Until as recently as the 1980s, most of Ticknall was owned by the Harpur Crewe estate and the village retains the charming character of an estate village, benefiting also from an enviable unspoilt countryside setting.
Brick-making and lime-burning were big business in Ticknall in the 18th and 19th centuries, while from the 16th to the 18th centuries, Ticknall also had a thriving pottery industry.
In fact, ‘Ticknall Ware’ was well known throughout the Midlands and fragments of it can be picked up everywhere around the village today. The industry steadily declined during the second half of the 18th century.
The parish church in Ticknall is an example of the work of Derby architect H.I. Stevens and was completed in 1842. Remnants of the previous church stand in the churchyard, along with a simple medieval cross.
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Next to the church is a pretty cricket ground and look out for the attractive polygonal lock-up on the main street that was used to house vagrants and drunks in times past.
In a mysterious and secret spot north of the village is Knowle Hill, a property of the Landmark Trust. It was originally a strange and irregular house built in the 1690s by an eccentric member of the Burdett family of Foremark.
This building was used by the Burdetts while their house at Foremark was rebuilt around 1760, but later reduced to a summerhouse with accommodation for a gamekeeper.
Today the village has a number of pubs, many of which come with accommodation options.
Set amongst a network of beautiful walking trails, residents and visitors alike can explore the village’s fascinating history whilst taking in the abundant rural countryside views.
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Properties in Ticknall are highly sought after Photo: Gary Wallis PROPERTIES
According to the latest available figures from the Office for National Statistics, the average house price across the whole of South Derbyshire currently stands at £260,000 (as of December 2024), which is up five per cent from the previous year. This was lower than the rise typically seen across the East Midlands (5.3%) over the same period.
However, in keeping with the village’s reputation as a highly desirable and sought after place to live, the average price for a property for sale in Ticknall is significantly higher than the average for South Derbyshire at approximately £424,975, according to housesforsaletorent.co.uk.
Given Ticknall’s popularity, opportunities to purchase in the village can be hard to come by and properties do not come on the market all that frequently.
In total, there have been 13 sales in the past three years according to Rightmove, the UK’s largest online real estate property portal (rightmove.co.uk), with prices ranging from £1.1m for a detached five-bed home to £200,000.
Of the 13 properties sold within this time period, ten were detached, two semi-detached and one terrace, the latter being a one-bed property.
Set in the wonderful National Forest Ticknall, widely regarded as one of the county’s prettiest dwellings, is all you would want from a village.
Located 2.5 miles southwest of Melbourne and nine miles south of Derby, the village sits equidistant between Foremark Reservoir and Staunton Harold Reservoir and is popular for its scenic walking routes. Indeed, there are plenty of guided walks, routes and village trails to enjoy.
The village itself boasts fine local shops and eateries, including popular pubs very much in keeping with the charming look and feel of Ticknall, including The Chequers Inn on High Street, the village’s oldest pub.
Community spirit can be found everywhere, with events this month ranging from an art group; coffee club and more, whilst Ticknall’s successful cricket club begins it 2025 campaign this month. The village even has its own online magazine, Ticknall Life (ticknalllife.co.uk).
The famous ‘Ticknall Arch’ on Main Street is Grade II listed, having been built over 200 years ago by the Ashby Canal Company – one of 66 listed buildings in the surrounding area.
Ticknall is highly attractive, steeped in history, set in a stunning location and with a superb and close-knit community to boot. It is the perfect representation of a Derbyshire village.
While technically in the village of Calke, the National Trust-owned ‘un-stately home’ Calke Abbey is synonymous with Ticknall, with the abbey’s main entrance off the A514 at Ticknall.
Calke Abbey and Ticknall are also both inseparably linked with the Harpur-Crewe family, which built the estate – the county’s second largest behind Chatsworth – and owned it from 1622 all the way to 1985.
There are a number of stunning walks from Ticknall, including circulars, which lead through the Calke Abbey estate and make for a wonderful day out.
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