Risley, Derbyshire

Risley
All Saints church
OS grid reference	SK458356
District	Erewash
Shire county	Derbyshire
Region	East Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DERBY
Postcode district	DE72
Dialling code	0115 9
Police	Derbyshire
Fire	Derbyshire
Ambulance	East Midlands
UK Parliament	[[Erewash (UK Parliament constituency) |Erewash]]

Risley is a small village and parish in Erewash in the English county of Derbyshire. It is just over four miles south of Ilkeston. Sandiacre is next door to the east.

Geography

It is almost midway between Derby and Nottingham and is near junction 25 of the M1 motorway and the A52. In 1870 it had a population of 203 when there was a grammar school that served seven neighbouring parishes.

History

All Saints Church was built by the Willougby family (1350) who also founded a free school. Apparently the is rare in that it belongs to a period when most churches were being pulled down rather than being built. Risley is a long thin village with most properties lying either side of the main road. With the village hall standing one side of the church and the school on the other, this is the closest you can get to the village "centre". The church belongs to the Stanton group of churches with Dale Abbey and Stanton by Dale. The village pub is the Risley Park on Derby Road

Risley Manor belonged to the Mortimers; passed to the Sheffields and then the Willoughbys; and in 1870 it belonged to J. L. Ffytche. The manor was held by Sir Hugh Willoughby, the navigator, who sailed on the 10 May 1553, with three ships, in search of a north-east passage, was frozen to death with all his crew in the January following, in the frozen ocean. It is now a country house hotel.

A silver vessel, 20 inches by 15, said to have belonged to a church in France in 405, was found near the Hall in 1729.

Notable Residents

• Sir Hugh Willoughby, the navigator, owned the manor here.
• Teresa Hooley, poet, was born here in 1888.

External links

• Risley Parish Council