Tansley Village

1885 anti-littering notice

The notice at Rogan Cottage

In 1885 the villagers of Tansley, near Matlock, were given a warning and for more than the next 100 years the notice issued by the Bakewell Union Rural Sanitary Authority and fixed to the wall of Rogan Cottage in Church Street in Tansley warned all villagers that : “Any Person or Persons found depositing any refuse or other matter injurious to health in any Public thoroughfare will be prosecuted as the law directs, by order of Albert Toft, Inspector of nuisances”. The order was dated 20th February 1885.

The sign, painted on wood, was saved some 20 years ago from being thrown away by village resident Denys Gaskell, repainted and given to Robert and Vicki Raynes, owners of the cottage on which it had been displayed who then replaced it exactly where it had been since 1885. The sign continued to deteriorate with the weather so after a few more years Robert and Vicki decided to remove the sign, repaint it and house it in an oak frame to preserve it for at least the next 100 years.

The picture shows the refurbished and protected sign being re-erected by Robert and Vicki on the side of their cottage in the exact position it used to occupy. The message is still pertinent today!

Replacing the plaque