• Cutthorpe - Outlying farm belonging to the Cutte family.

It has to be said - Cutthorpe is not one of Derbyshires most publicised villages. But then that's perhaps how the local people like it. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit for it has a character all of its own.

Nothing much has changed for more than three centuries in the area known as Cutthorpe Green. Cutthorpe Hall, Dower House and Hall Farm still form a charming group of buildings alongside a very ancient track which still has large paving slabs buried beneath a rutted surface. This area would have been the original Cutthorpe first recorded in 1417, though there was a Roger Cutte who held land locally here in 1361 and there was still a William Cutte around in 1429.

The nucleus of the present village on the main road was mainly a Heathcote innovation (Heathcote's of Cutthorpe Hall) built to house their estate servants. The Heathcotes were a talented and enterprising family who over the years produced two Lord Mayors of London ...even one for New York, together with a Governor of the Bank of England, a New England pioneer, and a noted physician and botanist among other distinguished progeny who did much for close-by Chesterfield over a total of three centuries. The family were originally bell-founders at Loads, and when they bought the Cutthorpe estate from the Foljambes in 1614 they immediately added to the central core of the present house by adding further sections over the years.

Adjacent to the Hall grounds is a building officially known as ‘The Barracks’, because it housed French prisoners of war at one time. These days, chickens occupy the building - thereby making it, possibly, the only Grade Two listed chicken run in the country! It has been given a 17th century date, though locals believe it to be much older. Certainly there appears to be a Norman door on the ground floor close to an external stone staircase, which in turn leads to a main room on the first floor.

Locals like to talk of the fact that at one time it was a resting place for monks joruneying along the ancient track between Beauchief Abbey and Louth Park Abbey in Lincolnshire, which at one time owned land in this area. It is thought that it could have been part of a monastic grange, though frankly it looks far too elaborate (even as a chicken run) to have been a simple barn.

Cutthorpe is one of those villages in Derbyshire where well-dressing is prevalent, though it was only as recently as 1978 that it was revived after a break of many years. These days two wells are dressed one at the Peacock Inn and the other opposite the quaintly named Three Jolly Friends. Well-dressing is celebrated on the first Saturday in August. Though there is no religious element, the wells are nevetheless blessed on the Saturday with a thanksgiving service for the gift of water on the Sunday. In days of old the event was celebrated with a feast for all the villagers whereas these days it's inclined to be a gala, along with the usual Gala Queen, and a Dog Show.

Mention too must be made of the Linacre Reservoirs. Three small reservoirs in fact located in an attractive wooded valley, complete with lakeside walks, and a very pleasnt nature trail. The high proportion of native species provides diverse habitats for wildlife. Game fishing is permiteed during season.