Perched some 800ft above sea level to the eastern end of the Penine chain, the three villages of Summerley Apperknowle and Hundall cling to the valley wall overlooking the town ship of Dronfield.
Apperknowle
or Apple on the Hill as it was first called, was along with it's near neighbours,
strictly agricultural and had been from Norman times. With the coming of the
Industrial Revolution in Dronfield this area became a satellite for labour
and with the finding of coal, life styles changed and coal was king for three
hundred years.
Time
has seen the end of mining, gone are the spoil heaps, hushed are the clogged
feet at half four in the morning, gone are the squeal of breaks and the angry
snarl of the pit buses as they turned round before disgorging it's black and
weary work load of men, then taking on it's next shift. Agriculture is once
again in the forefront on the hills, things change yet remain the same.
From the very highest point at the eastern end of the village stands Moor Top Farm. It was said on a clear day you could see for a hundred miles out over Lincolnshire and during the horse drawn era, it was the highest cultivated area in England.
To the west on Summerley corner is Bentley Farm. From it's vantage point can be seen five counties, two cities, two towns and villages too numerous to mention.
Photographs provided by kind permission of Mr I Lilleyman
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