Historic pillar knocked down 12 times in a decade

A listed pillar at the gates of a village in Derbyshire's Peak District has been knocked down for the 12th time in 10 years, the estate owner has said.

Sir Richard FitzHerbert whose family manages Tissington Village and the surrounding estate, said the pillar was last replaced in March before being badly damaged by a tractor on Sunday.

The 60-year-old said the Grade II-listed pillars were first erected in the 1780s for horse and carriages but had proved more difficult for modern vehicles.

Now he wants the matter to be resolved "once and for all".

"I was woken up on Sunday morning to hear that a local tractor had knocked down one of the pillars," he said.

"This is the 10th time in the last 12 years. It takes a long time to get them fixed - you have to find a suitable stone mason and that can take months."

He added that although the gateway - which sits at a crossroads along the A515 - was a "tight squeeze", most "capable drivers" could get through without any issues.

Mr FitzHerbert said it cost £15,000 to replace the pillar in March following a "very similar incident" last year.

"Everybody in the village thinks it's absolutely ridiculous now. We need to solve this problem once and for all," he said.

He is considering applying for planning permission to move the pillars but warned this would involve going through "numerous hurdles".

The Peak District National Park Authority said it had been in touch with Mr FitzHerbert regarding his ongoing concerns about the gates and confirmed Listed Building Consent would be required to make changes.

A spokesperson said: "We share the frustrations of recurring damage to the gate posts and officers are awaiting further instruction from Sir Richard’s team to take forward any potential proposals, by application, that may support mitigating against similar damage in the future.

"This could include moving the posts to set back and increase the width of the entrance area.

"Other than through agreed plans and conditions attached to a planning permission, issues of costs and implementation of any changes made would not be a responsibility or matter of direct consideration for the National Park Authority."

A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are sorry to hear that the gates have been knocked down again.

"The gates do not belong to the council, but we are happy to work with Sir Richard to see if we can find a solution to stop them being damaged in the future, although any changes would need to be agreed by the Peak District National Park Authority.

"The gates are set well back from the main road so they do not affect the accident rates on this stretch. In the past we have put in a number of measures including road signing and white lining to improve safety along this stretch of the A515."

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