Newark & Sherwood District Council

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.

Historic Elston

The whole area is steeped in history and great events have taken place around the Village.  The Romans settlements at Margidunum (Bingham) and at the river crossing at Ad Pontem (East Stoke) on the Fosse Way that joined Isca (Exeter) to Lindum (Lincoln). The Danes sailed up the Trent and settled in neighbouring Thorpe and at Gunthorpe.  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 Viking leader Elva, and is cited in the Domesday book as Elvastun.  In 1487, Henry VII put down Lambert Simnel’s rebellion at East Stoke, in the final battle of the Wars of the Roses.  While the English Civil War raged, Royalist Newark was besieged by the Parliamentarians.  During the Second World War, Syerston airfield was used for training RAF bomber crews.

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 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 today

Like many villages in the area, Elston is quickly changing in character.  Farming is no longer a major employer in the Parish, although there are four farms still in operation.  Most people who work commute by car to local towns and cities.  Many farm buildings have been converted into residences and some into local businesses.  There are 26 businesses in the Parish, including motor repairs, building trades, beauty and fitness, and IT training and consultation. 

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.

Pathways and Rights of Way

Elston is a member of the Parish Paths Partnership (P3) Scheme. The scheme helps us to improve and promote the rights of way network around the parish.

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