Codnor can be explored through a range of historical themes: Codnor Castle represents several building phases, while mining has left its mark both on the town’s history and on the landscape. St James Church in Crosshill adds its own architectural note with its 19th-century construction. A stay here can therefore focus on architectural history, industrial history or walking.

Castle History and Church Architecture

Codnor Castle is a surviving example of a 13th-century castle. Traces of alterations in the 14th and 15th centuries point to later building phases. Design features of a 16th-century ornamental garden add another, distinct element to the history of the structure. Castle construction, alterations and garden features thus represent different historical periods; the castle’s history cannot be reduced to a single century. Those interested in historic architecture can distinguish several phases in one named building.

St James Church in Crosshill was built in 1844 by Robert Barker. Its architecture includes a west tower, a five-aisled nave divided into five bays, and a two-bay chancel. Aisles and bays describe different divisions of the church interior: the aisles divide the nave, while the bays mark sections along its length. The chancel, too, is described more specifically as having two bays. Together with the year of construction, these details give a concrete picture of the building’s layout, going beyond the general description of a 19th-century church.

Mining History in the Town and Landscape

Coal and iron ore have been mined in the Codnor district for centuries. In the 15th century, the De Grey family of Codnor Castle owned coal pits. A later point of reference is the founding of the Butterley Company in 1790: after that, mining in the area around Codnor became more advanced. The mining history can therefore be viewed both through earlier ownership of the pits and through a later development in extraction, without treating them as a single phase.

Half a winding wheel commemorates the miners and mining in the town. The memorial stands at the junction of Heanor Road and Nottingham Road in Codnor. Its subject gives industrial history a tangible form: rather than speaking only of extraction and pits, the winding wheel can also be understood as a local commemorative landmark. It thus adds a distinct perspective on mining’s significance to the town to the earlier references to the industry.

The woods of High Holborn in Codnor also have a historical connection to mining: they stand on old spoil heaps from High Holborn Colliery, also known as Butterley Park No. 5 Pit. Here, the former colliery, spoil heaps and present-day woods form part of a shared landscape history. The two names refer to the same colliery; the alternative name is therefore another name for this historic site, not an additional location.

Walking at Codnor Park Reservoir

Codnor Park Reservoir is suitable for walking and offers a different focus from the historic buildings and mining themes. Those who would like to include a walk in their trip can set this alongside exploring the castle, church architecture or industrial history. The themes can be given different emphasis: the castle offers a broad view across its building phases, the church a specific layout dating from 1844, and the mining history links earlier extraction with visible traces in the landscape. You can shape your stay around the subjects that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Hackney, Glossop, Coton In The Elms, Little Eaton, Grassmoor, Alton, Chapel-En-Le-Frith and Doveridge.

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