Cutthorpe Tour (Page 6)
At the far end of the village approaching the Peak District National Park are two hamlets called Ingmanthorpe (which is on the right) and Pratt Hall (on the left).
Ingmanthorpe today contains a couple of farms,
one of which is called Thorpe House. There are also two or three detached houses in the area. This photograph on the right shows a view towards Ingmanthorpe taken from Pratt Hall.
On the 1841 census there were six households at Ingmanthorpe: farmers Woodward and Hibberd, another Mr Woodward an agricultural labourer, Mr Jerrison a slater, Mr Wilkinson a shoe maker, and Mr Wood an agricultural labourer.
On the 1881 census were six households at Ingmanthorpe and two uninhabited houses, the heads of households being Mr George Nicholls a blacksmith, Mr William Hayes a agricultural labourer, Mr Thomas Randall a general labourer, Mr John Collis a coal miner, Mr Henry Salmon a agricultural labourer, and Mr Francis Margereson a farmer of 156 acres. Mentioned on the 1881 census in this area also was a house called Nicholls Grange in which another two families of Nicholls were living, the heads of households Mr William Nicholls a farmer, and Mr Richard Nicholls a coal miner. Nicholls Grange does not seem to occur as a distinct address on the 1841 or 1901 census. Records state that there was a colliery being worked in the Ingmanthorpe area until 1920, but this is not marked on the map of 1883.
In 1901 at Ingmanthorpe, Mr Francis John Margereson was living at Thorpe House and was employed as a surveyor of highways, he also appears to have been the enumerator on the census that year. Other households at Ingmanthorpe in 1901 were headed by Mr David Lyne a farm labourer, Mr Herbert Needham a basket and besom maker and farmer (and three of his sons were also basket makers), Mr Frank Nicholls a building stone quarryman and Mr Thomas Mozley living on his own means.
Pratt Hall is located a little further on from
Ingmanthorpe on the left side of the road. This picture shows a view of Pratt Hall taken from the far end of the hamlet, going back towards the main road. Here Pratt Hall Farm
is on the right, and the row of terraced cottages can be seen on the far left. This lane through the hamlet of Pratt Hall continues as a footpath to Linacre and emerges just beside
the site where Linacre House used to stand, this can be seen clearly on an 1883 mapA family called Pratt lived at this Hall in 1547, according to the research of Mr S. Botham. The present farm house there today is said to date from 1640. At Pratt Hall was a cruck barn which has recently (2003-04) been renovated. A photograph of this during renovation was taken by Mr S.E. Gaskin and published in the 2004 Cutthorpe village calendar.
This photograph shows another view of the hamlet. What remains of the barn referred to above is on the left, followed by the
terraced row. It was at the far end of this row where the Pratt Hall Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in 1834. This was demolished in about 1974 and turned into a house on the end
of the terrace. .At Pratt Hall in 1841 lived several agricultural labourers named Hodkin, Sheldon, Hancock and Jackson, and also Mr Peter Margerison a slater, and William Gladwin a farmer. And in 1881 the following households lived there: Mr Samuel Hopkinson a farmer, Mr William Rodgers a farmer, Mr Joseph Hallatt a farmer, Mrs Drabble an annuitant, Mr Thomas Margereson a Stone Merchant, Mr Carles Hallatt a Mason, Mr William Hodkin an agricultural labourer, and Mr David Lyner an agricultural labourer.
In 1901 at Pratt Hall were the households of Mr James Needham a butcher, Mr William Makings a Gamekeeper, Mrs Elizabeth Margerison, Mr George? Margerison a stone quarry man, Mr Robert Lowe a coal hewer, Mr George Nicholls a farmer, and Mr Sam(?) Hopkinson a farmer.
Further on is an area called Overgreen. Here, on the left
of the main road is a group of buildings called Cow Close Farm where there seems to be about three dwellings. Opposite is the
Gate Inn, pictured here, and an Overgreen House.
The Gate Inn was in existence in 1861 as it is featured on the census of that year, the occupier being Mr George Margerison with his wife Elizabeth and son Isaac. Mr Margerison's occupation was listed as quarrier, pub, and farmer of 8 acres.
In 1901 Mr William Dennies or Dennis was the publican at the Gate Inn, his occupation was described as coal miner filler and publican.
At Over Green House on the same 1901 census were the households of farmer James Wilson, and farm workers Tom Kay and Fred Nicholls, William Horner an iron furnace labourer, and Mary Maria Needham another farmer (widow). Also at Over Green, possibly on the other side of the road (Cow Close?) was the household of farmer Aaron Gascoyne.
Buildings at Cow Close which is nearly opposite the Gate Inn.
Down the lane to the side of the Gate Inn is a working farm which has the unusual name of Piker Storth. Across fields can be seen an old ruined building which may have been a pair of
semi-detached cottages. Further down the lane past Piker Storth are two or three detached houses. At the bottom of the lane, which is quite steep, is called Oxton Rakes.Going back up to the Gate Inn, and continuing up the main road beyond Overgreen is a steep hill called Grange Hill which has a triangulation stone and reaches a height of 984 ft. On the left there is a lane leading to a farm called Bluster Castle, although it does not look like a castle. From evidence of old maps it is believed that Bluster Castle used to be called Ox Close in 1841. Living there was the farmer George Pearson and family.
There are several more farms up here in an area called Birley,
this is down a lane to the left of the main road just past Bluster Castle lane. A distant view of these farms is pictured here. In fact there are about four farms or houses at Birley.
In 1841 at Birley lived Michael Wragg, a basket maker; and two farmers Charles Newbold, and Thomas Botham. In 1881 at Birley were Elijah Wragg, farmer; George Clarke, agricultural labourer; Albert Botham, farmer; and James Wragg, farmer. And in 1901 at Birley lived James Wragg, farmer; William Walker, quarryman; Emma Botham, farmer; George Hepworth(?) farmer; and Elijah Wragg.
Beyond Birley, in the direction of a farm called Moorhay used to be some quarries, which according to the local press are soon to re-open. There is also a Freebirch Farm on the main road beyond Birley (At this point I think it is debateable whether these are still within the Cutthorpe boundary)
So the tour will end at the top of Grange Hill. From the first Cutthorpe sign before the Granary estate, up to the drive
leading to Birley is a distance of just under three miles.This photograph shows the noticeable tree at the top of Grange Hill at the road junction with Spitewinter Lane.
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