Carsington and Hopton
Carsington and Hopton are two quiet villages which lie between the market towns of Wirksworth and Ashbourne. In the 7th century, one of the Northern saints, a monk named Betti, came down from Northum- berland and set up a preaching cross, which now stands on the village green. The cross previously stood in the grounds of Hopton Hall.
The Carsington church of St Margaret is of 12th century origin but was rebuilt in 1648 in Gothic style and stands on the bottom slopes of Carsington Pastures. An entry in the register dated 29th September 1668 reads: 'Sarah Tissington died. Born without hands or arms. She learned to knit, dig in the garden and do other things with her feet.
Carsington Pastures is about 365 acres of open grazing land which rises steeply above the village to a height of over 1,000 ft above sea level. On the summit there is a large stone landmark, marked on the Ordnance Survey as the King's Chair, but known locally as the Lady Chair.
The ground is scarred with remains of lead mines, the main source of wealth for the village for several hundred years and worked first by the Romans. A Roman pig of lead was found on the Owslow farm some years ago. Several of the old cottages in the village would have been originally the coes which were built round a mine shaft and at least one of them still has the mine shaft below the kitchen floor. A thick seam ot lead was exposed during grave digging operations by the sexton in the 1930s, but could not be worked as the lead mining laws did not allow the mining of lead in churchyards, orchards or gardens.
For many years no building of any kind took place, but during the late 20th century, a bypass was built as well as the new Carsington reservoir for the Severn Trent Water Authority. This has brought alterations to the villages with new houses being built and barns belonging to the farms along the valley being turned into desirable residences. There are only two farms left now in Hopton and the last farm in Carsington village was sold in 1990.
Carsington Water in Derbyshire England - a Derbyshire reservoir
Carsington Water or Carsington Reservoir in Derbyshire was opened in May 1992 by Her Majesty the Queen and has remained a very popular visitor attraction. 
Carsington Water is owned and operated by Severn Trent Water and exists to store water pumped from the River Derwent at times of high rainfall, to store the water and return it to the river when the river level would otherwise be too low to allow water extraction for treatment further downstream.
Carsington Visitor Centre holds a permanent exhibition explaining the role of water in our daily lives, the history and purpose of the reservoir and the role Severn Trent plays in conservation. A range of information sheets and booklets are on offer to help you understand the site and make the most of the recreational facilities.
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