Sawley

Up until the 19th century, Sawley was the most important village in the area, an extensive ecclesiastical parish which included Breaston, Draycott, Hopwell, Long Eaton, Risley, Wilne and Wilsthorpe. The old English name for Sawley village was Sallé, meaning ‘hill where willow trees grow’ and the early development of the village was due to its command of a river crossing.

Over 1,000 years ago a small collective of monks boated down the Trent from Repton to the green meadows of Sawley, where they built the Parish Church of All Saints. Much of the church we see today is 14th century, with a 15th-century tower and spire and much 15th-century timbering. The chancel arch is Saxon. The interior boasts an impressive group of monuments, a 600-year-old font, a 500-year-old screen, a Jacobean pulpit and a 17th-century altar table.

In the late 15th century the Bothes (or Booths) settled at Sawley in a house of which some of the timbers remain in the cellars of Bothe Hall, near the church. Sawley’s most noted son was John Clifford. Born here in 1836, he became one of the most powerful voices of nonconformity, known as ‘the greatest Free Churchman of his day’.

Sawley Marina, with over 600 moorings, has been described as the ‘most sophisticated‘ marina on the inland waterways network, sitting as it does at the junction of four cruising routes. You can cruise from here all the way to the North Sea.

For the canal enthusiast, the Trent and Mersey Canal starts just two miles from Sawley, near the historic canal village of Shardlow. Less well known, but some argue the better for it, is the quiet and intriguing Erewash Canal, providing a mixed cruising experience for those who love industrial heritage and exploring the ‘out of the way’.