THIS is the man who wants to put the monk back into Monk Bretton. Local historian John Hislop is trying to chart and reclaim some of the history of the village by creating a heritage walk from Monk Bretton Priory to Royston. The walk, known as Monk’s Way, will take in some of the monks’ old haunts, including the ancient Monk Bretton cross, St Helen’s Well, Royston Church, and several other old crosses. John said: “Monk Bretton used to have a lot of interesting buildings, but during the 1960s and 1970s the old buildings were gradually cleared and new bungalows and housing estates were built. High Street was virtually wiped out completely. “There are still a few things left and people are keen to keep whatever heritage they can. “Our project is called ‘Putting the Monk Back into Monk Bretton’, and we’re trying to give back some of that identity by creating a heritage trail of old paintings and photographs.” He will be at Monk Bretton Library, armed with a large 1930 map, next Friday from 2pm to 5pm to hear memories of the village and to look at photos and pictures.
