About Osmaston

The Estate Village

Osmaston is an estate village approximately 3 miles from Ashbourne. At the time of the Domesday Book it was known as Osmundestune and had a population of between 60 to 80.

Most of the buildings seen today were built around 1850 when the village was redeveloped to serve Osmaston Manor built by Francis Wright.

The Wright family were Nottingham bankers and had made a considerable fortune from iron and coal production during the Industrial Revolution. They owned the Butterley Ironworks near Ripley in Derbyshire (builders of St Pancras Station). Francis Wright (1806-1873) inherited Osmaston from his mother's family and married his cousin Selina, daughter of Sir Henry FitzHerbert of Tissington. In 1845 Francis Wright started to build Osmaston Manor, which was completed in 1849. Realizing that he needed somewhere to house estate workers, he had Osmaston village built developing the village even more (although there has been a settlement in Osmaston for about 1000 years).

Francis Wright died in 1873 and there is a memorial to him in Ashbourne Market Place however during his lifetime he did not prove very popular. He had put a stop to the annual fair and also tried to stop the Shrovetide Football tradition! This did not prove very popular at all.

Today the village still retains it's picture postcard appearance with delightful half-timbered cottages and thatched roofs The village green overlooks a duck pond and the 160-year old church and old world pub give the village an picturesque charm.

The Manor House

Osmaston Manor was built in the early Victorian Tudor style of limestone and echoed Tissington Hall in much of the design. The house was set within 5000 acres of parkland with trees and lakes; Sir Joseph Paxton advised on the layout of the park. Once completed it had 70 rooms, a bake-house, washhouse and a brew-house. A central tunnel carried smoke from the house to a communal chimney in the garden, which was an ornate 150 feet high Italian type tower.

The Osmaston estate was sold in 1888 to Sir Andrew Walker. The manor house became a financial burden to the family and like many other houses at that time, was demolished in 1964 by Sir Ian Walker who's family continue to manage the estate.

The only remains of Osmaston Manor today are the smoke tower and sawmill with original waterwheel, the garden terraces and the kitchen gardens.

Osmaston Church

St Martin's Church - Osmaston St Martin's Parish Church was built in 1845 to replace an earlier building and was the first church in Derbyshire to be built in the medieval Gothic style.

It has been claimed that a stone in the previous church here was engraved with the date AD cccccc - showing that the church was founded in the 600s. Legend states that the previous church was made of wickerwork and this was demolished in 1843 to make way for the new building.

Osmaston Today

The estate at Osmaston is still owned by the Walker-Okeover family and Sir Andrew and Lady Walker-Okeover's own wedding took place in St Martin's Church followed by a large reception in a marquee on the old manor site.

The Annual Ashbourne Agricultural Show, organised by the Ashbourne Shire Horse Society, is held at Osmaston on the third Saturday of August every year. The area has a strong tradition for breeding shire horses. Apart from the shires, other animals are on display at the show, together with craft stalls and trade stands. Plenty of family entertainment is provided.

Osmaston Park is now offered as a spectacular site for other large public events and the manor site is available for corporate events and wedding receptions in a stunning marquee.