Elston

Elston is a small village in Nottinghamshire to the southwest of Newark, and a mile from the A46 Fosse Way. The parish of Elston lies between the rivers Trent and Devon, with "the village itself set amongst trees and farmland less than a mile from the A46. The historic market town of Newark is just five miles to the north, with the cities of Lincoln and Nottingham some eighteen miles north and southwest respectively."

The village lies "very snugly and prettily ensconced in the midst of a pleasing landscape of North England. Nearly opposite each other are the Hall and vicarage, both occupying delightful situations, and built in elegant and stately style. The church has been handsomely restored, and is singularly rich in its memorials of the Darwins. This eminent family appear to have come to Elston from Lincolnshire towards the close of the seventeenth century, the manor being brought into the possession of William Darwin through his marriage with the heiress of Robert Waring of Wilford. William had two sons, and Elston was left to Robert, the younger, in whom the taste for scientific research began to develop."

Elston "currently has about 650 residents in 280 households. A number of new homes have been built within the last twenty years on once open spaces and there continues to be infill development on some of the large gardens."

History
Elston itself was "founded by the Angles in the 5th Century, and the square shape of the Village is typically Anglo Saxon. The name is derived from a leader named Elva, and is cited in the Domesday book as Elvastun. Historic old buildings in and adjacent to the Parish include Elston Hall, All Saints Church, the Old Chapel of Ease on the site of a mediaeval leper hospital, the Methodist Chapel, and Elston Towers, the Victorian mansion of preacher Robert Middleton, now refurbished as a day spa and renamed Eden Hall."

Elston Hall
Elston Hall was "the home of the Darwin family from 1680 until just after the Second World War, when the estate was sold. Its most famous resident was the savant Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin. Erasmus was the founder of the Lunar Society, which included Robert Boyle, Joseph Priestley and Benjamin Franklin."

Elston Chapel
Once a parish church, this is now redundant, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is a Grade I listed building which contains a fine Norman south doorway with zigzag decoration. Inside the chapel are layers of wall paintings. There is speculation that it was formerly the chapel of a medieval leper hospital dedicated to Saint Leonard.

Elston Mill
Windmills are shown on maps located on the north side of Elston Lane and the south side of Mill Lane. The latter was a tower windmill, built c. 1844, the tower being bottle-shaped, with an increase in batter at the 3rd floor. Some renovation was carried out by Gash in 1919, with a new sail fitted by Wakes and Lamb of Newark for £74 in 1920. The mill was demolished c. 1940.