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ON-LINE GUIDE TO DERBYSHIRE
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Derbyshire as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
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Derbyshire was at the forefront of modern thinking at the beginning of the
Industrial Revolution, and the chief inheritor of this
legacy is the county town of Derby, the home of
Rolls-Royce and Royal Crown Derby porcelain. An early landmark of this new age is
Richard Arkwright's mill and the associated village
at Cromford. Much of the county is dominated by the Peak District National Park, the first of
the ten National Parks, whose landscape changes from deep limestone valleys to bleak,
desolate moorland. Along with numerous attractive villages and small towns, ancient monuments
and caves, the Park is home to two of the finest stately homes not just in Derbyshire but in
the whole country - Haddon Hall and Chatsworth.
Derby
This city is famously linked with two names: Rolls-Royce and
Royal Crown Derby. When, in 1906, Sir Henry Royce and the Hon CS
Rolls joined forces and built the first Rolls-Royce (a Silver Ghost)
at Derby, they built much more than just a motor car. From the
start they were considered by many to be the best cars in the world, and
it was often said that the noisiest moving part in any Rolls-Royce
was the dashboard clock! Derby Industrial Museum
specialises in the history of railway
engineering in the city, and also has a fine Rolls-Royce aircraft engine collection.
Guided tours round the Royal Crown Derby factory, museum
and shop offer an intriguing insight into the high level of skill required
to create the delicate flower petals, hand-gild the plates and
hand-paint the superb porcelain that is instantly recognisable around
the world.
The city's Cathedral of All Saints possesses a fine
16th century tower, the second highest Perpendicular tower in England.
Its treasures include a beautiful wrought iron screen by
Robert Bakewell and the tomb of Bess of Hardwick Hall - Elizabeth
Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury.
One of Derby's most interesting museums is
Pickford House, situated on the city's
finest Georgian street. Built in 1770 by the architect Joseph Pickford as
a combined family home and place of work, the house offers an
insight
into the everyday lives of a middle-class family during the 1830s.
Close by is the Industrial Museum in the beautiful old
Silk Mill. Equally interesting is the Derbyshire
Constabulary Memorabilia Museum, which has a display of uniforms and
weapons from the 17th century to the present day.
Pride Park, the home of Derby County FC, was opened
by Her Majesty The Queen in 1997.
Around Derby
Ilkeston
8 miles NE of Derby on the A6007
The third largest town in Derbyshire, Ilkeston received
its royal charter for a market and fair in 1252 and both have continued
to the present day. Once a mining and lace-making centre, its
history is told in the Erewash Museum.
Ockbrook
4 miles E of Derby off the A52
In this quiet village, a Moravian
Settlement was founded in the mid-18th century when
a congregation of the Moravian Church was formed.
The Settlement has several fine buildings, including The
Manse, built in 1822, and the Moravian Chapel.
To the north are the ruins of Dale Abbey, founded
by Augustinian monks in the 13th century. The Church of
All Saints, at Dale, is surely the only church in England that shares
its roof with a farm.
South of Ockbrook lies the Elvaston Castle estate, home
of the Earls of Harrington. The magnificent Gothic castle
seen today was finished in the early 19th century and stands in grounds
that include Italian, parterre and old English gardens, tree-lined
avenues and a large ornamental lake; the most impressive feature is
the Golden Gates, erected in 1819 at the southern end of the gardens.
Melbourne
6½ miles S of Derby off the B587
Melbourne's most famous son is Thomas Cook, who
pioneered personally conducted tours and gave his name to the
famous worldwide travel company. The birthplace of the 19th
century statesman Lord Melbourne, and also the home of Lady
Caroline Lamb, Melbourne Hall is another fine building in this area
of Derbyshire. The hall is surrounded by beautiful gardens, whose
most notable feature is a wrought-iron birdcage pergola built in the
early 1700s by Robert Bakewell.
To the south is the large Baroque mansion of
Calke Abbey that has been dubbed the `house that time forgot' as, since the
death of the owner, Sir Vauncy Harpur-Crewe in 1924, nothing has
been altered in the mansion!
Repton
7 miles SW of Derby off the B5008
Repton, on the banks of the Trent, was established as the capital of
the Saxon kingdom of Mercia in the 7th century, and a
monastery
founded. The parish Church of St Wystan is famous for its
chancel and crypt, which claims to be one of the oldest intact
Anglo-Saxon buildings in England.
Parts of a 12th century Augustinian priory are
incorporated in the buildings of Repton
College, founded in 1557. Two of its headmasters, Dr Temple and
Dr Fisher, went on to become Archbishops of Canterbury.
The gatehouse featured in the film Goodbye, Mr
Chips.
Matlock
Essentially a Victorian town, Matlock nestles in the lower
valley of the River Derwent and is the administrative centre of
Derbyshire
as well as being a busy tourist centre bordering the Peak
District National Park. Matlock once had the steepest gradient tramway in
the world: opened in 1893, the tramcars ran until 1927 and
the Depot can still be seen at the top of Bank Street.
Peak Rail is a rebuilt, refurbished and now preserved railway running
between Matlock Riverside station to its other terminus Rowsley South.
High up on the hill behind the town is the brooding ruin of
Riber Castle, built in the 1860s by John Smedley, a local
hosiery manufacturer who became interested in the
hydropathic qualities of Matlock. He constructed his own
gas-producing plant to provide lighting for the lavishly decorated interior of
the Castle.
To the south of Matlock lies Matlock
Bath, which developed into a spa town and by the
early 19th century had become a popular summer resort. Many
buildings connected with its heyday as a spa can still be visited.
Down by the riverbank is the Peak District Mining Museum and
Temple Mine that tells the story of lead mining in the surrounding
area from as far back as Roman times.
High Tor Grounds, some 400 feet above the town,
offer spectacular views along with nature trails, and on the opposite side
of the valley are the Heights of Abraham Country Park
and Caverns, featuring steep rocky gorges, vast caverns,
fast-running rivers, woodland walks and
refreshment areas. A cable car runs from Matlock railway station up
to this unique attraction.
To the south of Matlock Bath is Cromford, the world
famous `model' village that was developed by Richard Arkwright into one
of the first industrial towns. Cromford
Mill and the associated buildings and attractions are now
an International World Heritage Site.
The High Peak Trail, which stretches some 17 miles up
towards Buxton, starts at Cromford and follows the trackbed of
the Cromford and High Peak Railway.
Around Matlock
Chesterfield
9 miles NE of Matlock on the A61
A friendly, bustling town on the edge of the Peak District
National Park, Chesterfield grew up around a market that was established
over 800 years ago. The town centre has been conserved for
future generations by a far-sighted council, and many buildings have
been saved, including the Victorian Market Hall built in 1857.
There are also several Tudor buildings in the heart of Chesterfield,
most notably the former Peacock Inn that is now home to the
Peacock Heritage Centre. The town's most famous landmark is
the Crooked Spire of St Mary & All Saints' Church - the
magnificent spire rises to 228 feet and leans over 9 feet from its
true centrepoint. The spire has eight sides, but the herringbone
pattern of the lead slates tricks the eye into
seeing 16 sides from the grounds.
Bolsover
12½ miles NE of Matlock on the A632
Above the town on a limestone ridge stands Bolsover
Castle, a fairytale folly built for Sir
Charles Cavendish during the early 1600s on the site of a ruined 12th
century castle.
Ault Hucknall
11 miles NE of Matlock off the A617
Situated on a ridge close to the Nottinghamshire border, this
village is home to the magnificent Tudor house,
Hardwick Hall. Set in rolling parkland, the house, with
its glittering tiers of windows and crowned turrets, has the letters
ES carved in stone: ES, or Elizabeth of Shrewsbury, is perhaps
better known as Bess of Hardwick, who married and survived
four husbands. The formal gardens were laid out in the 19th century and
the parkland, which overlooks the valley of the Doe Lea, is home
to an impressive herd of Longhorn cattle and the ruins of
Hardwick Old Hall.
Crich
6 miles SE of Matlock off the A6
This large village, with its hilltop church and market cross, is
the home of the National Tramway Museum, which provides
a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a tram ride along a
re-created Victorian street scene. To the east stand the graceful ruins of the
15th century Wingfield Manor that
held Mary, Queen of Scots prisoner under the care of the Earl
of Shrewsbury on two separate occasions.
Ripley
8½ miles SE of Matlock on the A610
Once a typical small market town, Ripley expanded
dramatically during the Industrial Revolution, and the town's Butterley
Ironworks created the roof for London's St Pancras station. Close to the
town is the Midland Railway Centre at Butterfield, with steam
trains running along a line from Butterley to
Riddings.
Heanor
12 miles SE of Matlock on the A6007
This busy town is centred on its market place where the annual
fair is held as well as the twice-weekly market. Away from the bustle
of the market are the Memorial Gardens, while to the south
is Shipley Country Park, on the estate of the now
demolished Shipley Hall.
Belper
8 miles SE of Matlock on the A517
In 1776, Jedediah Strutt set up one of the earliest
water-powered cotton mills here, harnessing the natural power of the River
Derwent to run his mills. With the river providing the power and
fuel coming from the nearby South Derbyshire coalfield, the valley
has a good claim to be one of the cradles of the
Industrial Revolution. Belper's industrial
heritage is explained at the Derwent Valley Visitor
Centre.
Ashbourne
11 miles SW of Matlock on the A515
Originally a small settlement lying on the northern bank of
Henmore Brook, Ashbourne boasts many fine examples of 18th
century architecture as well as some older buildings, notably the
Gingerbread Shop that probably dates from
the 15th century. Traditional Ashbourne gingerbread is said
to be made from a recipe that was acquired from French prisoners
of war who were kept in the town during the Napoleonic Wars.
Also worthy of a second glance is the Green Man and Black's
Head Royal Hotel; the inn sign stretches over the St John's Street and
was put up when the Blackamoor Inn joined with the Green Man in
1825. Ashbourne was one of Dr Johnson's favourite places,
and he visited the hotel so frequently that he even had his
own seat - it's still there.
The area to the north is dominated by the conical hill
of Thorpe Cloud, which guards the entrance to
Dovedale. The steep sides to its valley, the
fast-flowing water and the magnificent white rock
formations all give Dovedale a special charm. The
Stepping Stones, a delight for children,
are the first point of interest, and further up the dale is the
limestone crag known as Dovedale Castle.
Buxton
At the heart of the Peak District and England's highest market
town, Buxton is also a spa town, whose waters are maintained at a
constant temperature of 82 degrees F (28 degrees C).
St Anne's Well still provides water and many
people coming to the town make a point of trying the pure, tepid
liquid. Among the notable architectural features of the town are
The Colonnade, The Crescent, The Devonshire Royal Hospital and
the attractive Edwardian Opera House
that was restored in 1979. Gertrude Lawrence, Gracie Fields
and Hermione Gingold all performed here, and on one famous
occasion in the 1930s Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were in the
audience to watch the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
Buxton Museum and Art Gallery has a
fine collection of Ashford Marble and Blue John ornaments, and
visitors can explore the Wonders of the Peak through seven time
zones. The ancient custom of well-dressing has been a part
of Buxton's cultural calendar since the Duke of Devonshire provided
the townsfolk with their first public water supply at Market
Place Fountain. From then on, High Buxton Well and St Anne's
Well were decorated sporadically, and in 1923, the Town Council set
about organising a well-dressing festival and carnival that continues to
this day. Every year on the second Wednesday in July, this
delightful tradition is enacted.
To the west of the town lies Axe Edge, from where
the panoramic views of Derbyshire are overwhelming; just beyond,
at 1,690 feet above sea level, the Cat and Fiddle Inn is the
second highest pub in England.
Around Buxton
Hayfield
8½ miles N of Buxton on the A624
This small town below the exposed moorland of Kinder Scout,
the highest point in the Peak District, is a popular centre for exploring
the
area and offers many amenities for hillwalkers. The town grew
up around the textile industry, in this case wool weaving and
calico printing, and many of the houses seen today were originally
weavers' cottages.
Three miles northeast of the town is Kinder
Downfall, the highest waterfall in the county, where the River Kinder flows
off the edge of Kinder Scout.
Glossop
13 miles N of Buxton on the A624
At the foot of the Snake Pass, Glossop displays an interesting
mix of styles, the industrial town of the 19th century with its
towering Victorian mills contrasting with the 17th century village with
its charming old cottages standing in the cobble streets. A little
way north, at Hadfield, is the Longdendale
Trail, which follows a former railway line and is part
of the Trans-Pennine Trail.
Peak Forest
5 miles NE of Buxton off the A623
High on the White Peak plateau, Peak Forest takes its name from
the fact that it once stood at the centre of the Royal Forest of the Peak.
The Peak Forest Canal, completed in 1800, followed
the valley of the River Goyt and had its terminal basin at Buxworth.
Within walking distance of Peak Forest is the renowned
Eldon Hole, considered in legend to be the Devil's own entrance to
Hell; thousands of pot-holers can testify to the inaccuracy of the legend
that
the pit is bottomless.
Edale
8½ miles NE of Buxton off the A625
Edale marks the start of the Pennine Way, the
long-distance footpath inaugurated in 1965 that follows the line of the backbone
of Britain for some 270 miles to Kirk Yetholm, just over the
Scottish border. Not far from the village is the famous
Jacob's Ladder, overlooking the river, and
nearby are the tumbledown remains of a hill farmer's cottage, the home
of Jacob Marshall, who cut the steps into the hillside leading up to
Edale Cross.
Castleton
8 miles NE of Buxton on the A6187
Situated at the head of the Hope Valley, Castleton is overlooked
by the Norman ruins of Peveril Castle, the only Norman castle
in Derbyshire, and by Mam Tor; to the west, the road runs through
the Winnats Pass, a narrow limestone gorge. The hills to the west
of Castleton are famous for their caves and the
Blue John Mine and Caverns are one of
Derbyshire's most popular attractions. The huge vases and urns in the
village's Ollerenshaw Collection are made of the unique Blue John fluorspar.
At the bottom of Winnats Pass lies Speedwell
Cavern, a former lead mine that used boats on
an underground canal to ferry the miners and iron ore to and
from the rockface; they now ferry visitors. Peak Cavern, reached by
a delightful riverside walk, has the
widest opening of any cave in Europe.
Eyam
10 miles NE of Buxton off the B6521
This village, pronounced `Eem', will forever be known as
the Plague Village. In 1666, a tailor received a bundle of
plague-infected clothing from London. The infection soon spread and
the terrified villagers prepared to flee, but the local rector,
William Mompesson, persuaded the villagers to stay, and as a
result most of the neighbouring villages escaped the disease. Eyam
was quarantined for over a year, relying on outside help for supplies
of food that were left on the village boundary. Only 83
villagers survived out of 350.
The home of the Wright family for over 300 years,
Eyam Hall is a wonderful, unspoilt 17th
century manor house that is also home to Eyam Hall Crafts Centre.
Ashford in the Water
9 miles SE of Buxton off the A6
Developed around a ford that spanned the River Wye, this
was once an important crossing place on the ancient Portway;
the medieval Sheepwash Bridge is one of three bridges in the
village and is a favourite with artists. So-called Black Marble, but actually
a highly polished grey limestone, was mined nearby and,
particularly during the Victorian era, it was fashionable to have
decorative items and fire surrounds made from the stone. The founder of
the
marble works, Henry Watson, is remembered by a tablet in the
great limestone Church of the Holy Trinity.
Ashford is perhaps most famous for its six
beautifully executed well-dressings, which are held annually in early June.
Rather than adhering strictly to the custom of depicting scenes from the
Bible, the well-dressers of Ashford have pictured such unusual themes as
a willow pattern to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Dog.
Bakewell
10½ miles SE of Buxton on the A6
The only true town in the Peak District National Park,
Bakewell attracts many visitors, some to sample the confection that bears
its name. One of the more famous guests at the Rutland Arms
Hotel was Jane Austen, who stayed here in 1811; the town and the
hotel feature in Pride and Prejudice.
Behind the large parish church is the lovely
Old House Museum, housed in a building on Cunningham Place that dates
back to 1534 and is thought to be the oldest house in Bakewell. The
late 17th century Bath House is one of the few other buildings
remaining from the days when Bakewell was a minor spa town.
Bakewell is perhaps best known as the home of the Bakewell
Tart (referred to locally as a pudding). A mile to the south of
Bakewell stands romantic Haddon Hall, thought by many to have been
the first fortified house in the country, though the turrets and
battlements
were put on purely for show. The home of the Dukes of Rutland
for over 800 years, the hall has enjoyed a fairly peaceful
existence, in part no doubt because it stood empty and neglected for
nearly 300 years after 1640, when the family chose Belvoir Castle
in Leicestershire as their main home. The 16th century terraced
gardens are one of the chief delights and Haddon's splendour and
charm have led it to be used as a backdrop to numerous
television and film productions including Jane
Eyre, Moll Flanders and The Prince and the
Pauper.
The gritstone landscape of Stanton Moor, which rises to
some 1,096 feet, lies to the south of Haddon and a Bronze Age
stone circle on the moor is known as the Nine Ladies. Legend has it that
one Sunday nine women and a fiddler came up onto the moor to
dance and, for their act of sacrilege, they were turned to stone. Also in
the area is the site of an Iron Age hillfort known as
Castle Ring.
Northeast of Bakewell, near Edensor, lies the home of
the Dukes of Devonshire, Chatsworth House,
one of the finest of the great houses
of Britain. The origins of the house as a great showpiece must
be attributable to the redoubtable Bess of Hardwick, one of
whose husbands, Sir William Cavendish, bought the estate in 1549.
Over the years, the Cavendish fortunes have continued to pour
into Chatsworth, making it an almost unparalleled showcase for
art treasures. The gardens of this stately home, which used the
talents of Capability Brown and Joseph Paxton, also have some
marvellous features, including the Emperor Fountain that dominates the
Canal Pond.
Arbor Low
9 miles SE of Buxton off the A515
This remote Bronze Age stone circle is often referred to as
the Stonehenge of the Peaks, and although many of the stones
now lie on the ground it is still an impressive sight. There are
several stone circles in the Peak District but none offer the
same atmosphere as Arbor Low, nor the same splendid views.
Lyme Park
8 miles NE of Buxton off the A6
The ancient estate of Lyme Park was given to Sir Thomas
Danyers in 1346 by a grateful King Edward III after a battle at Caen.
Danyers then passed the estate to his son-in-law, Sir Piers Legh, and it
remained in the family until 1946. Famous for its fantastic Palladian
mansion, the work of Venetian architect
Giacomo Leoni, the estate includes a late 19th century formal
garden and a medieval deer park.
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