Swinscoe Hill 1908
Swinscoe Hill 1908 near the Toll House

Looking down Swinscoe Hill with Tollgate Cottage on the corner of Birdsgrove Lane on the left: photograph dated 1908 or earlier. No road signs, no road markings, no road surface and no petrol fumes.

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Swinscoe Hill 2015

Same view 2015 (is that the same person at the corner of Tollgate Cottage?)

postcard 1908 001

Postcard addressed to Mrs Wright 55 Normanton Road Derby, postmarked ‘Ashbourne 1.38PM Sept 12 1908, written by “Maggie” at Sunnyside, the grand home of Joseph Simpson of Mayfield Mill fame. Disappointingly there is no “Maggie” at Sunnyside in either the 1901 or the 1911 census. So who was she?

Queens Arms 1900ish 001
Queen’s Arms around 1900

Hanging Bridge before it was enlarged in 1937 was only 14 feet wide. The old Queen’s Arms (the sign says “Worthington’s Ales”) is now apartments and the hill is now covered by trees.

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Queen’s Arms 2015

Same view in 2015

Free Gardeners Society 1908
Free Gardeners Society 1908 posing by the front door of the Queen’s Arms

Mayfield Free Gardeners Society at the Queens Arms in 1908. This was the local “lodge” of a secret fraternal mutual aid organisation, similar to the Freemasons, which lost its purpose and was wound up in 1946 when the National Insurance Act became law.

For more information about the Free Gardeners click here.

Coloured view of Hanging Bridge 001

Hanging Bridge and the River Dove from the garden of Lichfield House. The roof in the bottom right hand corner is that of Frank Wright’s corn mill which was demolished in 1922.

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Flour Mill near Hanging Bridge

Frank Wright’s corn mill, demolished 1922, and workers’ cottages, demolished in the 1960s, seen from Hanging Bridge.

Frank Wright's mill close-up 001
Frank Wright’s mill and houses

Looking up the track towards Bridge Hill Terrace, the corn mill is on the right, two cottages built into the rock of the Lichfield House cliff, on the left.

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All that remains of the corn mill cottages – this cave must have provided useful storage space. Current work on the nearby Severn Trent pumping station in 2015 may open the cave up.

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View up to Bridge Hill Mayfield

Same view 2014

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Old Rock Houses

The Rock Houses on Bridge Hill, demolished 1922. Their cave-like cellars, hewn out of the rock face,  can still be seen as can some interior paintwork.

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Rock House décor.

Top o't'Hill 001

The bottom of Gallowstree Lane is just to the right of Radford’s shop just out of this picture. The signs above the door read “Mayfield Staff” and “Post Office”. The advert in the shop window is for Hudson’s Dry Soap. Date – about 1910

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View of where Radford shop was situated. It was demolished in the early 20th Century

The same view 201: Radford’s now vanished shop stood in the space between the white gable end and the road.

The old Co-op 001

The grand opening in 1925 of Mayfield Co-op in Coneygree Lane. It is now a private house.

The fitting of the bells, Mayfield Church, c1900 001 Corner House 1 001

Corner House, Upper Mayfield circa 1900

Corner House 2 001

Corner House and the Piccadilly Lane cottages circa 1910

Piccadilly Lane 001

Piccadilly Lane 1914: Old Hall Farm is on the right

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Piccadilly Lane 2015: is that the same lady?

Field Head 001

Field Head built by George Simpson in 1898 for his son George.    This photograph was taken around 1940 and shows young members of the Methodist Sunday School with some  London children evacuated to Mayfield to escape the blitz.

Sunnyside 001 Sunnyside, the home of Joseph Simpson who in 1891 was living there with his wife Agnes, their three daughters and their cook, nursemaid, parlour maid and kitchen maid. Demolished early 21st Century. P1020758

Mayfield House, the home of George Simpson senior in 1871.

Henry Moscrop 001

Mr Henry Moscrop, a warper at Simpson’s cotton mill circa 1890.