DESCRIPTION

The small village of Stoney Middleton is situated at the entrance to Middleton Dale. The houses are built close to and on the sides of the rugged cliffs. It is here where one of the famous 'Lover's Leaps' can be found and a small cafe below the overhanging cliff is said to mark the spot where a distraught girl tried to kill herself by falling from the cliff when her lover found someone else, However, she was saved by her large skirts acting as a parachute and landed safely. The steep winding lanes are almost too narrow for present day traffic.

The Church of St. Martin, erected in 1750 is very unusual as it is octagonal in shape. The original Church was built by Joan Padley as a thanksgiving on the return of her husband from the Battle of Agincourt. The original font was given by Joan and her husband.

A narrow road winds past the Church and the Hall and makes its way upwards to the cemetery, passing the old stone buildings of the open-air baths, now disused, but still filling with the water from nearby springs. These baths are believed to have been built on the site of a Roman Bath. The tepid spring mineral water flows in a small waterfall into a small pond and then falls downhill to join the brook which runs by the Church and through the village

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

ANDREW	ARMSTRONG	ASKEY	BACON	BAGGALY
BAILEY	BARBER	BARKER	BARLOW	BARNES
BARNETT	BARNSLEY	BENNETT	BENTLEY	BETTNEY
BIRKS	BLACKWELL	BLAND	BOAM	BOND
BOOKER	BOOTH	BOWER	BRADSHAW	BROCKLEHURST
BROWN	BRYCE	BURKINSHAW	BURTON	BUXTON
CALDWELL	CARTER	CHAPMAN	CLAYTON	CLIFF
COCKER	COLLINGHAM	CONVINE	COTHER	CRESSWELL
CUND(E)Y	DAKIN	DAWSON	DEAKINS	DENMAN
EDGE	EIDSON	ELLIOTT	ELLRODT	FINDER
FIRTH	FLETCHER	FORD	FROGGATT	FROST
FURNESS	FURNISS	FYNNEY	GARLICK	GASCOYNE
GAUNT	GILL	GODDARD	GRATTON	GRAY
GREAVES	GREEN	GREGORY	HADFIELD	HAINES
HALL	HALLAM	HANCOCK	HARRISON	HEGINBOTHAM
HENSWORTH	HEPPINSTALL	HEWITT	HILL	HINCH
HIRST	HOBSON	HOLDEN	HOLLIS	HOLMES
JACKSON	JERRAM	KINDER	KNIGHTON	LEE
LENNON	LICKEFETT	LITTLEWOOD	LOMAS	MARPLES
MARSDEN	MARSHALL	MASON	MATHER	MATHEWMAN
MILLIGAN	MILNE	MILWARD	MOLLEY	MORTON
MOSELEY	MOTTRAM	MULLINS	MURPHY	MYCOCK
NEWBOLD	NUGENT	OLIVER	ORANGE	OUTRAM
PALFREYMAN	PARKER	PETERS	PRICE	RADFIRTH
RADFORD	REED	RHODES	RICHARDSON	RIDDLESDEN
RIDGEWAY	ROBINSON	ROE	ROWLAND	SEALRS
SELLARS	SELLERS	SHAPMAN	SHARPE	SHAW
SHELDON	SHERIDAN	SKERRIT	SLATER	SNAITH
STOCKDALE	SWIFT	SWINDEL(L)	TALLIS	TEMPEST
TERRY	THOMAS	THOMPSON	THORNHILL	TOMLIN
TOWNSEND	TURNER	TYLER	UNWIN	UTTLEY
WAIN	WAINWRIGHT	WALKER	WALL	WALTON
WARD	WHEATLEY	WHINFREY	WHITE	WILKINS
WILLIAMSON	WILMOT	WILSON	WILTON	WOOD
WORSENCROFT	WRIGHT	WYATT	WYCHE

MONUMENTAL MASONS

ASHTON	HOLLINGWORTH J.	BOAM W.	KAY
BRIGHTMORE T.	MELLER ROBT.	SHINWELL W.	DARE A.
MORTON J.	TAYLOR F & WILLIAM	DAKIN	MOUNSEY C. & SON
WATSON WHITE	HEATHCOTE	ROBINSON R.	ROWLAND JOHN