Nat Gould

Annie Bennington 1869-1950

Rose Cottage in Milldale

Annie Bennington was born in 1869 at Milldale near Alstonefield in Staffordshire, the daughter of John Murrell Bennington 1828-1901 and his wife nee Hannah Austin.

She was known as Nancy Bennington, and lived at Rose Cottage in Milldale where she kept a beautiful garden. Her parents had lived in the cottage just across the lane.

She earned a living from charging visitors to Dovedale for the use of the rope that she put in place every day (originally by her father) to assist visitors climbing up and down the steep path to Reynard’s Cave.

Later she had a stall further up the dale from which she sold postcards, and also lemonade made with pure water from a nearby spring.

When the National Trust bought Dovedale in 1930 they tried to close her stall down, but she fought them and managed to retain her business.

She became a legend as the “Grand Old Lady of Dovedale”, and was very well known to visitors to Dovedale. Among her tens of thousands of customers were Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, George Bernard Shaw and the novelist John Galsworthy.

When she finally gave up her stall, she made an income from opening the gate at the packhorse bridge in Milldale for visitors to pass through. Although she always seemed poor, after she died over £5000 was found hidden in her cottage. She was a very good business woman.

Annie (Nancy) Bennington died on 12 March 1950, deeply mourned by countless people, and fondly remembered.