961
Year	1881	1891	1901	1911	1921	1931	1951	1961
Population	272	269	266	268	260	253	265	276
Kniveton Ch/CP/AP

Education

In 1715 Mr. John Hurd gave land for the endowment of a school at Kniveton. A church school was built in 1861. Today Kniveton CE Primary School serves the village and the surrounding rural community.

Religion

The church in Kniveton was originally a chapelry to St Oswald's church in Ashbourne. St. Michael's church has Norman origins as evidenced in the plain semi-circular arch of the porch. It, is sited on a small hill, built of coursed rubble gritstone with ashlar dressings in the Early English style and dates from the I3th century, it consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a low embattled western tower with a short spire, the tower has two 17th century bells, one dated 1665. St Michael's Church is a Grade I Listed building.

The former Kniveton Methodist Church dates from 1832. It is built of red brick on a stone plinth with a tiled tipped roof. It is a GradeII Listed building.