Product Code Database
Carsington is a village in the middle of the Derbyshire Dales, England; it adjoins the hamlet of Hopton, and is close to the historic town of Wirksworth and village of Brassington.
According to the 1991 Census, the population was 111,(1991 Census) increasing to 251 at the 2011 Census.
Carsington is recorded in Domesday Book of 1086 as one of the berewicks (supporting farms) of the town and manor of Wirksworth. During the Middle Ages and right up until about 1800 it was a major location for lead mining and the lead obtained in the many Brassington and Carsington mines was usually smelted in Wirksworth.
Excavations as part of the Carsington Water reservoir construction revealed that the Romans were once present in the area. Several archaeologists have stated that either Carsington & Hopton, or the wider Wirksworth area, was Lutudarum, a fortress-town and administrative centre of the Roman lead industry. Support for this theory is provided by existence of Roman cupellation plants in Carsington, as well as lead pigs unearthed in the area. However, the precise location has not currently been established."Carsington: A Roman Settlement". www.wondersofthepeak.org.uk. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
The Channel 4 archaeology series Time Team once visited Carsington to investigate the archaeology and ancient remains in the pastures, where they visited a cave, discovered by the Pegasus Caving Club, full of ancient human bones.
British aurochs specimen CPC98 was retrieved in 1998 from Carsington Pasture Cave, possess P mtDNA haplogroup sequences and radiocarbon dated to 6,738 ± 68 calibrated years BP. An aurochs is a kind of wild cattle.
Carsington Reservoir, opened in 1992, stores water from the River Derwent and is operated by Severn Trent Water. It is open all year for recreation, with an extensive cycle path, several bird hides, a water sports and sailing centre. Inside the visitor centre are a trail, several specialist shops including an excellent and informative RSPB shop, and a café/restaurant.
The local council districts for Carsington are Wirksworth in both the Derbyshire Dales District Council and Derbyshire County Council, represented by Labour and Reform UK respectively.
The Cromford and High Peak Railway formerly operated stations in Carsington from 1856, before closing the aftermath of the Beeching cuts in 1967.
Bus routes that pass through Carsington include the 110 and 111 to Ashbourne and Matlock, both opperated by Ashbourne Community Transport after the bankruptcy of Hulleys.
A plaque on the school wall states: 'This School was Built and Given by Mrs Temperance Gell of Hopton for Twenty Poor Children of Hopton and Carson, to Learn to Read, Write, and other proper Works. Anno Dom: 1726'. As of 2025, the Church School was last rated as 'Good' by Ofsted, serving 36 students with 22.2% eligible for free school meals.
Secondary and Sixth Form education for Carsington village are provided by Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Ashbourne, and Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, the latter of which was established by Anthony Gell in 1576.
|
|
