Stoney Middleton’s most famous leap has, until now, belonged to a jilted lover whose fall was broken only by her voluminous skirts. Three centuries on, the village plays host to a leap by a Hollywood legend. Rebecca Erskine went to find out more.
DERBYSHIRE’S rock faces and caves have long been a draw for adventurous types. One of Hollywood’s most well-known actors and self-confessed adrenaline junkies, Tom Cruise, can now be counted among their number; for Darlton Quarry in Stoney Middleton has, over recent weeks, been home to Mission: Impossible 7 filming.
For those unfamiliar with the M:I franchise, it is an American action spy genre, starring and mainly produced by Cruise. First released in 1996, it is one of the most profitable franchises of all time; its $3.5-billion worldwide gross return outperforms both The Pirates of the Caribbean and James Bond. It is well documented that Cruise, now aged 58, prefers to undertake his own stunts, even when they require him to jump 25,000 feet out of a plane, ride a motorbike at 100mph, or hold his breath underwater for six minutes. So what scene of drama and suspense could a disused quarry offer? With its sheer rock faces, Darlton Quarry is the perfect spot for a high-speed plunge…