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Flagg History FLAGG HISTORY It is reputed that Flagg is situated on the site of a Viking settlement, probably established due to the rich veins of lead ore in the area, the scars of which can still be seen in several outlying fields in the form of dips and hollows. Turf cutting was another form of occupation, and it is thought that the name Flagg derives from a flag or sod or earth. In the Domesday Book the village was named ‘Flagun’. The Peak Dry Stone Walling Contest was held every three years at Flagg. In August 1938 a dilapidated old wall close to Back o’ th’ Hill Farm was pulled down, and was the setting for the competition. Using both old and some new stone, competitors had to erect four and a half yards of wall to a height of fifty seven inches between the hours of 10am and 5pm. It is estimated that a skilled waller can build seven yards of wall in a day. A special section was held for wallers under 18 years of age, and to judge the walls, marks were awarded and a distinguished visitor was invited to present the prizes. On this occasion a remark was made in the speech: “If the walls of Jericho had been built by these competitors, they would not have fallen at the sound of the trumpet!” Flagg Hall is situated at the top of an avenue of fabulous mature trees. It is thought to date back to the 16th century and had associations with the Dales and Fynnes, who were old Derbyshire families. In the church of St John the Baptist at Chelmorton there is a monument to George Dale of Flagg of 1683. The most noted resident of Flagg Hall however is the ‘haunted skull, which is still said to be contained within. Legend has it that should this skull be removed or buried, great misfortune will befall the owners of the Hall. An attempt was made to bury the skull at Chelmorton many years ago, but when the funeral cortege neared the village, the horses refused to proceed and despite any encouragement by the coachman, they reared and stamped so much that he was forced to return the vehicle to the Hall, and the skull was replaced. The true identity of the skull is a mystery, although one theory is that a surgeon, who at one time lived at the Hall and practiced locally, obtained the skull from ‘resurrectionists’ for experimental reasons. Flagg Moor rises to 1,000 feet above sea level. This is the settling for Flagg races on Easter Tuesday. On a gentle rise which provides a natural grandstand, the cross country point to point is Derbyshire’s equivalent to the Grand National. It is said that King Edward VIII when Prince of Wales actually rode at Flagg Races! About a mile to the west of Flagg is the main A515 road that runs from Buxton to Ashbourne, a stretch of which was a former Roman Road. Here you will find the Bull i’ th’ Thorn public house which reputedly dates back to 1472 and was at one time an old coaching inn. Above the door is a carved oak sign depicting a bull caught in a thorn bush. It is said that in the 13th century many coaching inns and hostelries were being established and in order to keep a check on them, the law insisted that a pole be projected from an alehouse. Over the years these poles were transformed into signs. To distinguish and identify themselves, public houses gave themselves names, some of which are quite common such as the Red Lion or The Wheatsheaf, but occasionally more unusual names have cropped up, such as the Bull i’ th’ Thorn. Flagg is now a ‘dry village’ as there is no longer a public house within the village, the Plough having closed its doors a few years ago. Local residents are hopeful that one day it will reopen. Flagg remains traditional with several working farms. Sheep and cattle graze in meadows, and in summer farmers can be seen working well into the evening to harvest hay and silage. Although many are now privately owned, back in 1912 it was stated in Kelly’s Directory that the principal landowners in Flagg were the Duke of Devonshire (Lord of the Manor) and Herbert Finney Esquire of Flagg Hall. The chief crops then were hay and oats although, as now, a great proportion of the land was used for grazing purposes. The population of Flagg in 1911 was recorded as 219. Among the residents were John Dicken, a farmer of Flagg Moor; Joseph Edward Mycock, farmer at Townhead Farm; John William Naylor, farmer and dealer and Mrs Sarah Redfern, cowkeeper. Almost a hundred years later these farming families still exist, some residing at the same farms with their descendents remaining in and around Flagg. Flagg school was erected in 1882, enlarged in 1907, converted to a pre-school, and then extended yet again in 2007 with a link to the Methodist Chapel next door. The Methodist Chapel now has the wonderful dual purpose of providing a place of worship – mostly at weekends and on special occasions – and as a classroom and play area for children aged 3 and 4 during term time. This conversion was made possible by the hard work of many local people including the Headmistress of the nursery and members of the chapel congregation, and is judged to be a complete success. A Unitarian church was built in 1838, further up the Main road, but has recently been converted expertly into a private dwelling. With a chapel, nursery school, village hall and tea rooms, Flagg has a community spirit that is hard to rival amongst other hill villages in the Peak District. |
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