Aston-on-Trent History Walk No.3 - The Short Weston Circuit

The Aston-on-Trent Local History Group have produced a series of local walks to highlight the heritage of Aston-on-Trent, a cosy village whose records of settlement date all the way back to before the Norman Conquest in the 11th Century, and the surrounding area.

Walk No.3 is predominantly flat, easy walking. Most of the Aston-on-Trent walks use countryside paths at points along the route, so please be mindful of weather and ground conditions when planning a walk.

Below are some of the key points of interest to keep an eye out for:

• Lychgate
  • Lychgate is the name for the entrance gate to the All Saints Church courtyard and was erected in 1919 in memory of Reverend James Shuttleworth Holden, who served as the Rector of Aston for 47 years and was the last member of the Holden family to live in Aston.
• Rectory Mews
  • A cottage dating back to the 18th century that formerly served as stables, a coach house and Groom’s quarters for the Rectory. Other cottages along the same road date to around the same time as Rectory Mews and likely contained cottage industries.
• Ledmore Cottage
  • The yard at the rear of the cottage previously served as the service yard for Wells Buses, who ran a regular service between Weston, Aston and Derby and was acquired by Trent Motor Traction during the Second World War. Ledmore Cottage itself dates back to the 19th century, although with some later modifications having been done, and is now a Grade II Listed building.
• War Memorial Hall
  • Built in 1922 on land donated by William Dickson Winterbottom of Aston Hall, the hall serves as Aston’s memorial to the 19 local men killed in the First World War – and later the one man killed in the Second World War.
• Weston-on-Trent
  • The settlement of Weston-on-Trent predates the Norman Conquest of England, being charted in 1009 by King Elthelred the Unready.

Please visit the Aston-on-Trent Local History Group‘s page for the route directions, as well as more information on key points along the route.

A PDF of the walk can be accessed at the Aston-on-Trent Parish Council‘s website or via the download file button below.