<- What's this? CLICK HEREEarly beginnings.
Tibshelf, and the surrounding area, have had a colourful and varied past and have been important for mining, quarrying, medicinal springs and horticulture.
The name Tibshelf may have pagan origins. One of its early names Tibber can mean “Place of Sacrifice on the Hill”, but Tibshelf was also known as Tobershelf, Tibbeself, Tybchulf and Tybcefe. Another Anglo Saxon derivative is Tibba's Schele, meaning "Tibba's huts on the ridge".
In 827 A.D. Tebba signed a pact of loyalty with Egbert, the first king of all England and Tibshelf was in Domesday in 1086 as The Mayor of Tibecel, held by Robert, with William Peveril in charge for the King.
In 1550 several shallow mines, one of which was owned by Bess of Hardwick, were opened in the area, starting a trend, which was to see coal mining overtake agriculture as the main industry. By the 19th century, two deep mines were in operation but these closed in 1939.
Tibshelf’s claim to fame was also based on the fact that Britain’s first inland oil well was sunk on the outskirts of the village.
Railway development was also important in the 19th century and Tibshelf boasted three stations.
Tibshelf increased in size from 700 people in 1800, to 4000 in 1920, as people moved in attracted by employment opportunities in the mines.
Before 1872, parishioners took it in turns to act as constable for the village. In the 1900’s Tibshelf Ambulance Brigade were invited to Windsor to meet Queen Victoria and perform their drill. She was apparently much impressed!
Tibshelf was the centre for stocking making, which were made on frames by local people in their homes. Three storied houses can still be seen on Tibshelf High Street, a legacy to the time when the third story was used for weaving. In 1818 frames were rented for 9d a week or bought for around £5 10s. Stockingers were usually good singers and there were 3 or 4 “Glee Clubs” in the village.
In May 1952 Tibshelf was hit by a tornado and trees uprooted. Telegraph wires snapped and houses damaged, although miraculously only one person was injured.
In recent years the village economy has changed radically with the closure of the local collieries and the railway.
Today the village provides good educational and leisure facilities, and a pleasant rural home for 3400 people within a short distance of the Peak National Park. Because of the close proximity of the M1 motorway, and the links to the west provided by the A38, Tibshelf is ideally situated for commuting to Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield or even further afield.
There is an industrial estate situated on Mansfield Road that provides employment for a percentage of the village, and the opening of Tibshelf Services on the M1 has also increased employment opportunities.
The fame of the Tibshelf Nursery, known to horticulturalists throughout Britain, was based on its Chrysanthemums. Joseph and Thomas Johnson raised more early flowering varieties than any other growers in the country at that time.
Both men came to cultivation as boys and continued their interest even when employed at the pit for 6s per week. In the 1920’s they gave up work and concentrated full time on plant growing. One of their most famous varieties is called “Sweetheart”. Tom Johnson’s wife accused him of having another sweetheart because of the time and affection he lavished on it! The site is now a housing estate and Meadow View Riding Stables.
By Back Lane was an enclosure for straying cattle, which had to be “bailed out”.
Tibshelf Sporting Heritage.
The Parish Ground has been the centre for
competitive sport in the village since its donation to the village by St
Thomas' Hospital. Tibshelf has had a colliery Cricket
Team in the Derbyshire league since the 1890’s, and it is probable that
competitive cricket was played earlier than that. Today, Tibshelf
Cricket Club still flourishes and the Parish Ground also provides facilities
for a number of village based Football Clubs.
It was possible up to the 1900’s for any ratepayer from Tibshelf to go to Hurst Quarry near Barber’s Farm and quarry stone to build their house. Some people worked with the stone, repairing the roads, in lieu of paying rates.
An important supply of old Tibshelf’s water was pumped from “Old Bob Lamb’s” field by a steam pump known as Bob Lamb whilst gravitation led it to two taps in St Thomas Row, the only supply of water there up to 1900. Other houses in Tibshelf relied on well water, but some preferred beer to the risks of drinking possibly contaminated Well water. There were 15-20 malt houses at the top end of the village near the Wheatsheaf. October was the month for brewing. The first brew was the best, and then the malt and barley were boiled again to make beer.
Tibshelf
Carnival.
An important event in the village calendar was the annual Carnival and the Whitsun Walk. The events always brought the village together and it was an honour to be picked to be the Carnival Queen. Bands led the procession down the High Street and there was always some element of novelty in the proceedings.
The
Wheatsheaf Inn.
The Wheatsheaf was the venue in 1777 for the first meeting to decide on Enclosures in Tibshelf under the Enclosure Act. Matters relating to the boundaries claims for the common land, common watering places and proper highways were discussed and among those agreed were that public carriage roads should be 40’ in breadth with both public and private roads used for herbage and feeding.
Tibshelf station was opened in 1893 and was one of three in Tibshelf. The others being Newton Road and Doe Hill.
Tibshelf was a thriving station for both the Great Central and Midland Railways. The track was partly built to carry coal to the expanding London markets but passenger trains also ran from May 1st 1886 and took 38 mins to travel from Mansfield to Alfreton via Pleasley, Teversal, Woodend, Tibshelf, Newton, Westhouses and Blackwell.
Water from the tank at the top of Alfreton Road supplied the public baths at Newton Road, which were later used as a school. (The building is now a factory.) In the year the baths were excavated nine earth tremors were reported.
Shallow mining came to Tibshelf in 1550. These mines of no more than 20-30 feet depth were privately owned and very dangerous. One man was reputedly saved by the wind from the shaft catching in his smock and slowing his fall! Two brothers who lost their lives in the pits, one of whom was only 11, have a stone in the churchyard. Nine other casualties of a further disaster were buried near the belfry door. Two deep mines sunk by the Babbington colliery in the 19th century operated until 1939. The rise of population from 705 in 1811 to 4000 in 1921 was due to the opening of these mines. A quality piece of research on the early development of mining in Tibshelf was conducted by Andrew Hesketh, a resident of the village now living in Wales. His findings are well worth reading and can be accessed by clicking on the link from his name. The landscaped colliery is now known as Tibshelf Ponds and is the gateway to the DCC Five Pits Trail.
The gateposts are originally from a tollgate
Re-thatched in 1985, the Thatched Cottage sits at right angles to the High Street. There was a time, however, when the cottage did fall into disrepair until renovated in the late 70's.
Toll
Bar.
The stagecoach paid tolls at toll bars by the White Hart across the Chesterfield Road and on Doe Hill Road.
The soil around Tibshelf is a mixture of clay and loam and is still under cultivation. Local farmers were usually cow keepers (as opposed to those from around Lincoln who kept horses) Cattle were bred for milk and beef and were chiefly the Shorthorn, Poll Lincoln Red or Blue Albion breeds. Potatoes, mangolds and turnips were cultivated with corn, oats and hay as cereal crops.
The present church dates from the early 13th century when the De Heriz family held the manor. In 1492 the tower was built in the perpendicular style but the church was practically re-built in 1729 (with a north side aisle added). In 1878 saw the addition of an acre of land to the churchyard and another programme in 1887 rebuilt the nave and enlarged the aisle. In 1910 fire destroyed the chancel, which was rebuilt with a south aisle and organ chamber.
The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist although occasionally styled the church of St Peter.
The Five Pits Trail runs through Tibshelf and provides a seven and a half mile traffic-free route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It winds across rolling countryside and offers picnic areas beside Tibshelf Ponds and splendid views. The Five Pits Trail links the former collieries of Tibshelf, Pilsley, Holmewood, Williamthorpe and Grassmoor. The trail utilises the route of disused track originally built by the Midland Railway Company in 1892 and later added to by the Great Central Railway Company, which opened a new line to serve each of the five large collieries and assist in transporting their coal to the London area. The Derbyshire Countryside Service manages this popular trail reclaimed by Derbyshire County Council.