The parish of Snelston lies three miles South West of the market town of Ashbourne and 13 miles North West of the Cathedral city of Derby. It is approximately 135 miles from Central London; 40 miles from Central Birmingham and 45 miles from Central Manchester.

Snelston parish covers an area of 862 hectares (2,130 acres).

The parish is located in the Derbyshire Dales District and is in the lower Dove Valley on the Derbyshire Staffordshire border with a winding and long boundary. In a North Easterly clockwise order, in Derbyshire it neighbours the parishes of Clifton & Compton, Edlaston & Wyaston, Cubley, Norbury and Roston and in Staffordshire along the River Dove the parishes of Ellastone, Calwich and Mayfield.

Despite its closeness to Ashbourne, Snelston can be described as a rural parish with only 89 individual homes and an estimated population of 203. The parish has two main areas; a small village centre with 31 homes the next biggest grouping of houses is in the area known as the Alley with 16 homes. The other 42 houses are spread across the remaining area including farms, former farms and outlying properties.

What Does Snelston Mean?

In 1066 the village was recorded as Snellestune in the Domesday Book. Etymology tells us that Snell or Snel has various similar meanings. In Old Saxon it means active or strenuous and in Old English it means lively, quick, fast. Similar meanings are found in German, Italian and Dutch etymology with Old Norse providing skilful and excellent into the mix. We are not entirely sure why the parish is so named, but one can imagine that it goes back to Saxon times and it is nice to think of the village as active, lively, skilful and indeed excellent.

Political Representation:

 The Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Snelston is part of the Clifton and Bradley Ward and it has Conservative District Councillor: The Honourable Andrew Shirley.

The County Council.

Snelston is the Ashbourne Division and it has a Conservative County Councillor: Stephen Bull.

Member of Parliament.

Snelston is in the Derbyshire Dales Parliamentary Constituency. The current MP is Sarah Dines.

European Parliament.

Snelston falls into the East Midlands Constituency and is represented by the following MEP’s.

Jonathon Bullock – UKIP

Margot Parker – UKIP

Emma McClarkin – Conservative

Rupert Matthews – Consevative

Glenis Willmott – Labour