Whatstandwell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whatstandwell is a village on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England.
It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper. Whatstandwell railway station is located on the Derby-Matlock Derwent Valley Line, and the A6 trunk road crosses the River Derwent in the village.
On Burdett's Map of 1791 it is shown as "Hottstandell Bridge", probably a literal spelling of the local dialect. A mid nineteenth century Ordnance Survey map shows it as "Whatstandwell Bridge" which was the name given to the railway station. The name derives from Walter Stonewell, who "held of the convent" the house next to the bridge which John de Strepul built at his own expense, in 1393.
The Cromford Canal also passes the village, which was an important transport route to and from Arkwright's Mill in the nineteenth century. This area is part of the Derwent Valley Mills Heritage Site.
To the east of the village is the steep climb to Crich and the National Tramway Museum, while a short distance to the north is the former rope-worked incline of the Cromford and High Peak Railway. To the south, on the west bank of the Derwent, lie Shining Cliff Woods, which are a National Trust property — however there is no official access to this end of the woods.
Annual raft races are held on the river at New Year.
Ellen MacArthur, the round-the-world sailor, grew up in Whatstandwell.
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