The name is thought to be derived from an area used to breed geese for Codnor Castle and is certainly one of the oldest roads in Codnor. Joseph Millott Severn in his book  “My Village”, remembers Goose lane as a charming area with just half a dozen houses. I can also remember Goose lane from my early childhood when my family lived there until I was about five. I remember living in the first one of the two up two down terraced houses with their Coal sheds and toilets at the bottom of the gardens.

Fig.1 The cottages on Goose lane 1980. I lived at the first one in the row. The Kettle's lived in the second one, The Clarke's lived in the centre one, which I think was originally two knocked together. The Belfield's lived in the next and the Cooper's lived in the end nearest the Welfare.

Fig.2 The cottages on Goose lane 1980. Looking back towards Nottingham Road.

Fig.4 Codnor Miners Welfare Cricket Team 1927-28. Photo displayed by kind permission of the wood Collection,http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/

Fig.5 Codnor Miners Welfare Cricket Team 1930. Openwoodgate league Champions.
Back Row left to right: Geo. Wain, E.Lamb, G.Hague, D.Ratcliffe, E.Street, W.Ratcliffe, R.Bamford, F.Kniveton, M.Outram, P.Lamb and Vin Cox.

Front Row left to right: D.Taylor, A.Ratcliffe, E.Hicking (Captain), D.Henson, L.Parkin, F.Street and J.Saunders.

Photo displayed by kind permission of the wood Collection, http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/

Fig.6 Codnor West End football team. It is thought that the team was originally started by the Bartrums of West hill, hence the name. They played at Codnor Miners Welfare and this picture was taken in front of the bowls pavilion in 1954.
Names left to right Back Row: Ogar Gillett, Peter Nicolls, John Stone, Barry Clarke, Nev Robinson Nigel Foulkes, Len Dixon (trainer).
Front Row: Nobby Freeman, Gordon Lavender, Kenny Burgin, Colin Pearson, Maurice Carrington.
Displayed courtesy of Doreen Nicholls and special thanks to Nev Robinson for the information.

Passing through the old gateway and walking down Goose Lane, you immediately find yourself heading into picturesque countryside with mature hedgerows lining the road, but this was very different in the early 1800s.
Back then the lane led down between black sprawling pit hills created by the many shafts of the Cupit Green Ironstone pits. This is now the golf course. A tramway led from the pits to the top of the hill near Castle farm, were an engine house was situated. This was known as the Incline. Wagons of Ironstone were hauled up the Incline by wire ropes around large drums in the engine house, they continued down the other side Castle farm on another tramway to the bottom of the hill, were they where then drawn by horses to the Iron Works at Codnor Park. Empty wagons were returned to the pits using the same tramway. All Cupit Green pits had ceased production by 1871.

Hill Top Farm

Amongst these many shafts and pit hills sat Hill Top Farm (this is now Ormonde Fields House). It was thought that Hill Top Farm was built on the site of an early Monestry or maybe a manor house associated with the Chapel of St. Nicholas at Codnor Castle. There is still no evidence to support this, and the location of Codnor Castle Chapel has still not been proven. Some ecclesiastical objects were discovered during the 1800s to the West of the castle, suggesting the Chapel may have been in this area. But letters recently found at the Surrey History Centre, and written in 1682, discuss the trial of Robert Wyld the younger of Codnor who is accused of stealing lead from the roof of the chapel In Codnor Castle.
Fred S Thorpe records in his book “The Heritage of Codnor & Loscoe” that Mary Fletcher gives a building date of Hill top Farm as being 1668. He goes on to point out that this cannot be confirmed but a stone built into the Garden wall at Ormonde Fields house does give a date of 1716. William Shiptons Map of 1792 shows that land around the Ormonde fields house area was owned by Job Hart Price Clarke Esq. A female decendent of J.H.P. Clarke married Walter Butler who went on to become the Marquis Of Ormonde in 1815. The Marquis of Ormonde inherited the mining rights in Codnor & Loscoe through his marriage to the Clarke Decendent. He eventually sold the estates to Samual Woolley in 1824 with the mining rights going to the Butterley Company. This is were the connection with the name "Ormonde" comes from. It was Samual Woolleys son (also called Samual) who was living at Hill Top farm in 1866 when it caught fire. Joseph Millot Severn describes the event in his book “My Village” how a spark from one of the nearby pits, set fire to the thatched roof of the farmhouse. Despite the desperate efforts of the villages to bucket water from the pond near Field Lane (Nottingham Road) up to the farm, the building was severely damaged. Later the thatched roof was rebuilt with slate and the Woolley’s continued to farm the estate until it was sold to Frederick Channer Corfield in 1889.

Frederick Channer Corfield

Frederick Channer Corfield was born on 1st March 1849 in London, the son of Frederick and Sarah Weller Corfield. His early childhood was spent in Templecrone, Ireland, were he became interested in the Corfield family history and drew up his first family tree. On returning to England in 1866 he became employed by the Butterley Mining Company and also attended the Durham University were he studied Mining. In 1888 he lived briefly at Waingroves Hall followed by Butterley Cox in Ripley. During this time he purchased Hilltop Farm from the trustees of Samual Woolley and began extensive renovation and extensions of the building. This was to become Ormonde Fields house.
By 1889 Ormonde Fields House was complete and in December he moved in with his wife and their four children. Another four children were also born at Ormonde Fields. A stone built into the back of the house Commemorates this occasion with the inscription F.C.C. and A.R.A.C. FEBY 1889. These are the initials of Frederick and his wife Agnes Rebecca Augusta Corfield. There is also a religous motif, maybe originating from Codnor Castle Chapel. By now Frederick was Manager of Butterley colliery and also Lieutenant commanding Butterley Detachment, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Derbyshire Regiment, (Sherwood Foresters).
The following year in 1890 he is recorded as the founder of the Codnor, Loscoe & Waingroves Conservative Association. Frederick was a lover of rural country scenery and made considerable improvements to the surrounding area. The pit hills were flattened and hundreds of young trees planted. The incline that had been used to transport the coal from the Cupit Green pits, was reworked and made into a long drive with an avenue of trees. This is now known as Castle Drive. A culvert was made over the brook at the bottom of Goose lane and the black pit hills leveled over it. A gate was also installed at the top of Goose lane. A third entrance to Ormonde Fields House was from Nottingham Road (then called Field Lane) near the brook. This was called Foundation gate and led to the house via Langley Drive. Although he must be credited for all these vast improvements to the countryside he did upset a lot of people at the time. Many footpaths were closed and replaced by “Private Property, No Trespassing” signs. Frederick’s was very interested in the local history around Codnor, and would write articles for the Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. He also drew up an accurate pedigree of the Corfield family tree. His lifetime ambition was to acquire ownership of the Corfield ancestral home of Chatwall Hall in Shropshire. In 1899 the opportunity arose to purchase the Hall together with the surrounding estates from Joseph Edge and Edward Bagnall, the agreement for sale being dated 10th June 1899. Unfortunately Frederick became ill whilst on a business trip in London in 1904. He returned to Ormonde Fields House were he was attended to by Doctor Eames. His condition deterriated and the assistance of Doctor Ransom of Nottingham was called for, but it was to no avail and Frederick passed away on 4th December 1904 at the age of 55. A memorial service was held at Crosshill church and was attended by a substantial number of people. His body was then taken by train to Cardington in Shropshire were he was buried in the family vault of the parish church near Chatwall Hall. His eldest son eventually sold the Ormonde Fields estate to the Butterley company in 1915 and the family moved to Chatwall Hall. His wife Agnes wore black in mourning for her late husband until the day she died in 1941. If you look at the house on the righthand side of the entrance to Goose lane from Nottingham Road, you will see a plaque high up on the gable end. This plaque was built into the house in recognition of Frederick Channer Corfield. The plaque shows his initials F.C.C. the family coat of arms and a date of 1897.

Fig.7 Ormonde Fields House showing the Coronation Tea for King George V in 1911.
Photo displayed by kind permission of,http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/

Fig.8 The entrance to Goose Lane from Nottingham Road. Note the plaque on the gable end of the semi-detached house.

Fig.9 Details of the Frederick Channer Corfield Plaque showing his coat of arms, which was Argent (silver background)with 3 Hearts Gule (red)

Information for this page was obtained from the following sources:

My Village, by Joseph Millet Severn 1935

The Heritage of Codnor & Loscoe, by Fred S Thorpe 1990
The Corfields: A history of the Corfields from 1180 to the present day (ISBN 0646143336). by Justin J Corfield,

http://corfield.port5.com/web/105.htm