Maps of Trusley
We are always happy to receive new (or old!) maps of Trusley.
You can find us on Google maps.
The Derbyshire Mapping Portal is an excellent source of modern maps in a wide range of scales.
The National Library of Scotland is an excellent source of old maps - even outside Scotland!
Oldest
The oldest map we can find is by Burdett and Kitchin in 1791. Click the image and go full screen for a larger version.
Some changes since 1791:
- No access shown from Long Lane down to Grange Field (now a wedding venue) - probably only a farm track
- Taylor's Lane ends just beyond the last cottage in the village. Access to "Wood" (now Trusley Wood - still a farm) was probably a farm track.
- The Manor (circa 1908), the Church (1703) and the Rectory (1799) are not shown.
- "Ruckhill House" is now Rookhills Farm.
- "Brook House" is now Trusley Brook Farm (no longer a farm,). Goldhurst Farm (circa 1908 - still a farm) not shown.
- "Hardley House" is now Hardleyhill (no longer a farm).
- The road from Radbourne (shown as "Radburn") went through from Dalbury to Ash and on to Etwall - this was the main route used at the time - Trusley was a backwater! The Dalbury/Ash road had gone by 1881.
- The modern road past Devil's Elbow bypasses Sutton on the Hill to the east but is not shown on this map.
- This road into Sutton on the Hill had gone by 1900 but it's path can still be detected through Long Plantation.
Locations in downtown Trusley
Most of us don't have signs outside our homes (which confuses delivery drivers!) so here is a map of downtown Trusley.
Click the map for a larger image.
Cadastral maps
A cadastral map shows boundaries usually for the purpose of identifying landholdings or for extracting rent or taxes. The Church of England used such maps to extract tithes - please see below.
The Land Registry was established in 1862 and currently maintains details of freeholds and leaseholds covering about 89% of the land mass of England and Wales.
Unlike countries such as Denmark, the Land Registry does not publish a cadastral map but it does provide data to enable third parties to generate such maps. This strange case comes about because maps are based on Ordnance Survey data which is not freely available - though it should be!
Parish Online is a chargeable web site that can overlay the Land Registry data on top of a map. However, you need a licence from Ordnance Survey before you can do this. Since Trusley is really small, and we have no Parish Council, we contacted Ordnance Survey and asked if we could have a free licence - and they said "yes"!
We then entered the licence number into the Parish Online web site, during their free trial period, and we have a cadastral map!
This convoluted process would be overcome if the Land Registry produced a cadastral map with direct links to the freehold and leasehold titles and plans it records. This data is public so it should be freely and openly available to all without going through the process described above! We have a right to know who holds our land since we, as a society, own it all through the crown. That's why you purchase the right to "hold" land as "freehold" - you become a "landholder" not a "landholder" - the crown (we, as a society) is the only landowner.
The section below shows the area from Broad Close at the top and Trusley village at the bottom. Land Registry numbers (called "INSPIRE ID"s) are shown as 8 digit numbers such as 59781518 - these can be used to look up freehold and leasehold entries on the Land Registry web site.
The parish boundaries are shown in blue (Trusley Brook on the right), the boundaries of freeholds/leaseholds are in black, field boundaries are in grey, land not yet registered is in white.
Click the image below to see a cadastral map covering the whole parish - then zoom to see detail.
Tithe maps
Rents are paid to landlords, tithes were paid to the church. Originally tithes were 10% of everything produced on the land (crops and animal products) and the local rector (*) would have a tithe barn to store everything. Over time cash replaced crops but the rector still made sure he was paid.
Tithe maps were drawn up to define every piece of land in a parish so it could be tithed.
* note: "Rectors" were appointed, usually by the local landholder, to a "living" based on a church and its parish - they made their living from tithes. In many parishes the rector was a member of the landholder's family.
Click a map for a larger image
No one liked paying rent, and no one liked paying tithes - especially those who were non-believers or who never attended church. Tithes were always a source of rural conflict - even in peaceful Trusley!
The rector in Trusley faced a particular problem - many of the fields in the north of the parish did not pay tithes because they had historically been linked to local abbeys, not to the local church. That did not stop the rector doing his best to take the case to law to get his 10%! He failed!
Tithing was gradually phased out but was not completely abolished until the Finance Act of 1977. The Church of England demanded compensation before it gave up its slaves in the West Indies and it fought tooth and nail to retain tithes as a source of income.
Each year the church drew up "The Tithe Apportionment" - the amount due from each field.
Please click here for a spreadsheet containing the Trusley tithe apportionment 1840.
Civil parishes
Civil parishes are the lowest level of local authority administration in England, They were originally derived from ecclesiastical parishes but their number, names and boundaries have changed over time.
Click the maps for a larger image.
Church of England mapping site
The CofE has an excellent mapping site.
To use it:
- Link to the site.
- Enter the location in the search box top right - e.g. "Trusley".
- On the left hand side select the tab: "Content" - if you are not using a PC web browser full screen it may be shown as the central icon under "Details".
- Clear everything except "Parishes (boundaries only".
- Now click anywhere within a parish to bring up details.
Click the maps for a larger image.
Trusley Brook
Trusley Brook starts life as Nunsclough Brook near Burrows Hall Farm north of Long Lane and forms the eastern boundary of Trusley ecclesiastical parish and most of Trusley civil parish.
It becomes Trusley Brook as it reaches level with Grangefields Farm. There is no obvious reason why it should change name here apart from a footpath to Lees crossing the brook by a footbridge.
South of Dalbury, Trusley Brook merges with Radbourne Brook to become Etwall Brook which flows south before becoming Egginton Brook and joining the River Trent near Willington Wetlands (now home for a growing Beaver family!) The Trent flows into the Humber which reaches the North Sea at Spurn Head - a long way for a Pooh Stick to travel!
Other maps
Click for a larger image.
Note: the line running down the middle is a page fold, not a road!
The 1900 map does not show Goldhurst Farm between Trusleybrook Farm and Hardley Hill Farm. In 1902 the Coke family returned to live in Trusley Manor and OldHurst Farm, close by, was converted into stables and other outbuildings after the tenant was moved to the new Goldhurst Farm.
Towards the top of the map a "Smithy" is shown in Long Lane Village. This explains why the local pub (adjacent to the Smithy) was called "The Three Horseshoes" because a horse with three shoes needed a smithy! Unfortunately the pub has now been renamed "The Horseshoes" so a piece of history has been lost.
