National Forest Spires & Stiles

Located close to one another in the heart of South Derbyshire, Coton in the Elms, Rosliston Forestry Centre, and Linton Heath offer a fascinating mix of geographical extremes, ancient history, and transformed green spaces.

📍 Coton in the Elms: The UK's Most Landlocked Village

While it is a quiet, picturesque parish, Coton in the Elms holds a few remarkable claims to fame:

Furthest Point from the Sea: Just under a mile southeast of the village (at Church Flatts Farm), Ordnance Survey identified the furthest point from the coast in Great Britain, measuring exactly 70 miles (113 km) from coastal waters in all directions.

Ancient Origins: Coton is an ancient settlement, first documented in AD 942 when land was granted to Wulfrige the Black. It sits along the Walton Way, an ancient salt trade route, and was recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) under the spelling Cotes.

Etymology & Elms: Its name literally means "all the cottages in the elms". Though Dutch Elm Disease wiped out many of its namesake trees in the 1970s, the village retains its quiet, idyllic charm with the Pessal Brook running through the village green.

🌲 Rosliston Forestry Centre: Pioneering The National Forest

Situated right next door, the Rosliston Forestry Centre is a major flagship site in The National Forest initiative:

A Landscape Transformed: Created in 1993, the site turned over 150 acres of former, intensive agricultural farmland into a thriving, biodiverse living woodland. Around 120,000 trees were planted in the initial phase between 1993 and 1997.

Wildlife Haven: It features a mix of broadleaf and conifer woodlands, meadows, and fishing lakes. It is widely celebrated locally as a habitat for kestrels, kingfishers, barn owls, several species of bats, and summer butterflies.

Community & Eco-Tourism: The site is jointly managed by South Derbyshire District Council and Forestry England. Beyond its miles of walking and cycle trails, it hosts eco-lodges, outdoor education programs, and forest wedding ceremonies in a secluded outdoor woodland area known as The Glade.

⚒️ Linton Heath: Coal, Clay & Industrial Regeneration

Linton Heath forms the eastern edge of the village of Linton. Like much of the South Derbyshire coalfield, its story is deeply rooted in industrial heritage:

Ancient Beginnings to Domesday: Artifacts found around Linton Heath point to human habitation dating back to the Bronze Age. The main village of Linton was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the land of Norman nobleman Henry de Ferrers.

Mining & Pottery Legacy: Historically, Linton Heath was an active mining and industrial hub. Colliery workings and rich clay deposits fueled local brickworks and coal mining operations during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Green Transition: Once dominated by heavy industry and pit stacks, Linton Heath and its surrounding fields have been heavily reforested over the last few decades. Former colliery land and agricultural plots around the settlement are now dense community woodlands that connect directly into the wider National Forest network.