| Foolow | |
|---|---|
 The village pond | |
  Foolow Location within Derbyshire | |
| OS grid reference | SK191768 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOPE VALLEY |
| Postcode district | S32 |
| Dialling code | 01433 |
| Police | Derbyshire |
| Fire | Derbyshire |
| Ambulance | East Midlands |
Foolow (Old English possibly for "bird hill" or "colourful hill"[1]) is a village in the Derbyshire Peak District.
The village green contains an ornate Grade II listed[2] medieval cross, similar to the one at Wheston but possibly of later date. It has been suggested that it is 15th century.[2][3] It is inscribed with the date 1868, when it was moved from the site of the Wesleyan Reform Chapel and its shaft was replaced. A former bull ring lies in front of the cross.[4]
South of the village, the Watergrove Mine was active from the 18th century until 1853. Water was a problem over this period; both soughs and pumping engines were used. In 1837 a Fairbrother beam engine was installed. Its 80 ft (24 m) chimney stood until 1960. There are hillocks in the north of the parish that mark the sites of other mines.[5] There are also sinkholes present- the most recent appeared in late 2013- believed to result from mine workings.[6] It is probable that mining, whether for lead or other minerals, has been an occupation for the people of Foolow since at least the 15th century. Robert Roworth, of Folowe, a miner, appears as owing £4 to Thomas Calton of Chesterfield, in a legal record of 1470.[7]
