Newton Solney is a small village and civil parish in South Derbyshire, about two miles southwest of Repton. It sits at the confluence of the Rivers Trent and Dove. Formerly the River Trent could be forded here (please don't try this!) and indeed the OS map still shows a bridle path crossing the river but you won't find a way across. Anglian invaders in the 6th century called it Niwantune meaning "the new farm". After the Norman invasion the area passed to a a Norman by the name of "de Solney" and by around 1300 it became known as Newton Solney. Norman knights were fond of hunting and the de Solneys created a hunting park out of the woodland. The first church was built in the 12th Century. There would also have been a manor house, likely somewhere near the present Newton Park Hotel.
St Mary's Church originates from the 12th Century. It is usually open from 10:00 - 18:00 unless there is a Sunday service (usually on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month) in which case it is open from 12:30 - 18:00. The clsoing time is 16:00 in Winter (i.e. when the clocks are on GMT). See this link for more details on visiting.
The church is now Grade II* listed. It was restored between 1880 and 1882 by Frederick Josias Robinson. The south aisle was extended south and east to provide additional accommodation. The organ transept was extended. A new timber roof was placed over the whole church. The walls were cleaned of plaster, and the pews were replaced with open pews. The floors were lowered around 18 inches and laid with Hereford tiles by the William Godwin Company of Lugwardine, Hereford, and a new oak pulpit was acquired. A reredos was erected by Robert Ratcliff. The restoration cost in the region of £3,700. The church re-opened on Easter Monday 1882. The pipe organ was installed by Bevington & Sons and opened on 20 July 1861 and is still playable.
Two of the three church bells were cast just before the civil war and have the inscriptions "God Save Our Church 1615" and "God Save The Church 1638". The church contains a collection of monuments, many to the medieval members of the de Solney family, including a headless knight from the mid 13th century and an alabaster cross legged knight from around 1375. The churchyard contains the tombstone of Thomas Gayfere, a master mason who died in 1827, who was responsible for the restoration of Westminster Hall.
Please use stealth when retrieving and replacing and ensure you rehide it well. Watch for prickles, gloves might be useful.