housing the looms. In 1846 there were as many as 22 velvet and silk looms in the village, but weaving had been known to have taken place in Findern as early as the 17th century Ivy Cottage, one of the oldest surviving properties in the village. In 1694 an early school was started here by Rev. Benjamin Robinson, the local presbyterian minister (for which he was summoned to explain why to the bishop). Modern Secondary education is now provided for many at John Port Spencer Academy in the nearby village of Etwall. Although all industry has left the village the Green remains the still the centre of the village, with the post office, village store and a handful of other services. Before the Parish Council took action in the 1950s to restore it the Green was in poor shape, divided into four small grassed areas, divided by tarmac paths and frequently used by vehicles. There were no records as to owned the land until ownership was traced to the Crown, and the land purchased for £50 by the Parish Council for the village. There is a Neolithic cursus 1 ½ miles south of the village. Findern previously had two pubs, the 'Wheel Inn' located on Main Street just off Longlands Lane and a second, formerly the 'Greyhound' on the bankside of the Trent and Mersey Canal. In addition to this a house located on the far-side of the canal was historically the oldest pub in the village. The village is nowadays bounded on two sides by major A roads; the A38 and the A50. The former, to the north east, follows the course of the Roman road Icknield Street, while the latter passes to the south of the village centre and runs parallel to the canal. In contrast to the ancient route of the A38 the A50 road was laid only in 1997, with many villagers unhappy about the loss of fields and pleasant walks as a result. Since then the Findern Footpaths Group have made huge improvements to existing trails, created new footpaths, and been a key force for recording and preserving the local history of the village surroundings. The nearest railway stations are Willington, Pear Tree and Derby. There is one level crossing: an automatic one on the parish border with Willington - there has been at least one fatality there. On the approach to the crossing a