Aston-on-Trent History Walk No.7 - Village Centre History

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.7 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:

• All Saints Church
  • The All Saints Church itself dates back to roughly the 12th Century, but Christianity in Aston-on-Trent dates back even further, arriving sometime towards the end of the 7th century. Christian worship began in the region shortly after the Mercian King Paeda’s marriage and conversion to Christianity. Worship would have originally occurred around a preaching cross – remains of an example of one such cross exist within All Saints to this day – before the Saxon’s constructed the current church in the 12th Century.
• Aston Hall
  • Built in 1735 for Robert and Elizabeth Holden, the estate remained in the hands of the Holden Family until it was purchased by William Dickinson Winterbottom in 1898. Upon his death, it was acquired by the Nottingham Corporation to serve as a mental institution, and later served as a Red Cross Hospital until it was sold again in 2005 to Richmond Retirement Village.
• Yeoman House No.16 The Green
  • Starting life as a farm house constructed in the 17th century, the land would eventually be repurposed for housing developments in the latter half of the 20th Century. The people of Aston-on-Trent signed a petition in order to protect the building from demolition. The building is now Grade II Listed and only has some fairly minor alterations to the exterior as part of the changes made when converting the premises. A date stone from 1690 still stands within the wall of the first floor level.
• Village Lock-up
  • Close to No.16 is what is the probable site for Aston’s village lock-up or round-house. Constructed in 1841, it was where unruly villagers or drunkards would have been detained for short stays.
• The Old School House
  • The old school served Aston-on-Trent for over a century, before a replacement was eventually built on Long Croft to better accommodate students in 1984. The costs for the construction of the original school building were provided by the Holden Family of the local Aston Hall, and their crest still adorns the building to this day.
• Village Shop
  • This site was formerly part of Home Farm yard, but is now home to a long-established business providing a valuable service for the local village community and visitors for many years.

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.