For more than 250 years Newhaven has been an important junction of some of the counties main roads – even the name Newhaven seems to have been conjured up from the fact that hereabouts were coaching inns constructed around the time of the first turnpikes – a time for ‘new havens’!
Friden Brick works (now known as DSF Refractory) is a little oasis of commercial enterprise in the vast expanse of White Peak countryside on the outskirts of Newhaven. It was opened in 1892, its site being chosen because of the clay and glacially deposited silica sand found close by which were used to manufacture bricks. The High Peak Trail was conveniently sited alongside, which provided an alternative form of transportation to the network of main roads in the area. It is thought that the name Friden was taken from the name of the pagan earth goddess Frija who also gave her name to Friday.
From Newhaven runs part of the Sheffield to Ashbourne turnpike road of around 1759, whilst the Nottingham to Newhaven joins it from the south-east. The main A515 Ashbourne to Buxton road was originally the Derby to Manchester turnpike of 1738.
With all these main roads at hand it was hardly surprising that the Newhaven Inn was constructed in the 18th century by the Duke of Devonshire, although at that time it was called the Devonshire Arms. Prior to that there had been little shelter for travellers on this exposed upland highway. The idea was that this large, handsome and commodious inn would provide travellers with every requisite accommodation. When George IV stayed there he found the entertainment so satisfactory that he granted the inn a free and perpetual licence of his own sovereign pleasure vested in the property of the Duke of Devonshire.
The grand stable blocks on the right of the Newhaven Inn could cater for 100 horses and its yard would have been filled with stagecoaches from Nottingham, Derby and Manchester, later to be replaced with charabancs and cars. In June 1815 “a new fast chariot” advertised a daily service along the road from Matlock to Newhaven then on to Buxton in the same evening. Newhaven also stood on a cattle drovers trail, and cattle or gig fairs were held here from the 17th century onwards in September and October. It is thought that they only died out early in the 20th century.
A little further down the Ashbourne road from the Newhaven Inn you can find Ivy House Farm and Bank House Farm which originally were 19th century posthouses or coaching inns. In 1840 Bank House was shown on the OS map as being the Dean of Arlington Arms, but this was a misprint and should have read the Dean of Hartington Arms. Above the porch is said to be a coat of arms and the date 1856. The arms are that of T O Bateman of Youlgrave who bought the house when the deanery was abolished.
Also at Newhaven you can find Carriages Restaurant, the Newhaven Service Station and Newhaven Caravan Park as well as the premises of K & H Transport.