Exploring a beautiful and tranquil Amber Valley village
Crich is a picturesque and peaceful Derbyshire village on the edge of the Derbyshire Dales, just inside the Amber Valley borders.
For a small village, Crich nevertheless has many notable features which makes it a popular place for both residents and visitors to live and visit.
It is the home to the National Tramway Museum (Crich Tramway Village) as well as Crich Stand, the clifftop memorial to the Worcesteshire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment.
Crich Stand was built in 1923 and is dedicated to the memory of the men who died in the Sherwood Foresters Regiment during the Great War.
Subsequently the men who served in the Second World War have been remembered. A pilgrimage takes place on the first Sunday of July each year for a memorial service.
It is a landmark that can be seen for miles around and on a bright day it is possible to see Lincoln Cathedral, 50 miles away.
This is the third stone-built tower on the site and before that there was at least one wooden structure.
Crich was also the setting for the fictional village of Cardale, which featured in the popular and long-running BBC TV series Peak Practice.
Besides Crich itself, the civil parish includes the nearby smaller settlements of Fritchley, Whatstandwell and Wheatcroft.
The 2021 Census provided by the Office for National Statistics states that Crich has a population of 2,870, similar to the previous Census of 2011, which registered 2,898 inhabitants.
The village lies five miles from Matlock, Belper, Alfreton and Ripley and ten miles from both Chesterfield and Derby.
According to Rightmove, the UK’s largest online real estate property portal (rightmove.co.uk), properties in Crich had an overall average price of £371,347 over the last year.
The majority of sales in Crich during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £431,242.
Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £266,000, with terrace properties fetching £202,000.
Overall, sold prices in Crich over the last year were 15% up on the previous year, similar to the peak of £372,573.
In the past 12 months, 16 properties have been sold in Crich, including 11 detached houses, ranging from £360,000 to £850,000.
Crich has an impressive 52 listed buildings, one of which is Grade I listed (the 12th century St Mary’s Church), the highest grade possible.
One (Crich Stand) is Grade II* listed, while the rest are Grade II, meaning they represent buildings of national importance and special interest.
Crich Junior School is a small school for pupils aged seven to 11 in the heart of the village and was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted at their last visit.
Secondary schools closest to Crich include Anthony Gell School, in Wirksworth, Swanwick Hall School, Highfields School, in Matlock, and Belper School and Sixth Form Centre.
AMENITIES
Aside from the aforementioned attractions and landmarks Crich boasts, the village itself is fairly contained.
Just off the Market Place, the centre of the village, you will find Budgens, a convenience store, while close by is a Post Office; Carsdale Fish Bar (named after the fictional town in Peak Practice which was filmed in Crich); The Loaf, a bakery, café and deli which enjoys a high rating on Trip Advisor; as well as Jeera, which offers authentic Bangladeshi cuisine.
A GP surgery, pharmacy and fire station are all present in the village and Crich is also home to several parks and recreational areas, while the close-knit community spirit is often on show, not least for the annual Crich Fete.
The charming, quaint feel of the village is exemplified by the wonderful Tudor-looking Old Black Swan public house, while another pub, Cliff Inn, can be found on Town End – both provide meals as well as drinks.
There are regular bus services to Matlock, Alfreton, and Ripley, making it easy to get around despite its fairly rural location, even if you don’t own a car.
For drivers, Crich is conveniently located near the A6, providing easy access to Derby and beyond.
The village's name is believed to have evolved from ‘cryc’, the Celtic word for crag or hill. Unearthed coins point to Roman settlers, who would likely have mined the abundant lead ore.
Crich has been described as 'the geology of Derbyshire in miniature', being a meeting of the gritstone of the Dark Peak and the limestone of the White Peak.
There is reference to a Crich lead mine in the Domesday survey of 1086, with lead worked up to the mid-19th century when quarrying became the village's main industry.
