Fenny Bentley is a small village and civil parish located close to Dovedale in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England. The population in 2009 was 305 reducing to 183 at the 2011 Census. It lies two miles north of Ashbourne, on the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne Road. It is one of the most southerly villages in the Peak District.
History
Records show that a settlement has existed at Fenny Bentley since being mentioned in The Domesday Book in 1086, when it was known as Benedlege. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, with much of the available historical data that provides information on the village being associated with the church and the information recorded here. The introduction of the census in the United Kingdom in 1801 means that more consistent information on the parish and how it has developed over time is now available. The population of the village has fluctuated slightly since the 19th century, with a peak in 1841 of 343 people living there.
St Edmund's Church
Located in the centre of the village, St Edmunds is an Anglican church that has been heavily restored since being built. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, which show that Fenny Bentley was one of six chapelries attached to St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne The north aisle was added in 1850, and in 1864, the spire was added to the original tower. It has seating for around 200 people. Some interesting features of the building are its 16th-century traceried screens as well as the alabaster Beresford tomb located there, which holds the bodies of Sir Thomas Beresford, his wife Agnes and their 21 children, all shrouded.
Beresford family name
Sir Thomas Beresford, who died in 1473, is buried with his family in St Edmunds Church in the village. They were from a prolific family who lived in the area for generations, and owned much of the property and land there. It is suggested that everyone with the surname Beresford is descended from them and there are still reunions held in Fenny Bentley every spring as it is now the meeting place for the Beresford Family Society.
Cherry Orchard Farm
Cherry Orchard farm is located opposite St Edmunds Church. Previously known as Bentley Hall, it was once the home of the Beresford Family and at the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th century it was the home of Thomas Beresford as well as his wife and children.
Tattersall Cotton Mill
Many of the residents of Fenny Bentley in the past worked at Tattersell Cotton Mill, which was located in Woodeaves, a nearby hamlet approximately 1 mile from Fenny Bentley. The mill was built in 1784 by John Cooper, and was originally powered by the Bentley Brook. Around 100 people were employed there, mainly for the Nottingham lace and cotton trade. In 1886, the mill was brought by Manchester cotton merchant Cornelius Tattersell, father of John Lincoln Tattersall who was also employed there; he established a home in nearby village Thorpe, Derbyshire with his wife Lizzie Harland in 1893. In 1908, the mill ceased production but the warehouse was taken over in 1910 by William Nuttall. Originally from Melton Mowbray, he was the brother of John Nuttall, who was the owner of the Harlington Cheese Factory. Stilton cheese was produced there until 1930.
On the outskirts of the village is the Leatherbritches Bentley Brook Inn and Fenny's Restaurant, a traditional busy country Inn with its own brewery. The brew house is established in the old washhouse and coal store at the back of the Inn where real ales are brewed two or three times each week.
Geography
Fenny Bentley lies on the southern edge of the Peak District, within the Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands. It lies approximately 3 miles from Dovedale, a Dale that features riverside paths accessible for walkers. Dovedale is centred on the River Dove in a Limestone valley. The site is owned by the National Trust, and the area is very popular with tourists, with the Peak District claiming to be the second most visited National Park in the world with 22 million visitors per year, behind Mount Fuji National Park in Japan. Tourism plays an important role for the few businesses that have been established in Fenny Bentley, such as the Coach and Horses inn which lies on the main route through the village, appealing to visitors to the area who may pass through on the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne Road.