‘What is now called ‘Dale’ was in the 12th century known as ‘Depedale’, and includes also part of the medieval ‘Stanley Park’.  Thus the hermit’s cell and Dale church were in Depedale, the abbey in Stanley Park.  It has been suggested by Mr Ward (Dale and its Abbey, p. 26) that the Sow Brook which runs through Dale was the boundary between the two…’

‘The ‘Park’ of Stanley upon which the abbey was eventually founded is an example of the technical term in forest law for an enclosure within a forest for the strict preservation of game (cf Breadsall Park nearby) and there is a reference to ‘the passage of those coming and going between Nottingham and Derby through the forest’.  Colvin tries to link this forest with Harestan Forest, in a 1217 patent, as belonging to Robert de Ferrars, and an extension of Duffield Frith (Harestan is on the borders of Frith and a few miles north of Dale).  If this is right, it was created by Henry II, condemned by Forest Charter of 1217 and disafforested in 1225, no longer existing by the time of the Chronicler’ (C40F).

‘The new abbey in Stanley Park was not built on the site of the priory, for that was in Depedale’ (C40F).

Depedale and Stanley Park