Vernacular Architecture in Eckington

Eckington War Memorial

On the occasion of my visit to the church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Eckington, the church wasn’t open, as stated on the now discontinued Diocese of Derby website, when I turned up at midday on a Saturday; however, it was a nice sunny day and so I was just content to have a look around the exterior and then head off to explore the historic architecture in the small town centre. 

The east elevation of The Rectory

Leaving the churchyard, a grey granite war memorial, in the form of a wheel cross stands on a small triangular green and on the opposite side of the road stands the late C18 Grade II* Listed Rectory, although I could only see this from a distance. 

The barn on Church Street

Heading south down Church Street, I soon came across a large single storey barn to the north-west of Malthouse Farmhouse, which dates back to the C16 and is built out of local iron stained Coal Measures sandstone. 

Views of 68 and 70 Church Street and Camms House

A little further on is Camms House, a mid C18 house built in similar local sandstone with a Welsh slate roof and is immediately next to 68 and 70 Church Street, which comprises a mid C18 house and shop partially rebuilt in brick and with a pantile roof. 

35 Church Street

On the opposite side of the road, 35 Church Street was formerly the guild house and dates back to the C16 or earlier. It is built in thin bedded, iron rich Coal Measures sandstone, with a Welsh slate roof, although parts of the rear of the building have been plastered. 

The former Angel Hotel

Entering the town centre, the former Angel Hotel on the corner of Market Street is quite surprisingly a Grade II Listed building. Built in local sandstone and partially rendered, with a Welsh slate roof, it doesn’t appear to me to have great architectural merit and it may have been chosen for its aesthetic contribution to the Conservation Area, which is quite extensive in Eckington. 

Various views of Eckington town centre

Passing through on the bus, the street pattern looked interesting and Victorian maps show that it had a well-developed centre but, when walking around, it soon became clear that its historic core – like Bolsover – had been substantially demolished and redeveloped with public and commercial buildings in the second half of the C20. 

Various houses on Southgate

With the library and very many shops being closed on a Saturday afternoon, I didn’t hang around the centre and instead went to have a quick look at Southgate, which is lined with sandstone buildings that date from the C19 and earlier. 

The former Chapel of the Annunciation of Our Lady

Continuing to the end of the built up area on Southgate, the former Chapel of the Annunciation of Our Lady is worth seeing, but the oldest building is Southgate Old House. Dating to the mid C17, its walls are built with iron rich laminated sandstone that are laid in thin courses, which can be seen in very many of the historic buildings in Eckington, and it is roofed in pantiles. 

A general view of Southgate Old House

The very large quoins on its south-west corner and the head and dressings to the south door are not made from the local Coal Measures sandstone but a red/purple medium grained stone, which looks very much like Rotherham Red sandstone.

A view of the south elevation of Southgate Old House