Repton
Repton is a rural parish, set in undulating countryside in the district of South Derbyshire. The parish is made up of the village of Repton, and the much smaller hamlet of Milton. The two communities benefit from an attractive semi-rural character derived from open fields, abundant trees and hedgerows and a wide variety of building styles and features, reflecting the long history of the parish. The village is located south of the river Trent and is relatively close to the main trunk roads of the district; the A50 and A38. The nearest railway station is a mile and a half north at Willington. There are major urban areas in the region, including Derby, Burton-on-Trent and Swadlincote.
A major distinguishing feature of Repton is the mix of buildings, ranging from the 8th Century through to modern times. It was the ancient capital of Mercia where in AD 653 Christianity was first preached in the Midlands. The conversion of the Mercian royal family led to the building of the 8th century crypt that now forms part of St Wystan’s church. Repton was invaded in 873-4 by the Vikings as an over wintering location, the defences included the religious buildings. The Augustinian Priory was founded in 1172 and the church much enlarged between the 13th and 15th centuries. The centre of the village is the Cross, a monument of medieval origins, and its surroundings where there are a significant number of medieval and post medieval buildings. The Cross is an important monument and is grade 1 listed, but unfortunately the surrounding stone setting has not been maintained, due to funding restrictions. There were statute fairs, based round the Cross, from medieval times up to the end of the 19th century. The crypt and the area around the church is of national historical importance. It has featured in many television documentaries, the last one shown in March 2016, and also definitive historical texts. Further development through the medieval, Georgian and Victorian periods have contributed to a distinctive and varied built environment.
Over the last one hundred years in-fill has taken place, but most of these areas can still be characterised as having open spaces, grassed areas or verges, and mature trees, giving a pleasant aspect. Unfortunately the newer building has not always been carried out in sympathy with the surroundings. To sum up, the character of the village comes from the diversity of its buildings from all ages, yet they complement one another and form a harmonious environment (except for the 2015/2016 development).
Milton
Milton has seven prominent listed buildings, which are mostly Georgian. These are interspersed with smaller dwellings that add to the character of the area. Predominantly, the buildings in Milton follow a distinct building line, either being built directly to the rear of the pavement or having sandstone walls and hedges which keep the building line intact. Overall, there are about 30 new brick-built houses in the hamlet, however not all enhance the character of the area. The older distinctive buildings provide useful references for new designs of houses or in the restoration/extension of existing buildings. There have been a number of barn conversions, and these have been sympathetic to the village environment.