Welcome to our website……..

 

St Mary's Church c1932St. Mary’s Church c. 1932

The aims of this small local group are:-

  • To promote the study of the local history of Sutton in Ashfield
  • To disseminate knowledge of this history and to promote awareness of the area’s heritage
  • To encourage the preservation of buildings, artefacts, documents and other materials of historic interest and to advise and assist in such preservation.

In pursuance of these aims we hold meetings on the second Tuesday in Feb., March, April, May, September, October, November and December at St. John’s Methodist Church Hall, Brook Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield. NG17 1EU, at which appropriate subjects are presented by suitably qualified speakers. These meetings are advertised in the local press, Sutton library and St John’s Methodist Church Hall. Visitors are most welcome, with a charge of £2 which includes refreshments.

We also make visits to places of historic interest twice a year, and take opportunities to attend and display at local exhibitions approximately three times a year.

We own a collection of dresses and other accoutrements ranging in age from 1720 to c1920. These items belonged to members of the Dodsley family who owned Skegby Hall and are known as the “Skegby Hall Collection”. The collection is housed at Hope Costume Museum in Derbyshire. Appropriate items are brought to our local exhibitions.

Planning applications are closely monitored and representations made when appropriate to ensure that our history and heritage are duly considered.

The group is actively involved in the preservation of Lindley’s Windmill in Prospect Place. We have established a museum there and are still seeking appropriate items to include. Visitors are welcome by appointment. We have also written a book about this and other mills in the Sutton area together with a booklet called “Lindley’s Mill”.

During 2014 Ashfield Academy produced a play about windmills and the production of bread. This was enacted along the streets of Sutton ending at Lindley’s mill. We were pleased to be able to assist and advise in this venture which has created much interest among the students and local residents, many of which were previously unaware of the existence of the mill.