Apperknowle
| Apperknowle | |
| Derbyshire | |
|---|---|
 Apperknowle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SK380783 |
| Location: | 53°18’4"N, 1°25’52"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Dronfield |
| Postcode: | S18 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | North East Derbyshire District |
Apperknowle is a village in Derbyshire, on the south-western slopes of a flat-topped ridge at about 600 feet above sea level.
The village overlooks the town of Dronfield and the villages of Unstone (where the population is listed) and Unstone Green in the valley bottom, where the River Drone runs, pursued down the dale by the Midland Railway.
Above the village is a small grass airstrip, Coal Aston Airfield, that used to belong to British Steel, and is now an airfield for general aviation, with a couple of new hangars built in the 1980s.
The name of Apperknowle is from the Old English 'Apelknol' meaning 'Apple Tree Hill'. Set up on the hills it looks down upon Dronfield and the Drone Valley and offers some panoramic views across the countryside towards the Peak District.
The village has a Methodist Church, which was opened in 1879 to replace an earlier building. It is the only place of worship in the village and often hosts visiting preachers from other local churches in and around the Sheffield area.
The villages used to have three pubs and a post office, but only one pub survives now, the "Travellers Rest".
There is a Victorian school house, that used to be the local primary school but has shut in July 2008.
There is no significant industrial activity in the village now. It acts as a commuter village for the local towns and the Chesterfield and Sheffield areas. Originally the village grew from miners working the various coal outcrops, and small farms. There is evidence of old pits in the surrounding woods, and several old spoil heaps.
Sport and recreation
- Cricket: Apperknowle Cricket Club
The cricket pitch is laid out opposite the pub. The ground slopes down the valley and has a good view of the surrounding Derbyshire countryside.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Apperknowle) |