Around 1890, contemporary records speak of the pall of smoke hanging over Dale village. At that date it had two collieries (up in the fields behind the Carpenter’s Arms) and a sand quarry, the later serving Stanton Ironworks via a tramway that went straight across the road in front of the Carpenter’s Arms.

In contrast Dale has now become a rural oasis between the cities of Nottingham and Derby, boasting not only the remains of the Abbey but also a semi-detached church of unusual character, one remaining thatched building (if you can find it) and a genuine Hermit’s cave.

Now semi-detached to a Victorian farmhouse, it was formally attached to a thatched pub, the Blue Bell.

This is where it all started!
In the eighteenth century, it  once more functioned as a home.