Carsington

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The village of Carsington is located in the middle of the Derbyshire Dales, it adjoins the hamlet of Hopton, close to the historic town of Wirksworth and village of Brassington.

[edit] History

Carsington has a long history, including Roman occupation (an old Roman settlement now lies beneath the reservoir). In prehistoric times, woolly rhinos lived in the area; the remains of one such animal were discovered nearby in the "Dream Cave" adjacent to the Callow and Hopton end of Summer Lane in the late twentieth century. Full details of this are in Wirksworth Heritage Centre (linked to from Wirksworth's Wikipedia entry).

Popular Channel 4 archaeology series Time Team once visited Carsington to investigate the archaeology and ancient remains in the pastures, where they discovered a pothole full of ancient bones.

[edit] Carsington today

Today, Carsington has one pub, the Miner's Arms; a primary school; the community is primarily composed of a strong commuter and retiree contingent to replace the traditional agricultural, mining and quarrying community.

Carsington reservoir, opened in the 1980s, stores water from the River Derwent and is operated by Severn Trent. It is open all year for recreation, with an extensive cyle path, serveral bird hides, a water sports and sailing centre. Inside the visitor centre, there is a trail, several specialist shops and a café/restaurant.