The Alstonefield Amble

As reported in my earlier report of our visit to Alstonefield, we responded well to the challenge set by our leader for the day.

Apart from that challenge we did also take the opportunity to enjoy the walk from Alstonefield along Wolfscote Dale and Milldale back to our starting point.

Alstonefield (alternative spelling: Alstonfield) is in the Staffordshire Moorlands district of Staffordshire. It lies on the borders of Derbyshire and Staffordshire on the watershed between the valleys of the Dove and the Manifold rivers.

The village is built upon an ancient site. Its name is derived from the Saxon, meaning ‘Aelfstan’s open land’ and its Saxon occupation is indicated by the fortified hill farms, the remains of which can be seen on the West overlooking the Manifold valley and by the many lynchets, the name given to areas of the hillsides which were levelled so that crops could be grown.





The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book, 1086, and it was noted in the Latin shorthand of that time that “William holds from him 3 virgates of land. Land for three ploughs.

The Norman arch in the chancel of St.Peter’s church was built at about the same time and completed in 1100.

The village was a centre of trade as many packhorse tracks passed close by and it served as a major conduit for Lead from the local mines, for Copper from Ecton on the edge of the parish, for salt from Cheshire and for Limestone.

On our way to Wolfscote Dale

I have been unable to find an answer to the pressing question of why some cows’ horns point up whilst others’ point down.  Detailed research of the web has drawn a blank, although I have discovered that according to one website, all cows point north (can’t be right) and of course that some wear bells because their horns don’t work!

A dipper - I am sure that Dave will have some better photos

This sheep may not be aware of the name of this Dale - but then it may be a wolf in sheep's clothing

Martin checking out the byelaws

Views over Milldale


After our amble we adjourned to The George in Alstonefield. The village pub is named after George I and the first reference to a pub on this site was in 1720. For the first hundred years of the pub's history, it was tied to the fates of two families, the Lowes and the Mellors.


Robert Mellor, who was the landlord from 1774, was also a cheese factor. He married Mary Allen in 1778 and they had four children. Maria Mellor inherited the pub in 1838 from her mother, Mary, as her brother had been declared bankrupt.

Maria Mellor married George White of Calton in 1832. He was an auctioneer. He continued the practice of holding sales and auctions at the pub. The pub was sold by auction on the 28th February 1876 to Sir John Harpur Crewe. He was the Lord of the Manor of Alstonefield.

The George is now run by the third generation of the same family to run it - Mrs Grandjean was the widow of the Swiss-Buxton chocolatier Marcel Grandjean and came to the pub in 1964 with her son, Richard. Emily, his stepdaughter, took over full time management of the pub in 2006.

By the way, The George serves an excellent pint of Jennings (Cumberland Ale).