Relating Dirty Hucknall to Huthwaite

plus Hucknall Torkard and Hault Hucknall

One major factor throwing full doubt upon finding origins of a Hucknall actually sited below Huthwaite heights, comes from past confusion caused mapping Hucknall Torkard and Hault Hucknall within such close proximity to the centralised Hucknall Huthwaite.

Coincidence? Surely not! Intuitively it seemed some kind of larger area called Hucknall must have past reference. The idea made much more common sense following our history, which otherwise threw up more ambiguities. Finding others before me had suggested similar case including all three areas within a larger Hucknall district remained none the less most easily discredited. Simple in finding Ault Hucknall lay inside adjacent Derbyshire borders clearly shown upon modern maps.

The Domesday Book offered our earliest snapshot into how taxable land divisions became covered. Subdividing the country into counties, hundreds and manors down to the smallest parish had already proved a well established method of regulating the whole population, adopted to this day. Considering this Huthwaite settlement was not found named until well over a century later left no historic room to allocate another divisional district within known times. Recognising its given name could potentially date an initial small family farm several centuries beforehand offered little consolation. That darkest period when whoever first built a settlement remains unlit, with few records or artifacts unearthed giving evidence.

Discussions thankfully led toward being informed historian Roy Peters had already helped solve this dilemma. Published in a 1996 edition of the Ashfield Historian results authenticated by a Dr Grant shared his full knowledge studying Domesday England. Combined depth of that study makes it hard disputing such strong evidence. Although hesitating before blindly accepting all their arguements, especially if concerning an initial siting of some defensive structure, general plausibility puts recognition beyond doubt some type of earlier Hucknall Hundred could be potentially mapped.

Admitting my own deepening research missed chance unearthing this earlier Hucknall district, small consolation comes being able to clarify how referencing was first applied to Huthwaite. To distinguish when it had been found I had gathered known documented evidence identifying the locality under differing versions of Hucknall addressing. Realising Huthwaite had quickly become more broadly addressed, mainly as Hucknall Huthwaite in reference to the earlier named district still begged an answer. Who invited using this more descriptive but puzzling connection, before someone offered alternative descriptions given Dirty Hucknall?

Huthwaite - Hucknall Huthwaite - Dirty Hucknall

Credit given those true masters whose pioneering research revealed new data founding our history. Yet vague understandings covering Hucknall association did fuel various myths, especially after revealing historic references had alternatively identified Dirty Hucknall. Belief maintained Hucknall Huthwaite had sited Hucs stone settlement under our landmark. An accepted translation around time when a New Hucknall Colliery was inviting mining families into Hucknall-under-Huthwaite housing. Building their proud mining community, plausible explanations did prove adaptable. Helping defend taunts learning this coal field locality was reason for once being called Dirty Hucknall, similarly claimed at Blackwell.

Perhaps I am the only one who wished to dispute these readily accepted claims. Told by my Great Grandmother how she heard historic reference after the family moved into Hucknall Huthwaite. Others agreed it must have once been filthy, but long before siting brand new terraced homes, built to invite miners into the modern colliery. Blame was being directed at the older Hucknall Colliery sited below Blackwell Road, when pits created large amounts of coal dust, soot, smoke and poor muddy road conditions.. Reassurance given and realised by modern levels of cleanliness and hygiene made good, with no denial past layers of filth lay beneath these newer homes. But even back then my schoolboy suspicions begun realising, maybe these accepted truths were just enough to satisfy general concern.

Hearing many folklores throughout my childhood, I remained unconvinced by basic reasons given for naming Dirty Hucknall. Learning of references found dating way back only pushed blame onto numerous bell pits being worked around our borders. Yet even in times when a few men dug shallow pits, just how many cart loads of coal could be drawn a week heading to Mansfield markets? Unsurfaced roadways were common everywhere, yet I never heard of any busier routes giving name to other areas. If our rural tracks from across Blackwell became so bad, how come it took another three centuries before road surfacing was begun?

Elder residents still recall a stigma once raised by historic name. Aiming to at least clarify this referencing there eventually appeared another link provided through Fulwood. Named by referencing adjacent Foul Woods below Huthwaite, Fulwood showed up in documents found dating Dirty Hucknall back to this 1539 perambulation defining Sherwood Forest boundaries. ... And from thence towards the West by Hardwicke Hedge. And so going toward the South by the Rewarder Mere between the Kirkby Field and the Sutton fields up to Holebrucke, and from thence by the hedge of Holebrucke Hawe into Colegate. And so passing away by the Coppice Wood of the lord the King called Fulwood. And so by the whole bounds of Fulwood round about up to Normanton Lane up to Hawkiswell. And from thence about the fields of Dirty Hucknall & Houthwell up to Munford Bridge.

Discovering earlier perambulations when personally offering well accepted reasons, Mr Paul Bradshaw traced Dirtie Hucknall dating 1505 ties with Ffulwood. This knowledge only enforced my further realisation, our neighbouring localities shared some other relationship from their given names. The fact these poorer meadows also sat adjacent Derbyshire coal fields had certainly given good reason why dark coloured waters named neighbouring Blackwell. But what if that very popular place name did not originate as presumed just from coal deposits? Or, instead relating much older place name first given Blackwell, could not far greater relations exist between Dirty Hucknall meadows alongside Fulwood.

Produced 07 May 03 © Revised 18 Apr 07