Morton is a civil parish and village, three miles north of Alfreton in North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire, England. The civil parish population at the 2011 Census was 1,195. History A hoard of Roman coins found between Hagg House Farm and Morton Lodge Farm is the first evidence of human activity in the Morton area. The coins have been dated at 210 AD. Morton is first documented in the will of Wulfric Spott in 1002 and again mentioned in 1086 in the Domesday Book as one of the manors belonging to Walter D'Aincourt (Deincourt). The manor of Morton remained in the ownership of the Deincourts until the family line died out and then passed through several hands until being acquired by the Sitwells (of Renishaw) in 1749. The Sitwells disposed of the Morton estate in 1912. The Midland Railway opened a station at Doe Hill in 1862. In 1865 George Stephenson's Clay Cross Company opened their first colliery in Morton. Most of the houses now in Morton were built to house the colliery workers. See separate sections below for history of church, school and colliery. ≥ ≥ Claims to be centre of England According to the roadsigns entering Morton, the village is the geographical centre of England. Morton has a claim to be at the centre of England as it is midway along the longest North – South Axis (Near Berwick upon Tweed to Poole) and is also midway between the Welsh border (Close to Dodleston) and the East Coast (at Skegness). The Ordnance Survey define Fenny Drayton to be the Geographical centre of England, and Coton in the Elms to be the Farthest point from the Sea. Historically Meriden has been regarded as the centre of England for over 200 years, despite being closer to the South Coast than it is to Berwick-upon-Tweed. The position of the centre-of-England point is an oak tree opposite to no 69 Stretton Road (near the western end of the village). A plaque was erected by the Parish Council in the 1990s to identify the particular tree. Morton Church Morton Church of the Holy Cross has a long history, although most of the current church building dates from 1850. The 1086 Domesday book identifies Morton as a parish with a church, but there is evidence of there being a church in Saxon times. The arcade dates from the thirteenth century and the tower (at the