The village of Repton has existed since Saxon times and indeed was highly important in the Kingdom of Mercia, being the home of the Bishop of Mercia until 669CE when he moved his see to Lichfield. Repton is said to be where Christianity was reintroduced to the Midlands when the Mercia royal family were baptised in 653.
Repton was an important centre for the Kingdom of Mercia, King Æthelbald was buried here in 757. The parish church of St Wystan is named after a prince of Mercia and contained a mausoleum for the Mercian royal family. An abbey was built at Repton though abandoned in 873 when Repton was overrun by the Viking Great Heathen Army.
In more recent times, Repton is known for it's public school, alumni of which include Basil Rathbone, Roald Dahl, Adrian Newey and Jeremy Clarkson. Indeed, The Stig is said to have been named after the school's slang term for new boys!
