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Holloway
Holloway can be found in close proximity to two other settlements known as Dethick and Lea that make up a combined rural parish, situated high in the hills above the east bank of the Derwent Valley, a handful of miles south-east of Matlock in the Peak District. Each of the three settlements has it's own claim to fame through association with former residents who became figures of national celebrity, whose exploits and achievements are duly recorded in the annals of England's social and political history.
Dethick, Lea and Holloway lie in a stretch of land between the A615 Matlock to Alfreton road and the A6 from Cromford to Ambergate, and consequently several minor roads converge on the triune nest of picturesque villages from all directions.
Florence Nightingale, the Lady of the Lamp, lived at Lea Hurst, Holloway, both before and after her famous exploits in the Crimean War. The infamous Anthony Babington was a staunch Catholic supporter of Mary Queen of Scots, and was executed at the Tower of London in 1586 for Treason against the Crown after plotting against Queen Elizabeth 1st . He was born at Dethick Manor in 1561.
The final luminary to stamp an indelible imprint on the parish was Victorian Industrialist John Smedley, who along with Florence Nightingale's grandfather, Peter Nightingale, built Lea Mills in the late eighteenth century. There were four successive John Smedley's and they were responsible for laying the foundations for much of the prosperity and infrastructure that the parish enjoys today - whilst the second John Smedley was responsible for the building of Riber Castle, a familiar landmark in the area. Today there is also a Florance Nightinggale Chapel that is a popular attraction for visitors.
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