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Boylestone in Derbyshire

Boylestone is a truly rural and peaceful village, situated about 4 miles off the Derby to Uttoxeter road in Derbyshire. It lies in the valley of Boylestone Brook and on the steep hillock immediately east of it. The village centre is probably down in the valley where Rectory Farm and the village school stood. They are both still there but the farm and its out buildings have become a series of private dwellings and the school is now the village hall.

Boylestone school and the masters home were built in 1845 but closed, last century because of a lack of pupils, as the population of the village is only a small fraction of what it was in the 19th century. This has much to do with the decline in family size, as anything else. The children go to the school at Church Broughton.

The church at Boylestone, called St John the Baptist, is famous for the bloodless battle of Boylestone. One evening in august 1644, at the time of the civil war, royalist troops spent the night in the church on their way to the relief of Wingfield Manor. In the morning they found themselves surrounded by Cromwells men. They surrendered and were disarmed as they filed out of the church. They were marched off to captivity in Derby.

St John the Baptist Church
Boylestone church
Rose and Crown Inn
Rose and Crown Inn

The church is mainly 14th century, though the tower with its low attached bell turret and conical sided peeked roof was built in 1846, by Henry Duesbury, best known as the architect of the present Derby Guildhall in 1842, after the bad fire the previous year.

The priests doorway through which the Royalist troops emerged is still there.

The pub, called the Rose and Crown is about a quarter of a mile from the village and was built between 1650 and 1680.



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