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Alton
Alton maps
Historic maps of Alton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Alton maps
Alton photos
We have no photos of Alton, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Ashover| Stretton| Matlock Moor| Chesterfield| Matlock| Two Dales| Holloway| South Wingfield| Matlock Bath| Darley Dale| Hardwick Hall| Brimington| Alfreton| Cromford| Whatstandwell| Bonsall| South Normanton| Staveley| Middleton
Alton area books
Displaying 1 of 11 books about Alton and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Alton
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Derbyshire memories
Roll on to 1972
My memory of the Grange dates to when it was being used as a youth hostel in the Seventies and my primary school in Hounslow used to take 3rd and 4th year pupils away for a week so we experienced something more than Tridents and VC10s buzzing us every three minutes.
My main memory is the first evening of the 1972 visit, when I must have been nine years old; we took an evening walk to Ashover Rock which was spectacular, however on the trek down the hill to the Grange I lost my footing on the damp ground and couldn't find any purchase to stop.
Within seconds, I - as a slightly hefty child - was hurtling down the slope and I finally went over committing more involuntary gymnastic moves in 30 seconds than in the rest of my life.
I finally came to rest where the slope flattened out, my hands and face covered in scratches and a single gash to my knee. The great... Read more
Scripture Union
I was a pupil at Counthill Grammar School in Oldham, Lancs and a member of the Scripture Union. We were taken to Eastwood Grange for a weekend and had a wonderful time walking on the crags and also taking part in some christian meetings.
The year after I moved to Buckinghamshire with my family but still remember the lovely time we had hthere.
Milnes of Ashover
In about 1995, I found amongst my late grandmother's papers, reference to a couple of 'Uncles' - William and John Milnes - who lived at one time at Butts House in Ashover. It was mentioned that the two brothers had owned mines in the area, and at some stage had 'fallen out' and so Butts House was divided in two, and they never spoke to each other again. This intrigued me, and so in 1997, on a visit to Lincolnshire, I managed to travel to Ashover on a day trip, where I located Butts House, and that was about as far as my research took me at that time.
In 2007 I visited England again, but did not go back to Ashover. However in 2008 I began to research the Milnes family of Ashover, and found to my surprise that they were once quite well thought of in the village.
The biggest surprise I had, was when I was able to trace my grandmother's family back to Edmond Hodgkinson c... Read more
Cherished Memories
I can remember taking part in the Easter Parades, hundreds of children would walk or ride on the beautifully decorated floats, we would walks round Tupton on Ankerbold Road, Station Road on towards the Royal Oak up Ashover Road and end up at someone's house were we would all have a drink of pop and a bun. I was born and bred in Old Tupton and lived up Martins Lane I can remember helping Mr Wright from Wrights Farm on Martins Lane deliver milk to the houses.
Devonshire Street
I was born at no 10 Devonshire Street and remember the row of terraced houses and tiny cramped back streets, and loads of alleys and gennels where we played hide and seek. I was about 4 when Sheffield was bombed and remember standing in the doorway between my mum and dad and him saying "Don't worry, Twiggy. They are not going to bomb us". He must have been on leave from his regiment at the time but he was also evacuated from Dunkirk after swimming out to the small boats in the English Channel. There were searchlights in the sky and a large brick shelter was built towards the bottom of Devonshire Street and a Mr. Oldfield used to organise us when we filed in during a bomb scare. Looking back we would have had no protection at all if a bomb had been dropped. I couldn't have been very old but I also remember the lamp lighter who used to come and light the gas lamp at the top... Read more
Shopping With Mum
I know the picture very well, as I have a copy of this on my wall. My mother purchased this copy about 20 years ago and I brought it back to Australia with me on my father's death. He had been Group Chief Confectioner/Director at Trebor sweet company.
The reason this photo is of so much interest to the family is that my mum, grandma and me are in the picture! I'm the little girl holding a bunch of flowers! I was then aged 10. My mother is beside me facing away from the camera and my grandmother is further back on the right wearing the dark hat.
Interesting that we have become part of Chesterfield's photographic history!
We moved to Leybourne, Kent in about 1962, when my father was transferred to Sharps in Maidstone.
Regards
Julia (nee Weekes)
The Queen's Head
As a very young child I lived in Chesterfield for about a year in the early 1960s. I must have been just 5 years old but remember quite a lot. I lived on Knifesmith Gate above The Queen's Head Pub/Restaurant. I just wonder if it still exists. It used to be a pretty big place, and I liked the huge flat where we lived. I also attended Abercrombie Primary School for just one year.
I even slipped into the lake in Queen's Park once ... and could not swim. I remember walking home soaking wet and covered in weeds. I hope somebody can tell me more about the area, my family are not from Chesterfield so any information would be welcome.
Really enjoyed the photos. Thank you, great memory lane!
Fran
