Clifton and Compton is a civil parish within the Derbyshire Dales district, in the county of Derbyshire, England. The parish, despite the name, only includes the villages of Clifton and Hangingbridge. In 2011 the parish had a population of 500. It is north west of London, north west of the county city of Derby, and south west of the market town of Ashbourne. Clifton and Compton touches the parishes of Ashbourne, Edlaston and Wyaston, Mayfield, Offcote and Underwood, Osmaston, Okeover and Snelston. There are eight listed buildings in Clifton and Compton.
Toponymy
Clifton: This was reported in Domesday as Cliptune and Cliftune, before a recognisable form appearing in public records from the 13th century, meaning 'farm on a hill-slope'.
Compton: Meaning 'valley with an enclosure' or possibly 'valley in which a fight took place', this was first recorded in the 13th century.
Clifton and Compton, as a political entity it was created in 1866 from a combined parish township.
Geography
Location
Clifton and Compton is surrounded by the following local areas:
Ashbourne and Compton to the north
Edlaston and Snelston to the south
Osmaston to the east
Mayfield to the west. The parish is bounded roughly by the A52 road along the north, the River Dove by the west, Sides Lane and Dobbinhorse Lane along the south, and Wyaston Road to the east.
Settlements
The two settlements within the parish are:
Clifton
Hangingbridge
Clifton
The larger of the two areas, it is sited west of the A515 road which then routes through the town of Ashbourne and beyond. It is hemmed in by the now defunct railway route to Ashbourne as well as Henmore brook to the west, and higher ground to the south. It lies centre west of the parish, and while primarily residential, the village maintains some core amenities such as church, village community centre and school. Cliftoncross is a small cluster of residences attached to the village at its northern perimeter surrounding Doles Lane.
Hangingbridge
This is north of Clifton, separated by greenfield land and the Henmore brook. Hangingbridge is named after the bridge which crosses the River Dove nearby, usually as the words joined as one to distinguish it from the structure. It is a semi-rural village with a number of built-up areas in close proximity, and comprises a nucleus of residential buildings centred around Watery Lane with surrounding farms. However, there are several commercial premises along the A52 Mayfield Road,.
Landscape
Woods
Primarily farmland throughout the parish outside the villages, there is some small forestry plots throughout the parish. Clifton village is relatively 'leafy' with trees interspersed amongst residences and gardens.
Water features
The River Dove is much of the western boundary of the parish, which is also the county border. Henmore Brook enters the parish at its north eastern edge, and as a tributary flows into the Dove.
Land elevation
The parish contains some of the highest land locally, ranging from at Hangingbridge, in Clifton, the Ashbourne Golf Club in the north east plateaus at , while the parish peak is by the far east boundary at .
History
Compton
The name Compton (post Domesday it was known as Campdene) may go back to before the Norman Conquest in 1066, although it was only first recorded in the middle 13th century. The name may mean ‘the valley where a fight occurred’. In the period 875 to 925 Ashbourne was between land controlled by the English and the Danish. Derby was conquered in 917 by the English, and further fighting around Compton is possible. Compton is in present times a suburb within the town of Ashbourne. However, it was readded administratively to Ashbourne in 1894, originally being in a combined township of the town until 1846 before Clifton and Compton became a separate parish. The north edge with Ashbourne, the Henmore Brook was a boundary before the Conquest. Compton itself was divided between two townships divided by Compton Street in the town, the east of Compton was in Sturston and the western portion was part of Clifton. This dividing line location was likely introduced before Compton was settled and could also be pre-Conquest. Unusually, the Compton subtitle was not removed from the remaining parish name and remains to this day.