Swarkestone

infobox UK place
country = England
os_grid_reference = SK372286
latitude= 52.853
longitude= -1.451
official_name= Swarkestone
map_type= Derbyshire
population =
shire_district= South Derbyshire
shire_county = Derbyshire
region= East Midlands
constituency_westminster= South Derbyshire
post_town= DERBY
postcode_district = DE73
postcode_area= DE
dial_code= 01332

Swarkestone is a village in Derbyshire, England.

Swarkestone has a very old village church, a full cricket pitch, the "Crewe and Harpur" pub, a canal with locks, moorings and canalside tea-rooms. It was mentioned twice in Domesday as "Sorchestun" or "Suerchestune" when it was worth twenty shillings"Domesday Book: A Complete Translation". London: Penguin, 2003. ISBN 0-14-143994-7 p.742 & 749] .

The Bridge

The ancient bridge at Swarkestone crosses the River Trent about six miles south of Derby and was for about three hundred years the Midlands' main crossing of the Trent. The bridge is in total just under a mile long and has seventeen arches. It was built in the thirteenth century to cross the river and its surrounding marshes. It is the longest stone bridge in England and holds Grade I listed building status. According to Pevsner [Pevsner N, "The Buildings of England . Derbyshire" 2nd edition revised (1978) by Elizabeth Williamson, Penguin Books. 'Swarkeston', p337] the present part actually crossing the river, which has 5 arches, dates from the 18th century and was designed by Thomas Harrison.

The bridge is undersized for modern traffic, and is scarcely two-lane for cars at several points. Though there is a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes, the walls of the bridge often take damage from traffic. At the southern side of the bridge is Stanton by Bridge.

Another notable landmark just outside the village is the twin towered Swarkestone Pavilion which was built as a folly. It is now owned by the Landmark Trust who maintain it and rent it out to holidaymakers.

History

Evidence of the Beaker people living near Swarkestone was discovered in the 1950s. At that time it was estimated that people had lived near Swarkestone for at least 3,800 years [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20611FD3B5C14738DDDAB0894DA415B8689F1D3 Beaker Folk site found in Britain] New York Times Dec 1956] .

In the Domesday Book, Swarkestone was held by the King and by Henry de Ferrers.

In the "Battle of Swarkestone bridge" during the English Civil War (1643) it was defended by the Royalists against the Parliamentarians, but the outnumbered Cavaliers lost the day.

In 1745 during the Jacobite Rebellion led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, the advance party of his army reached here to gain control of the crossing of the Trent. Finding no reports of support from the south, they turned back to Derby, the invading army then retreated to Scotland and final defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Swarkestone thereby being the most southerly point reached during that army's advance on London.

The Pavilion

Nearby is the Jacobean Grandstand called Swarkestone Pavilion and walled area, formerly connected with Harpur Hall, where (it is believed, see Pevsner, loc. cit.), they used to bait bulls. The pavilion is attributed to John Smythson who also designed Bolsover Castle [http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:LpVEPtU9uJEJ:www.landmarktrust.org.uk/pdf/163_Swarkestone.PDF+swarkestone+pavilion&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a Landmark Trust - Swarkestone Pavilion] ] . It was repaired and is now owned by the Landmark Trust who maintain it and rent it out to holidaymakers.

Notable residents

*Thomas Bancroft, poet, was born here in the early seventeenth century.Thomas Bancroft in the Dictionary of National Biography]

ee also

The chain ferry at Twyford was the next crossing north of the Swarkestone Bridge.

References

External links

* [http://www.swarkestone-derby.co.uk/ Website campaigning to protect Swarkestone Bridge]
* [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp4UvqDbcfo A video showing the route across the bridge in both directions]