A couple of weeks ago on our way back from a visit to Chesterfield we stopped off to photograph the church at the village of Ault Hucknall for Paul's one-name study website. I think this is one of the few churches where both our family names can be found as the name Limb, Limm and Lymm - found on my mother's side of the family also seems to originate from here. Whilst researching my ancestors over the years I've found clusters of the Limb (and variants) name in parish records from Ault Hucknall and Heanor in Derbyshire and Eastwood in Nottinghamshire.
The village of Ault Hucknall, described in some places as the smallest village in England as it has only three dwelling places and the church, is close to both Hardwick Hall and Stainsby Mill and isn't far from the village where I grew up in fact the two churches were recently and perhaps still are served by the same vicar. I think it is known as a dual benefice.
I was surprised that my photos turned out so well as it was getting quite dark in the gloom of a late winter's afternoon. The whole parish of Ault Hucknall includes the nearby settlements of Hardstoft, Rowthorne, Astwith and Stainsby as well as some outlying farmsteads.
According to the Victoria County History some of the features of the church of St John the Baptist, which is Grade 1 listed, date back to the 11th century when ecclesiastical architecture was still very much influenced by Anglo-Saxon traditions. As seen in the carvings above and below.
The church played an important part in the lives of all the people on the Hardwick Estate and some of them must have travelled quite a way to attend services there. Not surprisingly the church was closed whilst we were there but inside is buried the philosopher and author of The Leviathan Thomas Hobbes who was in his younger days a tutor to the Cavendish family.
The gravestones in the churchyard were most interesting and I'd like to return and look at them and the inside of the church at a later date. I thought the monument below look quite spooky in the half light.
I didn't spot any Limbs in the churchyard but I did see two on the War Memorial which stands just outside Stainsby Mill
We visited Stainsby Mill in April last year on a really cold day and I took a few photos which I never used on here. It is of course owned by the National Trust and run by volunteers.
It stands on the Hardwick Estate and its interpretation inside is that of a 19th century water mill.
Although from my photos it looks as if there was no one else there in actual fact there were quite a few people inside where the volunteers were describing the various workings of the mill and grinding handfuls of flour for us to feel.
The mill produces
wholegrain wheat flour and spelt flour.
We bought a bag of each to make bread with at home
wholegrain wheat flour and spelt flour.
That weatherworn gravestone looks very odd doesn't it, I can't quite decide what it looks like! The old mill looks like a lovely building, hope that you have fun making bread with your flours! xx
ReplyDeleteI thought it looked like one of those scream masks that children wear on halloween, I sort of see a face in it! We visited the mill last April so the bread has been made eaten and enjoyed:)
DeleteI didn't notice that you had visited the mill last year, I was so enthralled with the gravestone, I think that it looks like a face/mask as well! Glad that the bread was good! xx
DeleteIt is the strangest gravestone! I wonder to whom it belongs? I couldn't make out any inscription on it at all - it has all been obliterated by that very strange weathering which seems to follow exactly the shape of the top of the stone:)
DeleteHow interesting that both of your family names can be traced back here. I can see the Anglo-Saxon influence in the carvings - is that St George and the Dragon? The grave stone does look very spooky!
ReplyDeleteI love to see old mills still working.
It does seem to be one church where a couple of our family names coincide - not direct lines. My husbands family name is an old Derbyshire one originating from further north in the peaks around Tideswell, Eyam, Stoney Middleton and Edale whereas my maiden can be traced back to south Derbyshire and before that to the Welsh borders. It does look like St George and the Dragon - I hope when we go back in the summer when the church is open we can find out more:)
DeleteInteresting post, Ault Hucknall sounds as though it's well worth a visit. Stainsby mill always seems to be closed when I'm in the Hardwick area.
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to go back and look inside! It seems amazing that I've never been in before when we lived for years no more than five miles away. We were lucky to find the mill open as several times we've thought of visiting and it has been closed:)
DeleteThe mill looks fascinating, especially as it is still producing its own flour. Spooky headstones indeed!
ReplyDeleteI always find old mills fascinating especially water millls I don't know why and it is great if you can get some flour too:)
DeleteThe 'spooky' monument looks like a face doesn't it? I love spelt flour with its nutty taste. x
ReplyDeleteI thought I could see a face in there, Simone. Yes, I too like spelt bread and rye bread too for its rich, nutty taste:)
DeleteI like the 'spooky' monument. That does look like an interesting church/graveyard to visit and I enjoyed a little look at Stainsby Mill as it's somewhere I've yet to visit.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I heard back from that school and it wasn't what I was hoping to hear.
It would be nice if you could visit both Hardwick Halls and the mill at the same time as they all tie in together. So sorry to hear that news! What a blow. Thanks for letting me know:)
DeleteYour posts are always so interesting. I feel like I've been on a visit myself. It looks like a very peaceful place...despite that slightly spooky monument! x
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo it was very interesting if a wee bit spooky on a dismal winter's early evening - it was very atmospheric. I wonder what it would be like on a warm sunny summer afternoon?:)
DeleteLike you Rosie, we have spent hours in various churchyards looking for ancestors and I really enjoyed your visit. That was a very spooky looking headstone I agree. I love mills too and very often buy a bag of flour to take home. x
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have spent a lot of time visiting churches and mills over the last few years mainly for Paul's Bread and Family History websites but also for my interests too - I never tire of visiting them:)
DeleteIt is fascinating to find members of your family like this - I think it helps to place them in their surroundings and gives you a better picture of where and how they lived.
ReplyDeleteI do like to visit the places where my ancestors lived and worked. The Limbs from here aren't in my direct line - they seem to come from Heanor in Derbyshire but the earliest records of Limbs do seem to be from the Ault Hucknall area so they could have originated there and moved for work to places likje Heanor and Eastwood where the name is found later:)
DeleteLove finding the old names that might be relatives....I could live in that flour mill! Can't wait to see the bread when it's made...
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, the flour mill was interesting but quite cold and damp when we visited - it was in April last year so the bread we made from the flour has long since been eaten and enjoyed:)
DeleteI've passed the mill loads of time but never called in - must remedy that. I can vouch that you are excellent bread makers xx
ReplyDeleteIt is quite interesting inside and the volunteers are very knowledgeable - it felt quite cold and damp when we were there - April last year. Ah, I'd forgotten you'd eaten Paul's bread at our lovely picnic at Wentworth - those long hot days are so easily forgotten in all this cold weather but my goodness it was hot that day:)
Delete"Limbs in the graveyard" sounds like the title of a horror story! Spooky gravestone indeed - great picture! I must try spelt flour sometime - I love making bread. Thanks for sharing this - interesting. Abby x
ReplyDeleteDoes sound a bit gruesome doesn't it? I know if I search for Limb in a family history capacity on google I always get loads of stuff about artificial limbs:) I like bread made with spelt flour it's quite nutty in flavour:)
DeleteFascinating stuff here Rosie. I've started tracing the family tree on my Dad's side. Very addictive isn't it!
ReplyDeleteI love old churchyards - but I have to say that spooky gravestone is quite mad looking - deliberately so I wonder ...?
It is very addictive I've been doing mine for quite a long time now and have got back as far as I can on direct lines but every now and them I find something else and off I go again! The stone is spooky looking it just looks to me as if it has weathered in the same shape as the top but those indents are very deep aren't they?:)
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