A hidden dale in the village of Stoney Middleton is the surprising location for two of Derbyshire’s most curious buildings
The Octagonal Nave
The charming appearance of Stoney Middleton’s secluded enclave becomes increasingly apparent as you travel along The Nook, a narrow lane which meanders past a succession of pretty cottages.
At one bend in the road, there is a head-on view of the tower of St Martin’s Church. This low, broad structure is the only surviving remnant of a place of worship founded by Joan Eyre of Padley to celebrate the safe return of her husband from the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
The rest of the 15th century building was destroyed in a fire that swept through the body of the church in 1757. A new nave was completed just two years after the inferno had wreaked such terrible havoc.
Its interior consists of a small central area surrounded by a continuous colonnaded ‘aisle’, where there is seating for the congregation.
Light is brought into this spectacular space through eight semi-circular, tripartite windows arranged around the circumference of a large pyramidal lantern.
Although Derbyshire County Council’s website states that St Martin’s has ‘the distinction of probably being the only octagonal church in the country’, local author Graham Armitage concedes that there is a church in the Devon town of Teignmouth with a similar shape.
Nikolaus Pevsner described Stoney Middleton’s church as ‘a rarity, if not a visually very satisfying one’. By way of explanation, he said, ‘It is unfortunate that the roof of the lantern is almost no lower than the height of the tower.’
It is not entirely clear who was responsible for the unusual design of the new nave.
Professor Tarn of Nottingham University thought that it was probably Fred Booth, a local stonemason, who may have been inspired by drawings he had seen in James Paine’s architectural publications, or that Paine ‘may have had a hand in the design himself’.
Two nearby buildings which have been attributed without question to Paine are the Stable Block at Chatsworth and the much-photographed bridge over the river Derwent in the grounds of the stately house.
Given that both these structures are widely regarded as masterpieces, would it be appropriate to re-assess the architectural merit of Stoney Middleton’s church?
At the very least, the nave of St Martin’s deserves praise for a design that is daringly bold and gloriously space-enhancing.
After rounding the next bend, The Nook passes another remarkable curiosity – a single-storey, double-gabled building known locally as a ‘Roman’ bath house.
The baths are fed by a thermal spring that emerges from a hillside behind the building. Whether the Romans knew about this spring and took advantage of its supposed healing powers is questionable – although the discovery of a few Roman coins in the vicinity has often been used as evidence that they may have done so.
The Bath House that can be seen today is not Roman at all. It was built in the early years of the 19th century by Thomas Denman, the Lord Chief Justice of England, who lived at Stoney Middleton Hall, on the opposite flank of The Nook. It was designed to accommodate ‘one bath for gentlemen and another one for ladies’.
Lord Denman could have decided to enclose the previously open baths after hearing that one visitor had suggested that more people would have been tempted to try the water if the baths had been covered.
But why would his Lordship have wanted to spend a large amount of money on this construction?
Lord Denman would have received additional encouragement from a short treatise about Stoney Middleton’s mineral waters written by Dr Short, in 1734, which had stated that the water could be ‘drunk more freely and more safely than at Buxton, as it is cooler.’
He also knew that he would be able to exploit claims made by local people that the waters in Stoney Middleton had been known to the Romans, like those at Buxton.
Unfortunately, his attempt to remake Stoney Middleton as a spa failed, and the Bath House gradually fell into disrepair.
Between 1985 and 1992, the building was rescued and restored by the Parish Council, with additional financial support from the Peak District National Park, not as a public facility, but as a heritage asset.
It is one of Derbyshire’s most intriguing curiosities.
Before turning off the A623 to seek out Stoney Middleton’s octagonal church, you will have spotted a much smaller octagonal building.
Built in the 1840s as a toll house, it was converted into a fish and chip shop in 1926 – it is the only Grade II listed shop of its kind in England.
If you call in for a takeaway, you will be served chips made from potatoes grown locally and fish that is freshly cooked to order.
Curry Cottage, the village’s Indian restaurant and takeaway, can also claim to be unique. It is built beneath a limestone crag known as Lover’s Leap.
Legend has it that a young lady called Hannah Baddeley jumped off the summit when attempting to end her life after being jilted, only to be thwarted when her petticoats billowed out and checked her fall.
The limestone cliffs on the opposite side of the main road used to be fronted by mills and lead smelters. These have been replaced by new buildings cleverly designed to respect the village’s industrial past.
A second new development, called Rock Mill, contains 49 luxury self-catering holiday apartments. Externally, the building has been designed to resemble an 18th century mill.
Another option for people who want to extend their stay in Stoney Middleton is to book a room at The Moon Inn, the last remaining public house in the village. Its beautifully furnished en-suite rooms are named after local roads – including The Nook!
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