A Brief History of Calow
1086 Calow mentioned in Domesday Book as "Calehale" (meaning a bare corner of land). It consisted of 17 villagers, 1 smallholder. 1.5 ploughlands. 2.5 lord's plough teams, 2 men's plough teams, 3 acres of meadow, 1 woodland (believed to be Westwood).
Later a manor house which "belonged to the King" is recorded and is possessed by the successive notable families of Breton, Loudham & Foljambe.
1430 Known as "Calell".
1561 Known as "Calo".
1821 Seventy-nine houses, eighty-three families and 600 persons recorded. Out of these three-quarters employed in farming and the rest in the manufacture of iron. The land (895 acres) jointly owned by Earl Manvers with Messrs. George & Jethro Adlington, Will Ashmore, Henry Cowlishaw, Robert Cox, William & Peter Smith and William Windle; all this was divided into small farms amongst seventy-two tenants. To these tenants an annual tithe was affixed at a rate of 2s 6d per acre and an average rental of 25s per acre.
1829 Hamlet of Calow consisted of 44 houses (this did not include houses from Calow Green etc.)
1837 United Reformed Church built (restored 1898).
1841 Duckmanton Lodge built.
1854 Calow Church of England Primary School founded on Top Road on land donated by Earl Manvers. Church of England paid for the building and maintenance. Building used for Anglican services until St. Peter's Church built.
1867 St. Peter's Church founded (cost £1,600) on Top Road. Built on land given by Earl Manvers it is now a Grade II listed building.
1878 Calow Church of England Primary School enlarged (126 pupils on roll).
1887 Church spire & three bells (a gift from local resident, Mrs Walker) added for Queen Victoria's golden jubilee at a cost of £600.
1900 Calow becomes an ecclesiastical parish.
1901 Painted apse ceiling added to St. Peter's Church by the artist Alfred Hemming (cost donated by a local family).
1916 Cooperative Society Shop opened on Top Road.
1919 Eastwood Park founded.
1921 War memorial installed.
1933 1st Calow Scout Group formed by Reverend C.W. Handford.
1935 Church clock dedicated on May 6th for silver jubilee of King George V.
1936 St Peter's churchyard extended.
1946 Dedication at St. Peter's of three Victory Bells and chiming keyboard making a peal of six (with the original three which were restored). Later two peace bells dedicated in memory of Fr. Fisher 2nd Vicar of Calow.
1950s Major housing development along Blacksmith Lane / Church Lane. New housing & roads, including North Road & Allpits Road, built. "The Anvil" public house opened.
1955 Church Hall opened on Easter Monday.
1958 Pub "Somerset House" (previously a private house) opened on Top Road. A garage is built opposite, this is owned by Kennings Motor Group during the 1960s. Later became the Tip Top Furniture Centre, then a bicycle and finally a motorbike shop before being demolished in 2019. In 2020 the land becomes a staff car park for NHS workers.
Late 1950s Proctors Rose Gardens along Blacksmith Lane / Church Lane developed for housing. The roses were given away to Calow residents. Roads named after flowers & plants e.g. Rose Avenue, Foxglove Close etc.
1963 Duckmanton Lodge became a Civil Service Club.
1966 Calow C of E Primary split into two separate sites. The junior school remained on Top Road. The new infants' school opened on Church Lane.
Late 1960s Major works to widen Top Road & put a pavement on right hand side (towards Bolsover) plus improvement to street lighting.
1970s Somerset House Pub holds "Christmas in July".
1970s - 1990s Calow Galas held.
1973 Calow School moves to a new build on North Road.
1984 Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Royal Hospital opened.
1985 Hospital officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
1987 Calow C of E becomes a primary school again. A nusery is added in 1988.
1993 Old School Lane built on the site of the former primary (later junior) school.
A meeting room added onto St. Peter's Church using materials from the old school.
1998 Pulpit & lectern installed in St. Peter's Church; designed to represent the prow of a boat. Methodist minister the Rev'd Kathleen Richardson took the title "Baroness Richardson of Calow" when created a life peer. Baroness Richardson was the subject of an edition BBC Radio 4 programme "Lords a Living". The programme, broadcast in January 2011, reflected on the Baroness returning to visit the village where she spent her childhood.
2000 Meadow View Nursing Home built on former Infants School site.
2011 Calow Community Centre opened.
2012 Olympic Torch passed through Calow, along Top Road, on its way to London.
2019 Co-op opened in former Somerset House Pub.
