Aston-on-Trent History Walk No.9 - Thulston and Elvaston Castle

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.9 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:

• Aston Parish Boundary
  • Just past the gas terminal is a stream that runs under the road, that marks the boundary between the parishes of Aston and Elvaston.
• Thurlestone Grange and Toll House
  • Thurlestone Grange was originally built by the Earl of Harrington to serve as a Rectory, and it later became a private school and eventually a private home. Nearby there once stood a hexagonal toll house, named the “Threepenny Bit House” alluding to the discontinued pre-decimal coin.
• Elvaston Village
  • Most of the village was part of the Elvaston Estate, with Clock House being the former dower house of the Elvaston Estate.
• Elvaston Castle Gardens
  • The Castle Gardens were laid out by the gardener William Barron for the 4th Earl of Harrington. The gardens were, at one point, the envy of the aristocracy throughout Europe.
• Elvaston Castle
  • There is evidence of settlement in Elvaston and the area around it dating all the way back to the 9th Century when Danish settlers set up farming communities in the area. The manor and its Estate were granted to the Stanhope family by Henry VIII in the mid-16th Century. Despite the Stanhope family not inhabiting the manor for an extended period of time before the Second World War, it remained in their hands and the official seat of the Earl of Harrington until 1963, when it was sold to the state and became England’s first ever country park. The castle has an extensive history including, much like Aston and Weston, active involvement in the English Civil War when it was attacked by the Roundheads. There are still marks on the tomb of Sir John Stanhope at St Bartholomew’s Church near Elvaston Castle made by Roundhead swords during the attack on the area.
• Golden Gates
  • These gates were originally in a palace in Madrid before being captured by Napoleon during his conquests. In 1819, the Earl of Harrington would have them transported from the Palace of Versailles to Elvaston after the end of the Napoleonic Wars a few years prior.

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.