Anchor Church is a historic monument alongside the River Trent in Derbyshire, England. The caves were originally carved out of the stone as a place to live and the structure is officially the earliest intact domestic dwelling from Anglo Saxon England.
The structure dates back to 810 CE and was actually created for an exiled king! King Eardwulf of Northumbria became a monk and created the dwelling with his followers. What you see today is a shell, but years ago wooden beams were attached to it extending the structure outwards. Here livestock were likely to be kept along with living space for house servants. The sockets for the wooden beams are still visible.
Inside the carved home, there was a chapel in the arched room at the east alongside other rooms for sleeping. The space inside is larger than it looks from outside and there are black marks on the ceiling from what was the fireplace. Over the following centuries, the original building was altered with new doorways and enlarged windows. It’s still a fascinating place to visit though and you can feel the history here!
The issue today is getting to the monument safely. Access is by public footpath alongside the River Trent from the nearby village of Ingleby. We found the path to be treacherous and nearly fell into the river at one point! On wet days or when the river is high, we’d recommend taking the footpath fork that goes through the farmers field and then rises up the cliffside instead of walking by the river. There is then access to a small dell and the Anchor Church is just around the corner from here. You can also access the site from the roadside near Foremark Hall.
Anchor Church is free to visit and is a listed ancient monument. It’s fascinating to see, but please respect its history when visiting.
LOCATION & MAP
Address: Anchor Church Caves, Near Milton, Derby DE65 6EJ
MORE ON ANCHOR CHURCH CAVES
Anchor Church – Wikipedia
Anchor Church Walk – Visit South Derbyshire