Kirk Ireton
OS Grid ref:- SK267509
The Peak District village of Kirk Ireton is situated 4 miles to the south of Wirksworth. The small limestone village nestles on a hillside, 700 feet above sea level and looks down upon superb scenery.
The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Hiretune, where it is recorded as being part of the king's land.
The Barley Mow pub, (pictured left) a grade II listed building, dating back to the seventeenth century, is one of the oldest buildings in the village, it was also which was one of the last premises in Britain to accept decimalization, as the 87 year old landlady, Mrs Lillian Ford did not like the new money. The pub has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries and boasts mulllioned windows, original beams and a sun-dial under the eaves in the centre bearing the date 1683. The landscape artist George Turner (1841-1910) lived at the Barley Mow Inn from 1900 to his death in 1910.
The village church of Holy Trinity (pictured right) dates back to Norman times, the earliest parts of the building the the three bayed south and north arcades. The church is entered through an eighteenth century pillared gateway which is said to have come from the Old Manor House.The building was restored in 1873. The church practices a quaint custom known
as 'roping for weddings', when the village children put a rope across the road and the bride and groom are not allowed to leave the church until a toll has been paid in silver by the groom.
The village shop was originally the stables of the Barley Mow Inn, the restored hay racks are still kept in place above shelving along one wall.
Nearby places of interest
Lumsdale Valley, above the town of Matlock, is a thickly wooded gorge of outstanding natural beauty and a very interesting history, with stone ruins, waterwheels, ponds and waterfalls.
Chatsworth House known as "The Palace of the Peak" is the country seat of the Duke of Devonshire and is situated on the banks of the River Derwent, 3.5 miles to the northeast of Bakewell in the heart of the Peak District National Park.
Dovedale a dramatic limestone ravine, with its impressive rock outcrops and tranquil woodlands is arguably the prettiest and most famous of the dales in the Peak District National Park