The Monk's Way - Strelley Village
This page was added to the site on 04 July 2004



Broxtowe Borough Council's leaflet entitled "The Stones Of The Monk's Way" between Strelley and Ilkeston contains a map of the route and can be seen here on the council's site.

Strelley
The Domesday Book of 1086 records a settlement here whilst the Strelley Estate originated in the twelfth century when it was owned by the de Stradley family, the name evolving through the passage of time to Strelley. The estate was bought in 1651 by a Nottingham lawyer called Ralph Edge and remained in that family until 1978 when the last surviving member died leaving no heirs. Towards the end of the eighteenth century one member of that family, Thomas Webb Edge, rebuilt the original hall and laid out the estate. Seen here from a distance the parkland setting as planned by Thomas Edge is still evident today and is now protected as a Conservation Area.
All Saints Church
In truth there is only one road running through the village and at its northern end it changes into little more than a farm track but the All Saints Church still attracts a congregation. Today's pilgrims attending Sunday services park their cars outside but I wonder how many feet have trod on the stones of the Monk's Way incorporated as they are here into the footpath on the approach to the church. The original church was built in the thirteenth century. It was rebuilt in the fourteenth by Sir Sampsom de Strelley and contains several memorials (including two full size effigies to Sir Sampson and his wife, Elizabeth Hercy) to both the Strelley and Edge families.
Strelley Hall 
The churchyard offers some fine views of the Hall. The Hall we see today was built for Thomas Webb Edge by Thomas Gardner of Uttoxeter between 1789 and 1793 and stands to the east of the original building which was built by Sir Sampson de Strelley in 1356 on the site of a former mansion house. To come right up to date, since 1980 the Hall has been used as office accommodation following the death of Miss E M Edge two years earlier.
Headstone 
From the steps of the church the view in the general direction of our final objective, Dale Abbey, is over Trowell in the middle distance; Catstone Hill gently rising to the left much closer. Seen here in early Spring with daffodils beneath the wall the vista is dominated by the War Memorial in the graveyard opposite.
 Buttressed Wall
The stones of the Monk's Way continue beyond All Saints where many of the buildings date from the time of Thomas Webb Edge although many of the cottages have been modernised or replaced. The buttressed wall here though looks like the original architecture.
Stone Style
Towards the northern end of the village the stones have disappeared and we leave the road to follow the track to the left opposite the entrance to Strelley Hall. Farm buildings used to stand on the corner but these were demolished in 1969. All that remains now is a stone style which is inscribed with these words. "T. W. Edge Armiger MDCCCIII completed this cow-hovel farm yard and pump with sough from the quarry to supply the same and sough to carry all the overplus and moisture of farm yard into Smiths wheat-mill and Minnow New River Pond and in the same year 1803 planted this and two plantations round those buildings." (A sough is a drain; an Armiger is someone entitled to Heraldic Arms).
 

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