Fenny Bentley

Records show that a settlement has existed at Fenny Bentley since being mentioned in The Domesday Book in 1086, when it was known as Benedlege. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, with much of the available historical data that provides information on the village being associated with the church and the information recorded here. The introduction of the census in the United Kingdom in 1801 means that more consistent information on the parish and how it has developed over time is now available. The population of the village has fluctuated slightly since the 19th century, with a peak in 1841 of 343 people living there. St Edmund's Church Located in the centre of the village, St Edmunds is an Anglican church that has been heavily restored since being built. Early records of The Church of St. Edmund date back as far as 1240, which show that Fenny Bentley was one of six chapelries attached to St Oswald's Church, Ashbourne The north aisle was added in 1850, and in 1864, the spire was added to the original tower. It has seating for around 200 people. Some interesting features of the building are its 16th-century traceried screens as well as the alabaster Beresford tomb located there, which holds the bodies of Sir Thomas Beresford, his wife Agnes and their 21 children, all shrouded. On the outskirts of the village is the Bentley Brook Inn, a traditional busy country Inn with a popular wedding function room and garden. ==Geography==

Fenny Bentley lies on the southern edge of the Peak District, within the Derbyshire Dales, East Midlands. Footpaths lead directly to the Tissington trail and through Thorpe to Dovedale. It lies approximately 3 miles from Dovedale, a Dale that features riverside paths accessible for walkers. Dovedale is centred on the River Dove in a Limestone valley. The site is owned by the National Trust, and the area is very popular with tourists, with the Peak District claiming to be the second most visited National Park in the world with 22 million visitors per year, behind Mount Fuji National Park in Japan. Tourism plays an important role for the few businesses that have been established in Fenny Bentley, such as the Coach and Horses inn which lies on the main route through the village, appealing to visitors to the area who may pass through on the A515 Buxton to Ashbourne Road. Much of the agricultural land around Fenny Bentley is pasture, the growing of crops being rare. It is suggested that arable farming was never widely practised in the area although this has suggestion has been challenged, with fossilised traces of ridge and furrow being discovered beneath grass covered meadows, in fields around Fenny Bentley, Thorpe and Tissington. The Peak District Boundary Walk runs through the village, which lies just inside the Peak District National Park. Demography Early census reports show that many of the people living in Fenny Bentley in the past worked locally. The majority of males worked in agricultural professions in the area, whilst the majority of females were distributed between having no known profession or being employed in the textiles industry, most likely to be the Tattersall Cotton Mill and other similar locations within the region. More recently, the population of Fenny Bentley is seen as generally a little older, with a mix of families with older children and retired households. The income in this area is generally above average and residents typically work in managerial positions, are well educated and are likely to have paid off their mortgages. The average house price in the area has decreased more recently, with the average price for a detached house in 2010 being £344,290, compared to an average in the first quarter of 2012 of just £267,833. Transport Fenny Bentley has a bus service to Ashbourne and Buxton where onward connections can be made to meet rail services from Derby and Manchester. Connections in Ashbourne are available to Matlock, Bakewell, Uttoxeter and Lichfield. The village is within easy reach by road, of cities such as Derby and Sheffield. There are alternative transport connections at Matlock Bath railway station is located 8.98 miles away, whilst East Midlands Airport is 22.98 miles from the village. The nearest port is located in Liverpool, approximately 57 miles from Fenny Bentley. ==See also==