Whatstandwell
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| Whatstandwell | |
|---|---|
 Whatstandwell corner on the A6 road main road looking North where it turns across the Derwent bridge in an 'S' bend to left then right. | |
  Whatstandwell Location within Derbyshire | |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MATLOCK |
| Postcode district | DE4 |
| Dialling code | 01773 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
| UK Parliament | |
Whatstandwell (/ˈwɒtstændwɛl/) is a village on the River Derwent in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England.[1] It is about five miles south of Matlock and about four miles north of Belper. Whatstandwell railway station is on the Derby–Matlock Derwent Valley Line, and the A6 trunk road crosses the River Derwent in the village. Most of the population is included in the civil parish of Crich, and indeed the area to the north of the B5035 has been known as Crich Carr. That name has largely fallen into disuse, with the village of Whatstandwell generally thought to include this area and the area across the Derwent on the road towards Wirksworth and into the parish of Alderwasley.
On Peter Perez Burdett's map of 1791, it is shown as 'Hottstandell Bridge', probably a literal spelling of the local dialect. A mid-19th-century Ordnance Survey map shows it as 'Whatstandwell Bridge' which was the name given to the railway station. The name derives from Walter Stonewell, who "held of the convent" the house next to the bridge which John de Strepul built at his own expense, in 1393.[citation needed]
Geography
The Cromford Canal passes through the village, which was an important transport route to and from Arkwright's Cromford Mill in the 19th century. The Friends Of Cromford Canal are currently seeking to reopen this navigation in full from Cromford to its junction with the Erewash Canal at Langley Mill. This area is part of the Derwent Valley Mills Heritage Site.
To the east of the village is the steep climb to Crich and the National Tramway Museum, while a short distance to the north is the former rope-worked incline of the Cromford and High Peak Railway. To the south, on the west bank of the Derwent, lies Shining Cliff Woods, owned and managed by the Grith Pioneers.[2]
