Country Images - Stay At Home Edition - Pt2

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COUNTRY

STAY AT HOME

BUMPER DIGITAL EDITION PART TWO

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elcome to the second of our special editions of Country Images Magazine. As many are in a “stay at home” situation we felt that you may like a good read from our archives to help pass a little time over a cup of coffee. Our editorial contributors have, over the years, showcased all that is best in Derbyshire alongside articles that explored places further afield. We hope you enjoy this, the first of many, that we will be presenting on line over the next few weeks.

Inside you’ll find a wealth of ideas for your home and garden.

Interesting articles on antiques and collectibles, and places to visit for the future.

Whether you live in the town or country, there is plenty of interest for you to enjoy in this special edition of Country Images magazine.

Jane Plant

THE BEST OF COUNTRY IMAGES

PART TWO

Download our FREE APP and read Country Images today. With the latest and past editions available to download for FREE.

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B AH OOK EA IN D GN TO O 20 W 21

FL ON EX LY I-D £4 EP 9 OS IT

Whether you have room in your kitchen for an island, a breakfast bar or a dining table or you have a more compact space where clever storage ideas are essential, here are some ways of achieving your dream whatever your space or budget.

Little bit of

luxury Main picture:

Linear by Metris

Inspired by minimalist architecture, the linear designs are sleek, pure and strong on perspective.

Metris has extended its colour palette to 15, including the gentle neutrals of Linear almond and brown grey.

For local stockists visit www.metriskitchens.co.uk or call 01325 505590 Left:

Vermont Freestanding by Fired Earth

The stylistic origins of our Vermont kitchen, with its East Coast USA sensibility, country styled sink and textured wood options, seems perfectly up to date with the magpie like attitude our customers have to decorating. Wooden and painted cabinets juxtaposed with functional cookers and beautiful tiles epitomise the eclectic mix we have fallen in love with in the West over recent years.

For local stockists visit www.firedearth.com

AROUND THE HOME

Affordable

chic Above:

Milbourne by Second Nature

Second Nature’s new Milbourne Partridge Grey kitchen is a classic Shaker design and is teamed with vibrant banana Hi-Macs solid surface worktops for a fresh and airy feel.

For local stockists visit www.sncollection.co.uk or call 01325 505539 Right:

Yardley by Caple

Caple’s new Yardley kitchen features traditional shaker-style cabinets with a contemporary twist thanks to bar-style handles.

For local stockists visit www.caple.co.uk or call 0117 9381900

Bloom Signature Cast Iron Shallow Casserole by Le Creuset

The most versatile – a great stir fry pan, baking and serving dish. Perfect for a wide range of dishes from quick creamy risottos to tender, flavourful meat and vegetables or crisp, golden pies and tarts. The large flat shape and shallow sides of the Cast Iron Shallow Casserole make it perfect for browning meat and vegetables, simmering casseroles, stir frying, baking and serving at the table. For local stockists visit www.lecreuset.co.uk

Drinks Dispensers by Kilner

Kilner drinks dispensers are perfect for barbecues, parties and even weddings and this summer why not try this stunning range of coloured drinks dispensers. Available in green, blue or pink, the 5.0 lt glass clip-top dispenser has matching handled jars.

For local stockists visit www.therange.co.uk or call 0845 026 7598

Presso Storage Jar by Bodum

The Presso collection invites the consumer to have full of flexibility of storing any kind of products – all from very hot liquids to liquids with a high acidity level – without discoloration. For local stockists visit www.bodum.com

Must have

accessories

Fresh Floral Style

Main picture: Purity by Harlequin The Harlequin Studio has produced Purity, a beautiful collection of sophisticated designs. Effortlessly elegant, Purity represents, a mixture of timeless and archive-inspired motifs, re-worked for a contemporary appeal.

For local stockists visit www.harlequin.uk.com or call 0845 1236805

Top right: Whitewood by Linwood Taking inspiration from one colour block printing.

Whitewood is printed onto soft, tumbled English linen for beautiful curtains, blinds and upholstery.

For local stockists visit www.linwoodfabric.com or call 01425 461176

Bottom right: Secret Garden by Prestigious Exquisite in both colour and texture, Secret Garden is a series of imaginatively embroidered fabrics created by Prestigious Textiles.

For local stockists visit www.prestigious.co.uk or call 01274 688448

Modern Country

Main picture: Manor House

by Clarke and Clarke The classical Manor House collection features a mix of embroidered patterns on linen, woven checks and jacquards with complimenting linen plains.

For local stockists visit www.clarke-clarke.co.uk Top left: Bird of Paradise

by Matthew Williamson at Osborne and Little Wallpaper: Bird of Paradise, Chairs: Kairi, Cushions: Dominica.

For local stockists visit www.osborneandlittle.com or call 0208 812 3123 Top right: Free Fall by Juliet Travers Each design stems from Juliet’s own hand drawings and all the products are made in England. Juliet has some unique drawings that can be used throughout the home as wallpaper or fabric.

For local stockists visit www.juliettravers.com Below: Meadow Collection

by Vanessa Arbuthnott This collection is inspired by the many branched ‘Tree of Life’ illustrations used in science, religion, philosophy, mythology and the decorative arts.

For local stockists visit www.vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk

EMPORIUM Tea Rex Kettle by Alessi

Designed by Michael Graves in 1985, the kettle with the bird-shaped whistle became one of the icons of 20th century design. To mark the 30th anniversary of this famous kettle, Graves redesigns the whistle, turning the little bird into a charming prehistoric, mythological and futuristic creature all at the same time: Tea Rex. For further information and local stockists visit www.alessi.com

Kate Malone with Burleigh

Leading ceramicist Kate Malone collaborates with Burleigh to create this exclusive line for Fortnum and Mason.

For further information and local stockists visit www.burleigh.co.uk

Tradition Papers

by Sandberg

Tradition from Sandberg Solbacken : a nostalgic wallpaper collection that encapsulates Sweden’s rich wallpaper heritage.

For further information and local stockists visit www. sandbergwallpaper.com or call 0800 7319622

Emporium 3

1

2 1. Footstool by Vanessa Arbuthnott Our beautiful, firm upholstered footstool compliments both styles of sofas and chairs. It can be ordered with tapered legs or turned legs and castors in any of Vanessa’s fabrics.

For further details or local stockists visit www.vanessaarbuthnott.com

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2. Bosco Bedroom by Ercol As well as being designed for its looks the Bosco oak bedroom furniture range is also designed for comfort and for practicality.

For further details and local stockists visit www.ercol.com 3. Malmesbury Planters by Garden Trading Made of weather-resistant galvanised steel, these long-lasting garden containers will age gracefully for years.

They have carry handles attached-again reminiscent of the old tin baths – for easy portability.

For further details or local stockists visit www.gardentrading.co.uk or call 0845 6084448 4. Amime by Farrow & Ball Amime, meaning the space between netting, a simple design taken from a mid-twentieth century pen and ink drawing. It is beautifully textured woven design that conjures picturesque scenes of Japanese fishermen repairing their nets.

For further details and local stockists visit www.farrow-ball.com

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5. Downton Classical by Utopia Utopia’s brand new Downton freestanding bathroom furniture captures the appeal of traditional furniture combined with all the features and benefits of contemporary craftsmanship.

For further details and local stockists visit www.utopiagroup.com

Right: Levande Collection by Scion For its Spring 2015 launch, youthful and fashion forward British brand Scion has produced a youthful, exuberant and playfully interpreted collection, Levande.

For local stockists visit www.scion.uk.com or call 0845 1236805

Emporium Dualit Classic Kettle and Four Slice Toaster in Copper The new Dualit classic toaster and kettle in stylish copper will delight lovers of good design. Hand built in the UK the toaster features the assembler’s name on the base plate and has fully repairable or replaceable parts for longevity.

For local stockists visit www.dualit.com Above: Highgrove’s Coronation Meadows Collection by Burleigh Introducing ‘Coronation Meadows’, the new tableware collection produced

by Burleigh Pottery for Highgrove. Inspired by HRH The Prince of Wale’s Coronation Meadows project, each piece features a finely detailed botanical illustration of meadow flowers.

For local stockists visit www.burleigh.co.uk

Main picture: Amazilia by Harlequin Amazilia, a stunning collection of fabrics and wallcoverings based on extravagant tropical motifs in magnificent colourways.

For local stockists visit www.harlequin.uk.com

Lampshades by Little Greene & Lane Little Greene collaborates on a range of limited edition lampshades from interior design brand, Lane.

For further details and local stockists visit www.lanebypost.com or call 0207 9358844

Platinum by Prestigious The Platinum collection is a set of shimmering weaves featuring enticing textures, lustrous backdrops and embroidered motifs.

For local stockists visit www.prestigious.co.uk or call 01274 688448

Emporium

Emporium Main picture: Arabesque by Fired Earth These Spanish made porcelain tiles have a definite Moorish inuence in both their shape and colour lending them a feel of the exotic east.

For local stockists visit www.firedearth.com

Agapanthus by Portmeirion The monochrome colour palette combined with contemporary shapes makes Portmeirion’s Agapanthus tableware range perfect for modern day living.

For local stockists visit www.portmeirion.co.uk

Silk by Typhoon Fine porcelain Silk dining and serving pieces from Typhoon are stylish, elegant yet practical being dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.

For local stockists visit www.typhoonhousewares.com or call 0151 4861888

s y a w l l a H

Emporium

The first glimpse of a home is the hallway, which can often be an overlooked space. Keep it bright and airy with light walls, clever lighting, a mirror and a feature stair carpet. Easy to achieve with fabulous results you’ll love.

Right: Birds and Beasts with Harris Tweed by Vanessa Arbuthnott For 2015 Vanessa Arbuthnott, well known for her country style, is delighted to launch two diverse but extremely complementary collections, one printed and the other woven. The appropriately named ‘Birds and Beasts’ and ‘Harris Tweed’ have been made all the more special by the invaluable input of Vanessa’s two daughters, Rose and Flora.

For local stockists call 01285 831 437 or visit www.vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk Below: Reggio 2 Seater Sofa by Halo The Reggio Highback compact sofa collection is a hand crafted leather range which provides a practical and comfortable solution for any living space. Available in a choice of leathers and vintage moleskins. An armchair and a 3 seater sofa is also available.

For local stockists call 0161 9230500 or visit www.haloliving.co.uk

Hallways

Emporium

Left: Suffolk Coat Rack by Neptune Our Suffolk Coat Rack is a versatile, practical and elegant solution for any hall, utility room, boot room or kitchen. The solid oak shelf and hand painted finish are perfect for tidying up coats or hanging kitchen utensils. Try pairing it with a Suffolk Sideboard as a pretty accent.

For local stockists call 01973 427300 or visit www.neptune. com Below: Wild Thing by

Alternative Flooring Wild Thing from the Rock n Roll collection by Alternative Flooring. Let your loud inner voice strut its stuff with rebellious Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Texture and tone come through loud and clear as striking stripes shout the house down. Mix and match with Wool Romance for a delightful duet.

For local stockists call 01264 335111 or visit www. alternativeflooring.com

Emporium Left: Get Happy by Jane Churchill Jane Churchill proposes a whimsical world for children in 2015 with upbeat colour combinations and energetic patterns. Magic castles and dream dresses appear on furnishings with Fairyland, while wondrous beings from the natural world, make their way into the home, with Get Happy’s delicate butterflies, Into The Woods’ foxes, rabbits and owls, and Wild Things’ exotic giraffes, flamingos and crocodiles.

For local stockists Call 020 7493 2231 or visit www.janechurchill.com Below: Sophie Conran Portmeirion Betty Pitcher The award winning Sophie Conran for Portmerion now boasts the new ‘Sophie Blue’ collection, a stunning 18 piece table range featuring a deep blue motif in a choice of four complementary patterns. The range features a pitcher, medium salad bowl, dinner plate and side plate.

For local stockists visit www.portmeirion.co.uk

Below: Connie Pink Bed Linen

by Christy This lovely feminine floral has a beautiful hand-painted feel. On smooth and silky sateen, it is a really luxurious treat. Available in Pink.

For local stockists visit www.christy-towels.com or call 0845 758 5252

Is your floor looking a little tired after winter wear and tear. Brighten it up for the spring by perusing the latest designs and ideas from the world’s leading flooring manufacturers.

All the flooring featured in this feature is supplied

by Country Images customers who appear on the following pages.

Whether it’s wool, seagrass, laminate, wood, vinyl, cork or ceramic you will find something for every floor.

Top: Uniquely Amtico captures the essence of the product; you can create a floor that is unique to you. Amtico Signature allows you to create the floor you desire, with a choice of laying patterns, finishes, motifs and borders.

The Amtico Signature collection includes 188 bespoke products. Select one or as many products as you like and decide how you want your floor laying. www.amtico.com

Bottom: By offering a wide variety of colours, Karndean textures and finishes, create a look unique to your home. What’s more, it’s easy to maintain, durable and guaranteed to last for many, many years to come. If you’re looking for a new floor, Karndean Designflooring is here to help you find the perfect floors for your space, your needs and your style. www.karndean.com

Fabulous Flooring

Fabulous Flooring Top: Porcelanosa’s wide range of ceramic stones reflects the great diversity found in our natural environment: granite, limestone, quartzite and basalt, with a particular emphasis on ceramic slates that closely reproduce the tonal richness and variety of this metamorphic rock. www.porcelanosa.com

Bottom left: Creating a home that looks good is important, but home is also about feel: about relaxing; welcoming family and friends; being cosy and comfortable. A luxurious, wool-rich Brintons Carpet is the perfect starting point.

Once you’ve experienced the softness and warmth that it brings, you’ll never look back. www.brintons.co.uk Bottom right: A textured carpet adds wonderful depth to any area of your home. Whether it’s a plain texture, a striking stripe or subtle pattern, you’ll find a carpet from Axminster Carpets textured ranges to suit your style and colour scheme. www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Fabulous Flooring Top left: All Brockway carpets are at least 80% pure new wool, which gives a luxurious, high quality product that's at home in any room. Their extensive range includes tufted and loop carpets, with a wide choice of stunning colours and textures. Brockway are committed to sustainable production and choose their raw materials with care: their Lakeland Herdwick and Shetland ranges, for example, play a part in helping sustain traditional farming communities and a unique way of life in some of the UK's farthest-flung regions. www.brockway.co.uk

Top right: Ulster Carpets have long held a reputation for the highest quality and most luxurious carpets in the market place. Over the years, Ulster has vowed to uphold this reputation by focusing on design, innovation and the pursuit of excellence. Although a global player in the world of carpet, the business remains family owned and generations of skilled local craftsmen and women have proudly woven Ulster carpet at the original Castleisland site in County Armagh. www.ulstercarpets.com Bottom left: Soft, warm and luxurious to the touch, wool is comfortable underfoot, hard wearing and versatile. Crucial Trading’s inspirational collection of weaves, patterns and textures is second to none, and thanks to this exceptional material they are able to create a contemporary colour palette from deep chocolate tones, bold limes and reds to the most delicate ivory. www.crucial-trading.com Bottom right: Alternative Flooring are passionate about innovation and creativity.

With a cheeky sense of humour, they mix new and inspiring designs with authentic natural classics. ww.alternativeflooring.com

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Derbyshire Antiques

by Maxwell Craven

I

n the later eighteenth century and through into the twentieth, the commonest form of wall mounted clock in the UK was the fusée type; a key wound timepiece or clock with a movement fitted behind a large diameter dial suitable for kitchens, offices, servants’ halls, shops, mills and so on. The earliest ones date from their second decade of the 18th century, and we have a superb selection of five London-made 18th century examples being offered in Bamford’s June Fine Art sale in Derby.

Far more common in Derbyshire was the weight-driven wall clock, often with an alarm and invariably of the utilitarian hook-and-spike type. Typically, they have compact but robust movements with anchor escapement, count-wheel strike, half-second pendulums with blackpainted cast iron bobs and neat cylindrical weights, the latter often cast with ‘IWD’ (=John Whitehurst/Derby), ‘WSD’ (=Whitehurst & Son/Derby) and other variants. The movements are usually eight day for striking examples and 30-hour for alarms, although some four-day specimens are also known.

Whitehurst & Son, early silvered brass dial single handed 30 hour wall alarum [Private collection]

The dials, usually painted brass, come in an interesting variety of shapes: octagonal, lozengeshaped and square as well as round. The alarums usually have plain brass dials, setting done with an un-blued brass pointer and the bell actuated by a light lead weight on a chain. An unusual early one c. 1810 has a silvered brass dial and a single hand. Many of the ordinary wall clocks strike and they are also reasonably common with ting-tang quarter chiming. Some even have pull repeats.

The earliest examples of these weight-driven wall clocks were made by John Whitehurst the elder in the 1770s and are remarkably rare, but one has to beware examples of his long case clock dials and movements re-cased as wall clocks. The example shown here has only a ten inch dial and a case with scrolls on the lower part of the hood, so was definitely built as a wall clock. Plainer alarums came a little later. The design was refined and a new, compact movement evolved after John Whitehurst III joined his father in partnership in 1809, and are thereafter invariably numbered.

I keep a running total of these numbers, because some also come with a date and the sequence provides a reliable dating guide.

They continued to be made right through until at least 1855, and indeed beyond, for examples (indistinguishable from Whitehurst ones) from after this date have been noted signed by Frank Woodward, Holme and Smithard, W. J. Booth (all of Derby) and G. Etches (Ashbourne).

Examples of all periods are known fitted behind dials bearing the signatures of provincial makers all over the Midlands.

After a while, the Whitehursts realised that these movements would fit very well into a plain deal case like those fitted with watchmen’s clocks, and later still, they were fitted into mahogany and

Whitehurst wall clock in purpose made hood, probably 1760s [Private collection]

Dial of an early John Whitehurst FRS 30 hour wall alarum [Private collection]

Standard two train 8-day wall clock with round painted dial [M. Craven]

ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES even walnut architectural cases, marking the move of this type of clock from behind the green baize door to the polite part of a big house. There is even one in a corridor at Kedleston, the case of which dismounts for transportation to the London town house during the Season.

Mahogany architecturally cased wall regulator timepiece [Bonhams]

All the wall clocks have pendulums only about 16 inches long (beating approx 0.64 seconds) despite the tall, narrow cases into which about half the output were fitted.

One very sophisticated example is in fact a regulator with a seconds chapter, key winding instead of pull-chains, wood-rod pendulum with a scaled regulation nut to the bob, all in a fine mahogany case; although a wall clock in most respects, it is effectively a standard (if unusual-looking) long case regulator.

Two others have been recorded in exuberant cases with cupboards attached either side of the trunk, all carved to resemble the west front of All Saints’, Derby, perhaps originally made for local inns as a novelty. One, dated 1835, has the refinement of a Samuel Bregazzi/ Derby barometer set in the trunk door; the other may be seen in Derby Museum, and is dated 1854, but not fitted with a barometer.

Standard John Whitehurst III brass dial 30 hour wall alarum [Gerald Marsh Ltd.]

The simple 30 hour alarums tend to be estimated at £600-800 at auction, although retail prices can go a lot higher.

The ordinary striking wall clocks go for £800-1200 and those with a three train (chiming) movement might go as high as £1500. In plain cases, about the same, but a mahogany architectural case effectively makes the clock a conventional long case and £1500-2,500 would be a safe estimate, assuming condition was good. The regulator, sold almost a decade ago now by Bonhams, was estimated at £3,000-£3,500 but went for more and the same goes for unusual ones. I have never seen a John Whitehurst I 18th century wall clock for sale, but I imagine it would make £1,500 with ease assuming that it was in original condition.

These clocks get around, too. I recall my wife and I discovering a brass dial example on the wall of the parlour in the famous Eiléan Donan Castle, Ross-shire, in Scotland. You can even spot it in the New Avengers episode filmed there!

Conventional three train movement from a cased wall clock [ John Robey]

Derbyshire Antiques

by Maxwell Craven

Derby Brewery Memorabilia Derby was renowned throughout the Kingdom for the quality of its beer, long before Burton-uponTrent overtook it. ‘The principal trade,’ wrote William Woolley in 1713, ‘is that of malting, with which many good estates have been raised.’ Twenty years earlier, Fuller had written, ‘Never was the wine of Falernum better known to the Romans than the Canary (Ale) of Derby to the English.’

To which we might add the words of his contemporary Charles Cotton (1630-1687):

Attractive poster for Offiler’s from the immediate post-war period.

‘Nay, I am for the Country liquor, Derbyshire Ale, if you please; for a man should not, methinks come from London to drink wine in the Peak.’

Derby malt was being exported to London in the 1730s, and Thomas Cox said of it: ‘This drink is made here in such perfection, that wine must be very good to deserve a preference.’

I

n 1577, Thomas Alsop and Robert Stringer are listed as vintners, but no brewers appear, although they undoubtedly existed, if only amongst the innkeepers. Indeed, Alsop was the ancestor of a long line of such, operating from a stone house (with malthouse and brewery behind) in The Wardwick, opposite St James’s Bridge. In 1708 this house was replaced by the elegant Queen Anne building which is today the Wardwick Tavern; a few fragments of the previous building can still be seen embedded in the fabric.

The Alsops transferred the business to John Lowe, another maltster who may have been a kinsman. The Lowes switched from malting to brewing and supplying ale to local outlets and John Lowe’s son, Thomas, greatly expanded the Wardwick Brewery and became very opulent in the process, serving as Mayor of Derby four times before his death in 1831. His son Charles sold out to Moreton Charles Wedge in 1837.

The other brewers in Derby at the start of the 19th century included the Ash Close Brewery of 1804, near the north end of the Duffield Road, Wheeldon’s Navigation Brewery, Nottingham Road, 1830 and Gisborne &

Watson of Friar Gate. They were joined in healthy competition by Henry Hunt (the Derby Brewery, also Nottingham Road, 1835, Washington Pike, ironically the son of a notable Baptist minister who set up in Parker Street and John Porter’s Manchester Brewery with its workers’ cottages in Manchester Street behind the brewery in Ashbourne Road founded 1835.

Nothing stands still for long, though. By the 1850s, Hunt had been taken over by David Paine, but Pike, Porter and Watson flourished. Of these three, Pike continued until the late 1870s when he and his son, Baxter Pike, closed down and took the franchise to run the GNR’s Friar Gate station refreshments rooms from 1877; Porter was bought out by Stretton’s in 1865, and Watson survived a decade more on Uttoxeter New Road. David Paine, in his turn, was taken over by L.W. Reynolds c.1860 and he was shortly afterwards (in 1871) bought out by Alderman Thomas Clarke (1814-1877) Mayor of Derby in 1862-3. He and his eldest son were maltsters but had taken over Hunt’s Derby Brewery by 1874. The Derby Brewery Company was the first local brewery to install the telephone, in 1891. They had over 57 tied houses when taken over by Stretton’s in 1899.

The expensive pub tray. The price was high despite the slight pitting and oxidization.

In 1869, ex-landlord William Alton bought out M.C. Wedge of the Wardwick Brewery and expanded it further with his partner, Edward Barnett, who subsequently took the business over, taking into partnership not only Alton’s nephew (and adopted son), Hepworth Tropolet Tijou, later Alton, but also solicitor George d’Arcy Clark and Arthur Walkden.

The company was registered in 1888. Like Bass at Burton, they brewed on the Union system and were also maltsters. By 1899 they owned 91 licensed outlets in the area.

Another newcomer was Stretton’s, established in Ashbourne Road in 1865 by taking over Sarah Eyre (1821-1863) daughter of Elijah Eyre (1799-1863) who had set up there earlier. They also took over from John Porter and built a new facility on his Ashbourne Road site with a frontage to Surrey Street which until 20 years ago when part of it burnt down, was Derby’s best preserved brewing complex.

Stretton’s had 154 tied houses when they bought out Alton’s in January 1903, but both were run separately until 1922, when the Wardwick operation closed. Taken over by Samuel Allsopp in 1927. Ironically, Lord Hindlip, Allsopp’s proprietor, was a direct descendant of the Allsopp who had built the house on The Wardwick. They closed the brewery in 1929 but even so, the two Derby firms kept their identities a few years longer.

A final entry into the ranks of Derby breweries in the 19th century was Offiler’s Vine Brewery. Like many landlords of that era, George Offiler (1837-1899), licensee of the Vine, on the corner of Whitaker Street and Corden Street, brewed his own beer, but after less than two years in Derby, in 1877, began brewing a surplus and selling to neighbouring houses; in 1881 he employed three men. He was attended with remarkable success, and in 1884 purchased the warehouse of the Star Tea Company, formerly the old Ordnance Depot, on Normanton Road (built to the designs of James Wyatt in 1806, but converted into a silk mill in the 1820s) and it was rebuilt as the Vine Brewery. The architect, who mainly replaced Wyatt’s building, was

Advertisement for Alton’s from 1891.

William Bradford of London and the tower principle was adopted.

By 1890, the year the company was registered, Offilers were producing 509,000 gallons of ale per annum. In that year the brewery owned the following fourteen Derby pubs, five in Loughborough, six in Belper, two in Whitwick (Leicestershire), one in Shepshed (Leicestershire), and 12 others scattered around the Southern Derbyshire area, making 40 outlets altogether. Two years later the company re-formed and re-registered.

As it turned out, Offilers was the last independent brewer to survive in Derby, latterly with 238 houses in the region, finally being taken over by Charrington United Breweries in 1965, swiftly losing its identity, the old brewery closing on 30 September 1966. Charringtons were then shortly afterwards taken over by Bass.

All this has resulted in a veritable avalanche of memorabilia, most of it reasonably priced. The Derby ‘big three’ all issued beer mats, tin trays, beer in marked bottles, packs of cards, posters, and similar, of which those marked with Offilers’ name, being the last to survive are easily the commonest. Their beer mats can be had for a couple of pounds each, although things as cheaply produced as tin trays can be really quite expensive. I have illustrated a 1950s one printed with a nice girl dressed only in an old fashioned look, and what used to be called a shortie nightie, which was on offer in the US recently for well over £200 and a very incorrect pack of playing cards from around 1930. Branded ashtrays are an affordable type of relic of these local breweries A lot of people collect bottles. Here the market is helped by constant infusions of new stock, trawled out of abandoned dumps and tips, so that specimens from some of the earlier 19th century breweries I have mentioned actually can come within the art of the possible, although £50 or even £75 is not wholly unusual for 19th century glass examples, although stoneware ones tend to be more durable and thus less expensive and 20th century

examples are usually only a few pounds. They are more displayable, too. I recently bought for £3.50, bargained down from £5, a post-war nickel plated half pint tankard by Gaskell & Chambers (famous suppliers to the trade) crudely lettered Tom Firth/Wine Vaults/Derby. The pub, known to its regulars as ‘The Sough’ was in Derby Market Place and was sacrificed to the now abandoned Assembly Rooms in 1971.

Other items can be rarer and more pricey. A Derby King Street porcelain tankard, until the Second War standard fare at the bar of the Seven Stars in Derby, are especially scarce and a recent sample was sold privately for several

Left: Inter-war Offilers’ ale bottle with moulded lettering and distinctive trade mark.

Right: A rarity: a Seven Stars pint mug (with imaginary coaching scene) made at the King Street China works prior to 1945.

Far right: Nickel plated 1950s half-pint mug, crudely lettered TOM FRITH/WINE VAULTS DERBY.

hundred pounds. There are also pub signs around, but one for a Derbyshire pub is likely to prove elusive. Prices more generally are £100 to £500 depending on quality, but this would rocket if one came across a genuine example from a local hostelry, rather than one that had been bogued up on some old boarding, by some enterprising fellow who can paint a bit.

Nevertheless, it is an area of collecting which can run from very affordable (beermats, some bottles and ashtrays) to eye-wateringly expensive. Of course, Derbyshire was full of breweries, too, and we might look at them on a later occasion.

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Derbyshire Antiques

by Maxwell Craven

Watchman’s Clocks

Derby Museum’s double registering late model noctuary movement with pins projecting from the face of the dial, numbered 6374 (of 1846/47) [Bamfords]

W

illiam Strutt was the eldest of the three sons of cotton pioneer Jedediah Strutt, and grew up to be an ingenious and energetic follower of the latest scientific advances and, being in touch with those members of the celebrated Lunar Society within his ambit, like John Whitehurst and Erasmus Darwin, had the opportunity to learn from them and exchange ideas with them. One expression of this, was that with Erasmus Darwin, he developed (or improved upon) the watchman’s clock or noctuary, later refined and made in increasing numbers by the younger John Whitehurst (1761-1834).

The perfection of the noctuary is a development of considerable importance, and examples are still very commonly found, fetching at auction prices between £700 and £1,200, depending on the type and condition. At Bamfords in 2013, we offered a fine late model double watchman’s clock movement, bought by Derby Museum. These clocks may also be found adapted as domestic timepieces, with the watchman’s facility removed, but in this state, £200-300 is the most likely price one would have to pay at auction to obtain an example.

Their practical importance in enabling security to be simplified, not only in factories and mills, but large country houses and even the streets of towns cannot be overstated. Installation of noctuaries enabled the patrols of watchmen to be precisely regulated and their numbers drastically reduced thereby. Most commentators until recently, have firmly attributed the invention of this device to John Whitehurst FRS, yet no example dating from his time has ever been found, which suggests the claim requires closer examination.

The need for a clock to regulate the movements of watchmen in large buildings, was very much a product of the new order, or the Industrial Revolution: men whose ancestors tilled the fields regulated by the availability of daylight were henceforth constrained to work by the clock.

Writing of the problems faced during the erection of the Derbyshire General Infirmary in 1806-10 Charles Sylvester wrote: During the process of building the [Derbyshire General] Infirmary…many of the materials are either stolen or wantonly destroyed; and many instances have happened of buildings being destroyed by fire, before they have been finished, chiefly owing to the carelessness of workmen. Evils of this kind were prevented by employing watchmen, who were bound to do their duty.

Nearly twenty years before this period W. Strutt, Esq., who was one of the committee, had invented a curious watch-clock, which I am sorry to say has not yet got into general use, notwithstanding its superiority over every other contrivance yet offered to the public. This is probably owing to no account of it having been hitherto published.

One of these clocks was put up on the spot, and was used every night till the building was finished.

After describing in detail the operation of the clock, Sylvester continued: This clock is made by Mr. Whitehurst [II] of Derby, who has added to it a very valuable improvement. It will be seen from our description that if a number of rooms or places are to be visited by the watchman, it would require a similar clock in every place, which in some establishments would be very expensive. The improvement made by Mr. Whitehurst, consists of a piece of machinery attached to the clock, which is connected by wires with every room. The watchman is therefore obliged to go to every room, and always in the same order of succession; the pull of the first wire prepares the second to be pulled, the second prepares the third, the third the fourth,

Left: Fusee Whitehurst watchman’s clock, the prototype of those manufactured after the Whitehurst form closed by John Smith of Derby [Private collection] Above: Charles Silvester’s drawing of a watchman’s clock from his Domestic Economy (1819) [M. Craven]

and so on to the last which pushes down the pin. The pins are at a distance from each other, requiring attendance every quarter of an hour; but these might be made to any other intervals. If for instance a certain walk or round is pointed out for the watchman, there may in its course be required any number of pulls, and these points to be in situations where his attention is particularly required; so that the number of pins to give the intervals of time, will vary with local circumstances.

These clocks have a revolving brass twelve hour dial, each hour subdivided into quarters, at each of which the rim was drilled to take pins which protruded about ⅜ inch and which were held in place by a small leaf spring.

The watchman, on reaching the clock, would depress a lever on the case, which would operate a small hammer, which, in turn, depressed the pin appropriate to the nearest quarter of an hour to that time. The clock case would be locked, and the foreman would be able to check the progress of his watchman by which pins had been depressed. The actual time would be read against a brass pointer fixed vertically against the dial. After twelve hours the pins were automatically re-set by passing over a ramp.

This system was introduced into the streets of Derby itself in 1825, 23 (later reduced to 19) clocks being situated in boxes around the town and linked to a master in the police station in the Guildhall. Their introduction was subsequent to their highly successful trial at the Infirmary and was at the behest of William Strutt, Chairman from July 1792 to December 1829 of successive Derby Improvement Commissions. Their use more than halved the number of men employed by the watch from twenty to ten, and was warmly commended in 1833 in the first report of the Royal Commission on Municipal Corporations in England and Wales.

The system of patrolling Derby’s streets at night, regulated by the noctuaries, continued in use in Derby until 1860. Certainly the idea of policing by noctuary caught on: ‘the Derby system of watching’ being installed at Hulme, Lancashire, in 1833, jointly by John Whitehurst II and his son.

It was also noted that the noctuaries in the lobbies in the new Palace of Westminster were made and installed by Whitehurst.

The evidence of Sylvester suggests that this clock was actually invented

by William Strutt FRS in the late 1780s, and in a memoir of his brother, written in 1831, Joseph Strutt wrote: In conjunction with Dr Darwin, he availed himself of a rude but original contrivance, called a watchman’s tell-tale, and so improved upon it as to form the present complete watch clock. This machine, though in use above forty years, is only now beginning to be generally known and applied to the services of the public.

The link with Darwin is instructive, because Strutt was his élève, and many of the latter’s inventions are demonstrably derived from ideas of Whitehurst’s, both published and unpublished. Hence it may well be, that among the papers Whitehurst burned before his death, were some relating to watchman’s clocks. The phrase ‘in use above forty years’ might suggest that the device was first made around the late 1780s, bearing in mind the obituary was written in 1831, which would push the prototype well back into the time that Darwin and Strutt were active in Derby and indeed, by a whisker, into Whitehurst’s lifetime. The fact that an early example was acquired by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons around 1800, signed by John Whitehurst II, underlines the utility of such machines among the more entrepreneurial members of the Lunar Society. The very earliest example bears a signature that approximates to that used by the first John Whitehurst on his more workaday clocks, and is un-numbered, making it pre-date 1806.

It may even be a late 18th century prototype, although as it is today it lacks its protruding pins; its small (3¾ inch diameter) dial is typical of the earliest Whitehurst noctuaries.

These early watch-clocks have dials with the pins radiating out from their edges but by about 1820-25 the dials had been increased in size to 5 inch diameter and the pins adjusted to project forwards from the edge of the dial. Others were made with extensions so that watchmen could record their

presence in various places on their round on one master clock with several rings of concentric pins.

Inside the case of one early example (signed ‘Whitehurst & Son/Derby/ No. 546’ and dated 1810) is a long disquisition about noctuary clocks written by John II wherein he claims to have ‘invented and executed’ them.

Later, his advertisements confine themselves to describing him as the ‘original manufacturer’ of the clocks. John Whitehurst III also exhibited a fusée (spring driven) example in an exhibition sponsored by the Derby Philosophical Society at the Derby Mechanics’ Institute in 1839; a single surviving example of this type by him has only recently been recorded, although John Smith & Sons of Derby manufactured timepieces of this type for some years. All known noctuaries have 30-hour movements and an approximately 16 inch long pendulum. Standard single noctuaries were supplied in tall, plain stained deal cases, 76 inch tall and 10 inch square.

Most surviving specimens appear to be 8-day examples although some were apparently installed with three train eight day quarter chiming movements in high quality deal cases. Numerous examples of the earlier type are recorded, but the majority are of the later sort with pins on the face of the dial.

Nevertheless, these clocks represent a significant contribution to the horology of the Industrial Revolution. The extent of John II’s input into its development is still obscured by the claims of Strutt, and after much research, there yet remains the entirely likely possibility that John Whitehurst FRS actually did come up with the idea, but even despite that, the significance of the involvement of both Darwin and Boulton, not to mention the ‘very valuable improvement’ made by John Whitehurst II, is hard to ignore.

Far left: Early noctuary with small dial, in typical tall thin case [Bamfords] Top left: Extremely early example with 18th century-style signature, possibly a prototype [Private collection] Bottom left: Radial pi dial from an early period clock, numbered 2967 (of 1821) [Styal Mill, Cheshire]

Derbyshire Antiques

by Maxwell Craven

LOCAL HERALDRY & LOCAL PROVENANCE A year or so ago I wrote about locally made porcelain decorated with heraldry during which I mentioned that heraldry appearing on any item gave it provenance to a family and frequently to a place. This month, I thought it time I took this a little further and looked at objects of any sort that bore heraldic emblems tying an item to a local family and house.

Aside from china, the most likely antique one will see bearing heraldry is silver, which raises problems from time to time.

Unless the item is particularly large, like a charger or an entrée dish, the temptation always is just to use the crest – that is, the object normally placed on a twisted double-hued kerchief or wreath, normally placed above the helmet of a full coat-ofarms.

Salver with the arms of Heathcote of Littleover

On its own, this does not always identify the family, as there are a number of crests, like a lion’s head, a lion rampant, various birds and so on, which are legally borne by more than one family. However, often the crest has an additional distinguishing mark and in other cases their motto is frequently added underneath, which usually identifies the family unequivocally.

When I am at Bamfords, I find myself trying to unravel these and attribute them on a regular basis and it can prove very time-consuming to track the correct one down accurately.

Sometimes though the heraldry contains enough information to attribute it to a particular person rather than just to a family.

The complexities arise when the arms are unauthorised and ‘borrowed’ from another family of the same name or just made up, which occurs frequently.

That said one is able to attribute the emblems in about two thirds of examples, which is a boon because at an auction house for instance the item with identifiable arms immediately acquires provenance, which is what collectors want. However, if the emblems are those of a very grand family, one cannot always with confidence assume that the piece was made for a particular seat, for such families often had a London or provincial town house and more than one country house. After the 1707 Act of Union, a Scottish residence was frequently a sine qua non, to enable the shooting and stalking to be enjoyed in the appropriate season.

All sorts of items bore arms. At Bamfords earlier this year we had four leather very early 19th century fire buckets, bearing a crest of a stork standing on a cap, holding a horseshoe in its beak under a earl’s coronet. This was the emblem of the Cokes, Earls of Leicester and their local provenance suggested that they had been made to go in Lord Leicester’s Derbyshire seat, Longford Hall, rather than Holkham, the family’s great house in Norfolk. They were clearly earlier 19th century rather than mid-18th in date and so could be attributed to Thomas, 1st Earl of the second creation, raised to the earldom in 1837, who died in 1842, the last Earl to use the house before it was vested in a younger son. This duly went into the catalogue and they made the astonishingly good price of £2000. A single example from the same set did extremely well at Hanson’s a week or so later.

Silver is helpful, for it is usually assayed with a date letter. I came across two interesting salvers a year or two ago. One bore the crest of the Heathcotes of Littleover Old Hall, which is a green roundel with an ermine cross superimposed, flanked by a pair of wings ‘diplayed’ (extended) emerging from a mural coronet. The colour can be identified from the hatching, which is always done by a set of conventions from which you can tell

the intended colour. The Heathcotes stopped using the Old Hall by the end of the 18th century and had a house in Full Street, Derby (later bought by Erasmus Darwin), so no doubt it was made for one or the other.

The other salver was of a similar vintage, but bore the later engraved full arms and two badges of Gilbert Sackville-West (later Sackville), 8th Earl Delawarr. This has no local resonance, but the inscription added above and below certainly did: To Ernest Terah & Annie Maria Hooley With the Best Wishes of their Friends Earl and Countess Delawarr May 1896 Ernest Terah Hooley, of course, was the Long Eaton lacemaker’s son turned international financier and moneylender (the latter function probably the inspiration for this particular gift) who went bankrupt on a technicality just prior to being gazetted a baronet at the instigation of his friend King Edward VII. Needless to say, he was as a result never ennobled! Thus the piece will have been set on the dining room sideboard of either his Mayfair house or at Papworth Hall, Cambridgeshire (his main country seat) or at Risley Hall, Derbyshire, his other seat, to which he retired and managed to hold on to until his wife’s death very many years later. Both were £300/400 salvers, but with provenance as sound as that outlined above, did considerably better.

I shall look at heraldic furniture in a future article, but, having written about books recently, I might say that heraldic

bookplates can place a volume firmly in a country house library.

Recently we at Bamfords had a set of Joseph Tilley’s Old Halls, Manors and Families of Derbyshire with the bookplate of George Jobson Marples, establishing its provenance as the library as Thornbridge Hall near Ashford-in-the-Water.

Another book contained a plate with the arms of Evans impaling Gisborne, for Derby Alderman and MP Thomas William Evans of Allestree Hall (1821-1892) whose wife -and indeed whose mother and sister-in-law!- was a Gisborne of Yoxall. We can date this to before 1887 when he was made a baronet, as the baronet’s badge is missing from the shield.

Above left: Ernest Terah Hooley salver.

Above right: Hutton’s History of Derby with the bookplate of Horace Walpole.

I myself have a copy of Hutton’s History of Derby (1791) with the distinctive round bookplate of none other than Hon. Horace Walpole, the 18th century connoisseur and Gothicist who built Strawberry Hill, Middlesex, from whose library it must have come in the 1842 sale, although only the book itself had local relevance, not the provenance.

The Evans bookplate was echoed by a piece of bright metal alloy horse furniture, made by Holmes & Co, coach-makers to the King on London Road, Derby. This was the arms of Evans of Darley Abbey and would have been attached to the hammercloth (which hung from the driver’s seat) of the family carriage. Indeed, Bamfords also sold two sets of brass ones, being the two crests of the Drury-Lowes of Locko, which were really horse brasses rather than hammercloth ornaments.

Another in the set was the crest and motto of the Bodens of The Friary, in Derby, also lacemakers. Individually, these are quite inexpensive (if you can find them) and sell for £10-20 each as a rule.

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Bowdens of The Friary, Derby.

Bookplate with Evans Gisborne arms.

Evans ofDarley Abbey & Ferne.

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Derbyshire Antiques

by Maxwell Craven

S H Grimm Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (1733-1794) was no local artist, but an 18th century Swissborn topographical artist whose patron Cornelius Heathcote Rodes, the squire of Barlborough Hall, brought to Derbyshire on a regular basis, where he recorded landscapes, village scenes and great houses, especially during the 1780s.

G

rimm was baptised at Burgdorf, in the canton of Bern, on 18 January 1733.

He was the youngest child of a notary, Johann Jakob Grimm, and nephew of the painter, Johann Grimm. Following the death of his father in 1749, he lived with a maternal uncle and, despite his artistic leanings, was sent as assistant to a doctor. However, under the influence of the poet Albrecht v. Haller, he began to write his own poetry, publishing two volumes, in 1758 and 1762 (the second with an introduction by Haller).

Also during the 1750s, Grimm studied in Bern under the artist Johann Ludwig Aberli and gradually began to establish himself as a topographical painter. Although he worked at first more in oil than watercolour, it is his tinted drawings that indicated his future direction. In the mid-1760s, Grimm moved to Paris, where he encountered the engraver and publisher, Johann Georg Wille. He made sketching tours in the vicinity of Paris in the company of other artists, and visited Normandy with Philipp Hackert and Nicolas Pérignon.

His first visit to England was in February 1768, and he obtained lodgings in London’s Covent Garden with Susannah Sledge, a print-seller in Henrietta Street. Hereabouts his base remained for the rest of his life. Within months of his arrival, he exhibited at the Society of Artists. In the following year, he showed four works at the first exhibition of the newly formed Royal Academy of Arts, and thereafter very regularly, also exhibiting at the Free Society of Artists until 1793.

Elected to the Society of Arts in November 1773, he sat on its Committee of Polite Arts until 1777. Whilst continuing to produce illustrations for Swiss publishers, Grimm first made a name in London with social caricatures, some published by Henry Carington Bowles. By 1773, he was receiving commissions for antiquarian, architectural and landscape watercolours. These included the prefatory illustrations to the first volume of Francis Grose’s Antiquities of England and Wales – a four volume set of the 1st edition of which with full set of the engravings made after Grimm’s views, was offered in Bamford’s Fine Art Sale of 3rd – 6th March, estimated at £300-£500

Opposite page: Hardwick Hall from Thakley Lane, 1773 – an early drawing for Mr. Rodes [Private collection] Above left: Watercolour: An English Harvest Home 1776: this picture should be identifiable from the pub: The Ass’s Head! Why not Derbyshire? [Bonhams] Above right: Barlborough Hall 1785 [Christies] Right: Old Whittington Church, 1785. It was later burned and replaced, so a valuable topographical view [Bonhams] In 1773, Grimm recorded the Maundy Ceremony for Sir Richard Kaye, the king’s sub-almoner, who thereafter became his chief patron, providing him with work for the remainder of his life. As Kaye rose through the ecclesiastical hierarchy, eventually becoming Dean of Lincoln, he moved about the country, and Grimm would stay and travel with him. It was whilst with Kaye that Grimm’s first paintings of Derbyshire scenes were done. Indeed, Kaye’s collection in the British Library comprises about two thousand five hundred items by him.

During the late 1770s, the number and range of commissions that Grimm received increased further, indeed, in 1776, he spent a month with Gilbert White, working on illustrations to his seminal Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789). In the following year, he travelled through Wales with the topographer Henry Penruddocke Wyndham in order to provide illustrations for his Tour Through Monmouthshire and Wales (1781). At that time, Wyndham had just been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA), and the Antiquaries also employed Grimm on four occasions, between 1779 and 1791, to record a number of Tudor paintings. Over eleven years from 1780, Grimm spent a couple of weeks working for Sir William Burrell, the Sussex antiquary, the British Library also housing nine hundred studies done for him by Grimm. From c. 1773 he was working for Cornelius Rodes and staying at Barlborough Hall, whilst roaming then unspoilt North East Derbyshire, making drawings.

Again, there seems to be an almost inexhaustible supply of these charming and often topographically important views coming on the market, mainly from the collection of the Locker-Lampsons, the last private owners of the house. We have certainly had one or two through Bamford’s over the years.

The sepia drawings tend to range from £200/300 to £600 or £700, whilst the finished watercolours tend to be upwards of £1,500 even making £3000 on occasion, depending very much on the subject. A Derbyshire view, for

instance, will do much better in Derbyshire than elsewhere.

Grimm died ‘of a mortification in his bowels’ on 14 April 1794, at a house in Tavistock Street, St Paul’s, Covent Garden. Having never married, he left much of his money to a niece in Switzerland. His work is represented in numerous public collections, including the British Library, the British Museum, The Courtauld Gallery, Tate and the V&A; and The Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge) and Tyne & Wear Museums.

Grimm responded with a combination of precision and lyricism to the demands of his patrons: antiquaries, topographers and natural historians, who sought to record ‘everything curious’. The pictures left to us are engaging and frequently record lost buildings (eg Cowdray, Sussex before the fire, and Romiley, Derbyshire, before its loss) and vanished scenery too, which adds greatly to their interest and value.

DERBYSHIRE’S LOST HOUSES:

by Maxwell Craven

Above: Barbrook from the east, in its declining years, 1957 [Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (E)].

Barbrook EDENSOR

It is unfortunate that the first really substantial house that Sir Joseph Paxton built was knocked down in the early 1960s, for today, I suspect, it would be greatly valued as an early example of the architectural talents of this highly talented man.

It was built for himself, was grade II listed, but, when it became infested with dry rot and bedevilled the lack of a suitable role, it was still the era when all the owner of a listed building had to do, was to notify the Local Authority and the Ministry of Works, that he intended to demolish; no consents then had to be sought.

Readers of this magazine will not need reminding that Paxton was born the son of a tenant farmer at Milton Bryant, Bedfordshire, on 3rd August 1803. He learned the gentle art of gardening under his elder brother, who was head gardener at Wimbledon House, going on to work at Chiswick horticultural gardens, which adjoined those of Chiswick House, then still owned by the Dukes of Devonshire, and hence he came to the attention of the 6th (“Bachelor”) Duke. This celebrated individual was known amongst his family and friends as Hart, from the courtesy title he bore until his succession in 1811 (Marquess of Hartington), bestowed originally upon him by his mother, the unforgettable Georgiana.

DERBYSHIRE’S LOST HOUSES A suitable new residence for himself and his family.

Right: Sir Joseph Paxton, after Sir Francis Grant [the late Guy Waite]

From May 1826, the young Paxton was gardener at Chatsworth to the Duke, moving in to the modest, but then fairly new stone built house, near the entrance to the kitchen garden, on the east side of the Baslow Road at Edensor. In 1827 he married Sarah Bown, a local girl descended from a family of moderately competent Matlock clockmakers of the previous century and descended from a blacksmith, recorded in the 16th century. Paxton swiftly rose in the Duke’s esteem to become, eventually, agent for the estate.

In 1840, he built, in association with the Duke’s then architect Decimus Burton, the “Great Stove”, a cast iron and glass building of extraordinary ingenuity, having already displaced Burton in the designing of the new village of Edensor from 1838. He also designed Burton Closes at Bakewell, for the Allcards (whom he met in his role as railway company director and friend of George Hudson of York, the ill-starred “Railway King”), and his career culminated in the sensational Crystal Palace - a clear

architectural offspring of the Great Stove - and its successful transplantation to Sydenham Hill.

He was knighted in 1851 and elected Liberal MP for Coventry in 1854, dying at Rocklands, Sydenham, 8th June 1865.

As a follow-on from the development of the new Edensor, Paxton was allowed by the Duke to aggrandise his cottage to make a suitable new residence for himself and his family.

Consequently, between 1842 and 1847 he completely transformed it, with John Robertson – once draughtsman to John Claudius Loudon and who worked with him on Derby Arboretum – as his assistant, as with the building of the new Edensor itself. Using the same local millstone grit sandstone as Chatsworth, he built a robustly detailed ashlar villa, centered on a four-stage Italianate tower, which owed a little to Nash, a little to Thomas Cubitt and thus, perhaps to Prince Albert’s then celebrated Isle of Wight mini-palace, Osborne, building at the same time, a little to Loudon and something, too, to Thomas

Hope’s Deepdene near Dorking.

The tower, with its pyramidal roof, stood in the centre of the south front, with a three stage tower-like feature attached to its north side, its roof marrying rather unhappily with its taller twin, a visible consequence of Paxton’s architectural inexperience. The stages were marked by banding, with rusticated pilasters (lesnes) running up the angles to the third stage, which boasted two narrow round-headed lights, the fourth stage having triple windows of this type between plain pilasters.

To the right of the tower ran a three bay two storey range to the east with a garden entrance set asymmetrically in a loggia. Behind, at right angles, ran a longer but basically similar range, the single storey entrance being extended from the angle between the two. To the left of the tower was the end bay of a third two storey range, itself embellished with a canted bay, with yet another two bay wing beyond. The gable ends were turned

Above: Barbrook photographed in 1904, from a postcard.

[M. Craven]

Right: Inspiration No. 2: Thomas Hope & William Atkinson from 1817, enlarged by Alexander Roos, The Deepdene , Surrey (demolished 1969) from an engraving after T Allom [M. Craven]

Right: Inspiration No. 3: Osborne, by the Prince Consort and Thomas Cubitt 1845-1851, from a postcard [M. Craven]

Barbrook, Edensor was without doubt the finest Italianate house in Derbyshire of its date. into broken pediments by the returns of the eaves bracket cornices on the longer sides of each range; there were quoins and the fenestration was embellished with entablatures with the odd ground floor pediment thrown in. The roofs were slated and were set off by tall paired stacks with a narrow tall arch separating them, round headed above an impost band.

The interiors relied on the fine proportion of the rooms for their grandeur rather than elaborate stucco decoration which was kept to a minimum.

In its overall detailing, the house echoed the style of his slightly later and much more conveniently sized Dunsa House nearby which, happily, survives.

The house was finished in 1847, but in 1851, Paxton, no doubt influenced by his success with the Crystal Palace and flushed with his knighthood, built on another wing, leaving it really a quite substantial house, the grounds artfully landscaped as only Paxton knew how.

By this time too, he was also the Duke’s assistant

auditor, as well as his confidant, trusted advisor and friend and Hart rewarded him, not with the freehold of the land upon which it stood, but the right to bestow his open lease upon whomsoever he wished.

Nevertheless, the Paxtons rarely thereafter lived in Barbrook (named after the adjacent stream), parliamentary and Crystal Palace related business keeping Joseph in London, but we know that Lady Paxton sorely missed it, and returned there on his death. When she died in 1871 she was interred beside him and two of their numerous children in Edensor churchyard, whereupon the house reverted to the 7th Duke.

It was rather too large for most purposes, and was consequently divided into two very spacious residences, Martin Gilson MVO, JP, the longserving agent of the time occupying one half, until his retirement around the time of the Great War. His successor, the Irish grandee Ulick Burke though, elected to reside in Edensor House, a more convenient classical villa in the village,

designed by Decimus Burton. But over the following 40 odd years, it became increasingly a white elephant to the estate, and ended up becoming what we might today call a storage facility, hence its eventual demolition some fifty or so years ago.

While it was never a country house in the strict term, having no estate to support it, and being erected on the Duke’s land, it was without doubt the finest Italianate house in Derbyshire of its date. Paxton used it like a country seat, retaining his suburban villa at Sydenham on the southern edge of London like any titled grandee of the time. The fact that its celebrated architect lived there under his own roof would make it a precious survival today, of course, in addition to which a house like that would probably be a lucrative rental income-stream for the Chatsworth Estate. And whilst the estate would never countenance such a house being sold off had it survived, today an organisation like the Landmark Trust would probably have been able to give it a viable use.

Left: Inspiration No. 1: Nash’s Cronkhill, built 1802 as the agent’s house on the Attingham Estate, Salop.[Savills]

Potlock House

The

Lost Houses of Derbyshire

by Maxwell Craven

Potlock – the name derives from Old English ‘potte’ (depression) and ‘lacu’ (stream) has had a long history. The site is crossed E-W by one of Derbyshire’s two Neolithic cursus monuments, huge communal enterprises of unknown utility, which are today only visible as crop marks and, in the case of this one, as a geophysics reading in places. A bronze age settlement, which sprang up near it, lasted until the period of the English settlements in the 7th century AD, when it was replaced by a new settlement further away, itself deserted in the Middle Ages.

Potlock House photographed from the south west with members of the Bull family, 1894.

Note the ha-ha and earthworks just visible in the field, perhaps vestiges of the deserted medieval village and not alluded to in recent archaeological assessments of the area in advance of gravel extraction (report 2010) [David Hall]

P

otlock emerges onto the pages of history in the Domesday Book as part of the large manor of Mickleover, originally granted

by Wulfric Spot to Burton Abbey around 1002, taken by the Conqueror in 1066 and returned to the monks by 1086, when the book was complied. We know from other sources that Potlock, with land at Willington and Findern was then held by Humphrey de Touques,

otherwise Humphrey de Willington or de Chebsey, a Norman sub-tenant of the Abbey.

His sons were the crusader Geoffrey de Potlock who held Potlock, later deemed a manor in its own right, with its mill by the Trent and John de Willington of Willington, ancestor of the family of that name. Geoffrey’s offsprings included Humphrey de Thoca, ancestor of the Toke family, who held Potlock, Anslow (Staffs.), Sinfin, and

part of Hilton, and another Geoffrey, ancestor of a family called de Potlock.

Dr. Cox, in his four volume Derbyshire Church Notes tells us that the manor lay either side of the Trent, the larger part, to the south, having been granted by the Findern family to Repton Priory, the family having retained the northern part, on which lay the manor house and “close to it�, the chapel of St. Leonard. He also tells us that the

chapel was first endowed by John de Toke in 1323 with a chaplain, house and 14 acres, and that the Finderns, who inherited Potlock from this John by marriage, used Potlock Manor as their principal seat, rather than that at Findern.

This as all fine and dandy as far as it goes, but the Burton Chartulary clarifies matters. The manor did lie on both sides of the river, but the islands there were granted separately to the Abbey by

Ralph Gernon, Earl of Chester during the civil war or Brother Cadfael’s war, as readers of the detective stories of Ellis Peters might prefer to term it (1135-1154). They were then granted to the Tokes. The chapel was actually founded by around 1210 when a chaplain (un-named) is mentioned, and in 1255 a charter sets out the terms under which, it was to be maintained in some detail. John de Toke in 1323 was merely

confirming what had been a going concern since at least 1200, probably longer. One odd thing is the dedication (not mentioned in the charters): St. Leonard was usually reserved for leper colony chapels, like Locko, Derby and Burton Lazars (Leics.). Could there be more to be learnt about this chapel, which from all accounts appears principally to be that pertaining to the manor house?

Right: Seal of John de Fynderne from a document of 1386 [Derby Local Studies Library] Below: The coat-of-arms of the Fynderne family quartering Willington, from an armorial roll of 1613 [Derby Local Studies Library]

The Finderns bought back the chief lordship from William, 1st Lord Paget, who in 1546 had obligingly purchased all the Burton Abbey lands from his monarch. They probably rebuilt the old manor house, which without much doubt had been built around a central courtyard (this is how what was then left of it appeared on the 1781 Enclosure Award map). They were not a notably wealthy family, probably contented themselves with rebuilding the south range (as being the sunniest) endowing it with perhaps a new great hall, lit from high up fairly deep windows. From the death of Michael Findern in the earlier 17th century, though, the estate passed to the Harpurs of Swarkestone, if Judge Richard Harpur hadn’t already bought it fifty years earlier when he married Michael’s great aunt and ultimate heiress (as it turned out). In either case, as a manor house it had become redundant after the tenure in the 1670s of John Thacker, a son of Godfrey Thacker of Repton Hall.

By this time, it is generally agreed that the chapel had been despoiled or ruined; the village had

Potlock House seen from the south in August 1981, less than two years before its un-necessary demise. The part probably converted and incorporated from the former great Hall is on the right. The farm buildings probably preserve the layout of the remainder of the medieval courtyarded manor house. [M. Craven]

probably vanished earlier, in the Black Death.

The end of the Finderns inevitably led to the reduction of the house to become a tenanted farm. This may have involved the demolition of its older ranges, or their conversion into farm buildings and the division of the great hall horizontally to make two storeys, where one had been previously. It would further appear that the Chapel had gone entirely; its raison d’etre, its usefulness as a domestic chapel, would have evaporated anyhow. Only Chapel Close, lying between the site of the Manor house and the Trent, south of the road, remains, although it is said that the foundations, visible in 1805 when the last vestiges of the Manor were cleared away, could be clearly seen from the air in the dry summer of 1976.

Mr Glover and Samual Brown of Derby

estate – decided to demolish the inconvenient surviving medieval fabric and adapt part of the more recent build into the “modern farmhouse” from which Glover and his son John Jowett Glover farmed the entire 364 acres of the old estate, then still co-terminus with the township of Potlock which, in 1846, contained the grand total of two houses and a population of 16! In 1879, the Bull family (originally from Cubley) came as tenants of the farm, staying until 1894.

After a century and a half, the first indignity forced on this pretty house with its guardian cedar tree was the erection of the huge Willington power station in the 1950s; the second was the advent in the 1970s of Messrs.

Amey Roadstone, extracting gravel nearby, who bought the house and land, leaving it empty and decaying from late in 1981. In 1982 they applied for permission to demolish the grade II

listed house, which led to a local enquiry refusing consent. But, as is inevitable in such cases, they got their way in the end, and it went a year or so later. The final indignity was that the actual site has still to this day not been used for gravel extraction; the whole exercise would appear to have been completely un-necessary. Worse, it is probably too late to demand they fund an archaeological investigation, but in truth, it would be a golden opportunity to investigate this most ancient site.

The loss of such ancient places and environments in the Trent Valley, almost the cradle of civilisation in the whole region, to power stations, pylons, power lines, trunk roads and factories – Toyota being the largest and most recent, something future generations will find hard to forgive.

We are told that the old house was destroyed

by John Glover, who described himself as a gentleman and had been its Harpur tenant (no doubt with the support of the estate). It was replaced by a very pleasing five bay two storey house with a central break-fronted pediment containing a delightful ogiform Gothick light.

It was of brick and covered with Brookhouse’s Roman Cement, manufactured on The Morledge, Derby. The rear was much plainer and may also have contained earlier work, left over from the Medieval manor house. There seems to be no record of the interior.

A peculiarity of this delightful house, latterly pale pink washed, was that the two storeys to the west (left) of the entrance were typical of 1805 in being half-height first floor over full-height ground floor, but that the remainder was of two storeys where the first floor was actually higher than that below. Now this arrangement is pretty typical of Elizabethan practice – in extreme form, note the disposition of floors at, say, Hardwick. I suspect that this part of the building had been adapted from the rebuilt Tudor great hall, resulting in the high windows, which had originally lit the entire hall being sashed to light the new house’s first floor, with new openings put in below to light the ground floor, created in all probability when the space was converted into part of a farmhouse and then lit by low mullioned windows.

When Mr. Glover came along, the architect almost certainly Samuel Brown of Derby and employed by the notoriously thrifty Harpur

Mr. & Mrs. Hezekiah Bull sitting in a garden bower made from an old Trent skiff, 1894 [David Hall]

DERBYSHIRE’S LOST HOUSES

Entrance front c1869 photographed by Richard Keene of Derby [M Craven]

The fine timber staircase, with the column clusters at the foot, photographed in January 1974 [HBMC(E)]

Aerial view c1954 from a postcard issued by the School. Note the complex early 19th century stable court (left) and the park put out to agriculture [M Craven]

by Maxwell Craven

STAINSBY HOUSE SMALLEY

Any reader who thinks I might have run out of substantial lost country houses to describe by now will be, I am afraid, mistaken. I may have been seduced into writing about some modest ones, but more substantial casualties are still unrecorded in this series. One of them is Stainsby House, Smalley, seat of the Wilmot-Sitwell family.

In The Derbyshire Country House (3rd edition 2001), I described this house as ‘remarkably large and incorrigibly unlovely’ and I feel that I can stand by that assessment without demur.

One always expects Classical country houses to be symmetrical, but Stainsby was anything but. Stone built of finely ashlared Rough Rock from Horsley Castle quarry, the entrance front, which faced approximately North, had a recessed, wide, three bay three storey centre flanked on the left by a two bay wing which was built slightly forward of the centre and which extended by a further three bays to the west but of only two lower storeys. To the right was a much longer four bay wing, also breaking forward, and the two projections were joined by a ground floor loggia centered by a pedimented Ionic portico.

There were quoins at the angles, a top parapet and grooved cornice.

As if that wasn’t enough, the south (garden) front had a regular three bay pedimented centre, flanked by two bays either side set slightly back, although the attic storey to the right had

The first floor room, showing (right) the deep reveal to the Serrlianas and (left) the four sturdy column clusters, photographed in January 1974 [HBMC(E)]

three lights, whilst that to the left only two. The east portion ended with a full height canted bay, but this feature was absent from the west end of the façade, which stopped abruptly with the lower three bay two storey part seemingly tacked on and set back a little further. At the west end, too, was a sort of pavilion wing with five bays facing west, beyond which was the coach house and stable court with a high arcaded lantern, probably the handsomest part of the entire building.

The origin of the house and estate are equally complex. A part of Smalley came into the hands of the Morleys of Morley but, by c1250 it had come to William de Steynesby, a member of the family of Steynesby from the village near Hardwick we now spell Stainsby, and it is thanks to him that the estate acquired that name. His grandson, Sir William de Steynesby died c1300 and from him it somehow became the property of the Sacheverells of Hopwell about 1601.

Because the estate was rich in coal, it was extremely valuable and was sold on again to George, second son of George Mower of Barlow Woodseats, whose name in the context of Stainsby

The West end of the house range from the stable court, 1974 [HBMC(E)] David Shelley’s new Stainsby House, 1976 [Derbyshire Life]

is more often spelled More. In 1629, aged 21 he married Mary daughter of Robert Wilmot of Chaddesden. With his son also George (died c1705), he exploited the coal.

The second George More died without surviving issue when the estate was again sold to a Heanor mining entrepreneur John Fletcher (died 1734), whose newly granted (1731) coat-of-arms was a riot of mining implements. He probably built the core of the later house, being the wide three bay three storey centre portion. Indeed, the Mores’ house must have been a much more modest affair, taxed on only three hearths in 1670.

Wilmot, a grandson of Robert Wilmot of Chaddesden Hall, Derby who had married Joyce, the heiress of the famous Whig politician, William Sacheverell, whose extensive estate included that of Morley.

His aim in acquiring the estate was to unite the two portions of the original Morley family holding, half of which he had already inherited from the Sacheverells.

Another Sacheverell heiress had conveyed a third portion of the estate to the Sitwells of Renishaw and George Sitwell’s heiress Elizabeth, had left it to him in her will, obliging him to assume the surname and arms of Sitwell in addition to Wilmot.

Fletcher’s son married the eventual heiress of the Smalley Hall estate (which went on his death to the eldest grandson).

The youngest grandson , John Fletcher, inherited Stainsby. With his death without issue, it came to his sister, married to Francis Barber of Greasley, Notts, who like all the other families involved, were coal owners. The estate then passed to Francis’s son John (1734-1801), who lived amongst the family’s Warwickshire coal mines at Weddington and allowed his mother to remain in the house until her death. He is notable as a friend of John Whitehurst and was the inventor of the gas turbine.

He seems immediately to have set about enlarging the house by adding the projecting wings, presumably in view of their irregularity in separate building campaigns, although the four bay one may originally have been narrower. Whatever additions had previously been made to the Fletchers’ house is beyond our ken, but it may have dictated the disparity in size of the projecting bays and the strange placing of the attic windows on the garden front.

Whether he had an architect – Thomas Gardner of Uttoxeter built in this plain monumental style in the 1790s locally – or used a local builder we do not know.

When old Mrs Barber died the estate was sold, through a middle man called Samuel Buxton, to Edward Sacheverell

The new owner died in 1836 whereupon his son, Edward Degge Wilmot-Sitwell decided on a rebuild which Charles Kerry

Garden front, c1900, from a postcard [M Craven]

claims was done in 1839, including having the house ‘refaced and restored’. This seems to have included the west extension, the entrance front arcaded loggia and the canted bay on the right of the garden front. It may also have included the Main Road boundary wall with its strange conically roofed bastions and Gothick gateway, along with the expansion of the right hand bay of the entrance front as well.

As it would seem likely that any scheme of rebuilding would have surely included a matching bay to the left of the garden front, one is of the opinion that the alterations were actually set in train by Wilmot-Sitwell senior and not his son.

His death in 1836 would logically explain what is clearly a job stopped in mid-flow. One suspects that the son thought further expansion of the main house was enough and spent his money on rebuilding the stable court, which is clearly of this date.

The next generation added a new drawing room in 1885. A surviving photograph of this shows a Rococo overmantel in plaster (which must once have contained a painting) and a rather pretty Neo-Classical chimneypiece, possibly in carved timber, but a shade too small for the chimney breast, which has clearly been inserted into an existing 18th century scheme of decoration; it all looks a trifle strange.

Other alterations stand out, but are undated in the record. After Richard Keene photographed the entrance front in the 1860s, the recessed

portion of this lost its flanking first floor windows, to be replaced by a pair of Venetian windows (Serlianas), which involved a great deal of new ashlar work which, even in the house’s last days, stood out clearly. It also acquired an ambitious glazed conservatory at the East end with Art-Nouveau stained glass.

Most startling of all was the insertion, on every level, of a cluster of four immensely fat Doric columns through the middle of the house. This suggests that the building was beginning to suffer from subsidence, probably caused by the Wilmot’s lessee of their coal seams, John Ray of Heanor, taking out coal from directly under the building - the tactless fellow. It appears that at the same time, the North wall had to be strengthened, as a view of the first floor room with the Serlianas, shows these windows with reveals about a yard thick.

The question remains as to when this was done.

Kerry gives us the date of c1885 for adding the drawing room, which might also represent the occasion of these changes. However, the fancy stained glass on the Messenger & Co. conservatory would suggest an Edwardian date for that at least, which might sit better with the Serlianas too. One cannot help but think that an 1880’s architect might have made them distinctly Victorian, whereas they turned out very correct.

Nor is there a hint of who the architect might have been, although Maurice Hunter of Belper rebuilt Smalley Hall at about this time.

If the house was indeed sinking, it was probably doomed in the medium term but, as it turned out, events caught up with it anyway. Robert Wilmot-Sitwell inherited from an uncle in 1936 and on his death three years later, the trustees decided to sell the contents. This was conducted

by Jackson-Stops on 6th June 1939, the contents going and the 3,669 acre estate being broken up.

Only the colliery rights were retained, only to be compulsorily purchased by the Atlee Government in 1947.

The house was requisitioned to accommodate St Aloysius’ RC College from London and this stayed until the mid-1950s, when a local poultry farmer took it over, sharing a small portion of the building with a large number of noisome (and noisy) chickens. By 1971 the entire place was deserted and in decay and three years later it was bought by Bob Morley of Alida Packaging, his surname ironically bringing the ownership full circle from its original lords!

He demolished the house and had David Shelley of Nottingham design him a splendidly innovatory modernist house, complete with helicopter landing pad, but with neither a straight line nor a right angle in it, which was finished in 1976. This is the present Stainsby House which, frankly, I find much more architecturally coherent than its hulking great predecessor!

The entrance front in extreme decay, January 1974. Note the inserted Serlianas and the stone patching around them [HBMC(E)]

DERBYSHIRE’S LOST HOUSES:

by Maxwell Craven

The Arkwright family always did things in a big way. After all, was not Richard Arkwright junior – the cotton entrepreneur Sir Richard’s only son – called the “Richest Commoner in England”?

SUTTON ROCK

Sutton Scarsdale

Young Richard had six sons and four had estates bestowed upon them, on which to put down roots, the exceptions being Richard, the eldest son, who pre-deceased his father, and Peter, the third son who took over as heir to Willersley Castle the house built for Sir Richard and finished by the younger Richard. The rest – Robert, John, Charles and Joseph - were settled respectively at Sutton Scarsdale, Hampton Court (Herefordshire), Dunstall Hall (Staffordshire) and Mark Hall (Essex), all with rather large houses, of which Mark Hall has been demolished and now lies beneath Harlow New Town.

Opposite page: Sutton Rock, entrance front c. 1906, from a post card [M. Craven] Left: Sutton Rock, garden front, c. 1912 [the late Hugo Read CBE] Below: Sutton Rock from the air, taken in 1926 [M. Craven]

“…a beautiful residence a short distance from Sutton Hall, built by William Arkwright Esq.” Robert Arkwright (1783-1859), the second son, had the most splendid house, which was probably why he forebore to step up as heir to Willersley rather than his younger sibling Peter. He and his wife, the actress Fanny Kemble, settled at Sutton Scarsdale, which had passed from the last Leake Earl of Scarsdale to the Clarkes of Chesterfield and had been sold to Arkwright by their ultimate heir, the 1st Marquess of Ormonde KP, in 1824.

Robert managed to outlive his eldest son, Maj. William Arkwright of the 6th Dragoons by two years, and was succeeded by his grandson another William, who was barely a month or two old when his grandfather died. The house and estate were therefore vested in the infant’s uncle Godfrey for life, and reverted to young William in 1866 when Godfrey died.

Although only seven, William had an elder sister, Emily Elizabeth who, in 1874, married William Thornhill Blois (1842-1889), brother of Sir John Ralph Blois, 8th Bt., and they were settled in a large house half a mile to the west of Sutton

Scarsdale, at first called Sutton House but later Sutton Rock, on the estate, just in Duckmanton parish.

It is not clear exactly when Sutton Rock was built, but it seems likely to have been erected specifically for Emily and William Blois and the architecture certainly looks the date – c. 1874-5.

It was described in the directories of the time as “…a beautiful residence a short distance from Sutton Hall, built by William Arkwright Esq.” It was a rather grand but conservatively styled two storey house with a first floor sill band and a matching plat band below. It was stone, built of ashlared blocks of coal measures sandstone, probably Rough Rock from local Wrang Quarry.

It had originally had an East (entrance) front of three bays, widely spaced, with the central one containing the entrance under a portico of paired Ionic columns. Above it was a window with Corinthian columns from which sprang the segmental head with prominent keyblock, flanked by paired matching pilasters supporting

the entablature that ran right round the house with a modillion cornice above, a low parapet and a hipped roof behind. There were skinny Corinthian pilasters at the angles, too and the sashed plate glass windows were all set in stone surrounds with entablatures. The south front was also of three bays, but with a narrower central one and paired sashes near the SE angle to light the drawing room.

The expansion of the Blois family (there were to be a total of four children) seems to have been the trigger for the enlargement of the house.

This seems to have been done either whilst building was still in progress or not very long after completion, for another bay was added on to the entrance front at the North end in exactly matching style, but slightly recessed from the remainder. This wrapped round the north side taking in a substantial service wing, although lower, and having a glass roof lighting a substantial gallery which must have been de-commissioned before the house appeared in the 1919 sale catalogue, where it fails to get

Left: Frances, Mrs. Robert Arkwright, a painting after R. R. Reinagle made during his Derbyshire tour in 1813 and which used to hang in the Oak Parlour at Sutton Scarsdale [Christies].

Below: All that remains of Sutton Scarsdale Hall today.

a mention. This wing also acquired a second staircase of a dog-leg type, whereas the main one was in the centre of the house, top lit and of cantilevered Hopton Wood stone with an elaborate cast iron balustrade.

That the extension was an afterthought is clear from the asymmetry it bestowed on the entrance.

Had the additional accommodation been initially intended a Classical design of this type would surely have been adjusted to give a measure of symmetry.

The garden front may have been completed contemporaneously with the extension, though because it ran the full width of the extended building, and consisted of a recessed centre with a single bay of paired windows flanked by slightly projecting pairs of bays at the ends. The recessed part also boasted an arched loggia. The interiors were very plain, but there were nevertheless, nine bedrooms and four reception rooms two of which measured a generous 22 by 17 ft.

Farm, by the Duke of Devonshire, the Arkwrights retaining only the mineral rights and a few hundred acres that went with them.

Sutton Rock therefore passed to the Devonshires, who settled their agent Capt. Joscelyn Denis Penrose JP there. Penrose’s father James, an Irish parson’s son, had been the Duke’s agent at Lismore, and Joscelyn was ultimately succeeded after the war by his son-in-law, the late Hugo Read, CBE, the last man to occupy Sutton Rock, from whom, I might add, I derive most of my slender knowledge of the house, amplified by the late Pam Kettle. The house and much land at Sutton Scarsdale had to be sold by the late 11th Duke in the death duty-burdened aftermath of his father’s untimely demise in November 1950.

Joscelyn Penrose’s, nephew, Derrick, incidentally, also eventually became agent to the Devonshires’

Derbyshire estates 1973-1994, and served as our High Sheriff in 1999. I might add that when I was researching Sutton Rock twenty or more years ago, I was much helped by Sir Reresby Sitwell, Hugo Read, and Pam Kettle, all alas, no longer with us. Pam gave me the aerial view and the others allowed me to make copies of material in their collections.

The end of the story is that Unlisted Sutton Rock was in 1950 acquired by the British Coal Board and was unceremoniously demolished around 1964 to facilitate opencast mining operations.

Thus it stood for less than a century, but outlasted Sutton Scarsdale by just over 40 years, although the main house has, in a way, had the last laugh, being still standing – albeit as a shell. And whereas we may yet see Sutton Scarsdale itself returned to residential use, Sutton Rock has gone forever.

The stables, coach house and offices were situated to the west, running E – W of the pleasure grounds suggesting that the house replaced an earlier one of late 18th century date - or incorporated parts of it.

Unfortunately, it is quite unclear who designed the house; it is too pedestrian a design to have been by a London man, so perhaps Thomas Flockton of Sheffield or Giles & Brookhouse of Derby might be suggested.

Blois and his wife lived there until his death in 1889 aged forty eight; his widow and their four sons had moved out by 1891, when the house was let to A. W. Barnes, who seem to have been in residence only for about four years before it was taken over by Scots aristocrat Charles Edward Stuart Cockburn JP (1867-1917), grandson of Sir William Cockburn of That Ilk, 7th Bt. His name suggests that his father, at least, was a dyedin-the-wool Jacobite sympathiser! He married Lilian the daughter of Sir Morton ManninghamBuller, 2nd Bt. of Capesthorne in 1894, which is probably when he, as the sub-agent to the Arkwright estate, moved in. They raised two daughters at Rock House.

The estate was, however, a relatively large one, running to 5,093 acres in 1883, 300 acres of which was parkland. Furthermore, it was exceptionally rich in coal deposits, which it was the job of Cockburn to exploit without compromising the setting of the house.

Cockburn died in 1917, by which time demand for coal during the Great War and a more aggressive attitude to its extraction by his successor had begun to make Sutton Scarsdale a less than life-enhancing place in which to live.

Thus in 1919, William Arkwright (who died in 1925) sold most of the estate at auction, much of it, including Sutton Rock being acquired, with 23 acres of pleasure grounds and the 124 acre Rock

Above right: William Arkwright, charcoal sketch of c. 1890 [Private collection]

Burnaston House

by Maxwell Craven Burnaston House was built for Ashton Nicholas Every Mosley JP DL (1792-1875) a relation of the Every family of Egginton. His father, Ashton Mosley of Park Hill, Egginton bought had bought 66 acres at Burnaston in 1810,which he had in 1820, settled on his son when he married Mary Theresa, daughter and heiress of William Stables of Hemsworth-in-Norton on the northern edge of the County.

Stephen Glover’s entry in his well-known History and Gazetteer of Derbyshire (2nd edition 1833) tells us that “Burnaston House, the seat of Ashton Nicholas Every Mosley, Esquire, is a modern stone mansion erected by the present owner on a commanding situation.”

Burnaston House from the SE, c. 1862 photographed by Richard Keene [M. Craven]

Burnaston House from the SW, 10th May 1939, photograph by Hurst & Wallis [M. Craven]

Burnaston House Park

The Lost Houses of Derbyshire

T

he house itself was built in 1825 (it was finished by 1827), beside an existing farmhouse called Conygree. Indeed, the name was at first transferred to the new house as Conygree Hall, but shortly afterwards it was renamed Burnaston House – certainly by 1832. It may be that it was not the Mosleys’ marriage that was the spur to building, but his father-in-law’s death in 1824, which made the money available to begin building, and that work on the design began not long thereafter.

The new house was built in a small landscaped park on a low ridge south-facing ridge overlooking the flood-plain of the Trent near where it meets the Dove, well away from the hamlet of Burnaston and not far from Etwall. The design was both striking and very sophisticated. To look at it the lowish two storey house presented a severe aspect, with almost no ornamentation on the exterior. The effect was heightened by most of it being built of local stone, although a certain amount of mindchanging on the part of the client left one part of it in brick as was the entire service wing.

The south (garden) front was six bays wide, the central four breaking slightly forward with single

bays either side, which were probably originally intended to be single storey, but which ended up with an upper floor set back from the façade by a whole bay and lit from the sides by superimposed tripartite windows. The ground floor windows were set in blind recessed panels, whilst those above were set on a sill band under a modest cornice and low parapet, panelled at the bays.

The building went through several stages before the final arrangements were arrived at. The first plans for the house were for an L-shaped house, with two reception rooms on the NW angle with a two bay service wing beyond. The staircase was to be at the re-entrant angle at the rear, implying a main entrance on the east front. The only elevations we have, however, show the house more or less as built, with a four bay main block with single storey, single bay wings at either end of the façade. The north side was windowless, running uninterruptedly across the whole six bays of the house. As this side included the largest room – the dining room in all probability - and as neither staircases nor service wing are shown, we may reasonably conclude that this was a trial sketch, and that the fenestration and other details would have been worked out once the position of these essential adjuncts had been finalised.

Burnaston House, second plans, c. 1824 [Harpur-Crewe MSS, Derbyshire Record Office]

Burnaston House when derelict, 1981; the stable block can just be glimpsed to the left behind the tree. [M. Craven] This is confirmed by the light sketching in of the first floor end extensions, set back from those on the ground floor, again, clearly an afterthought, but equally suggesting that there must have been further, final, plans and elevations of the house – now, presumably, lost – which would have incorporated all of these developments.

The plans we have are accompanied by south and west elevations, juxtaposed to it, which again reveal the house mainly as it was completed. The central four bays are shown precisely as built, but the two end bays are each shown differently, possibly to give the client an “either or” choice.

Both end bays were, in building, raised in height

so that their cornices matched the first floor sill band, with a dwarf parapet above echoing that over the main block. The entrance was settled on as via the NE bay on the East front – under the first floor extension – leaving the South front to house two equal-sized reception rooms. The service wing was built extending from the East

4. Burnaston (Derby) Aerodrome a month before its official opening, with club house/terminal building (Burnaston House) right background.

Photograph of 10th May 1939 by Hurst & Wallis of Derby [M. Craven]

end of the North front, and was of slightly lower proportions under a hipped and slated roof.

One anomaly was that the westernmost first floor return was, like the rest of the show-fronts of the house, in ashlared Keuper Sandstone, but the corresponding east return was, anomalously, executed in brick, probably because the house went up from east to west, and that there was uncertainty until the very last moment as to whether the first floor should, after all, be extended over the whole of the ground floor end bays, and the return was therefore done in brick, in case of a last minute change of mind, whereas by the time the SW angle went up, the matter had presumably been settled. Thus this latter (W) return was executed in ashlar and, to save time and expense, the corresponding part on the east side was stuccoed in locally made Brookhouses’s Roman cement, grooved and painted to match. It has been suggested that these side portions were added a decade or so later; having looked closely at the fabric when I first wrote about it in 1981, I became convinced that it was all one build, albeit subjected to revisions even whilst building.

The design of the house is striking and significant.

The late Sir Howard Colvin was unable to attribute the writing on the early plan for the house, but it always seemed fairly reasonable to ascribe it to some follower of Sir John Soane, whose spare, stripped-down form of Classicism set the architectural standard for the first two

decades of the 19th century; Francis Goodwin, who designed Derby County Gaol (1823-27), St. John’s Bridge Street in the city (1826-28) and Meynell Langley (1829), only four miles from Burnaston, seemed a likely candidate. Once the drawings appeared, the thought arose that they might be by Samuel Brown of Derby, whose plans for rebuilding Repton Park were also in the collection and certainly bore similarities. Sir Howard, however, managed to establish that the writing on the older Burnaston plan was from another hand than Brown’s.

The nearest house in design terms to Burnaston is Elmham Hall, Suffolk, designed in 1830 by East Anglian architect W. J. Donthorne. There is, however, nothing in his known oeuvre to connect Donthorne with Burnaston. The inspiration for both, however, seems to lie with the incomparable Prussian architect, Karl Friederich Schinkel (1781-1841) as much as with Soane.

I personally would attribute the house to the Derby banker, alderman and amateur architect, Richard Leaper (1759-1838), who designed The Pastures at Littleover (now the Grammnar School), Parkfields Cedars, Highfield and Thornhill House, all in Derby. His authorship of both Newton Park and Bladon Castle as built at Newton Solney (c. 1809) seems generally accepted, and the lodge to Newton Park, which escaped the rebuilding which befell the house in the 1860s, was done in a matching format to Burnaston.

Whereas Leaper’s early houses were gauche, it is clear that with age and experience he refined his architecture, and that Newton Park’s lodge emphatically presages the sophistication of Burnaston House.

After A. N. E. Mosley’s death, 392 acres of the estate was sold, leaving the house and 382 further acres to be let by the grandson, the longest serving

tenant being George Darcy-Clark. But from 1916 to 1936 it was a school. In the latter year it was sold by its owner, Col. Godfrey Mosley, a Derby solicitor whose wife had inherited the Calke Abbey estate, to Derby Borough Council for £21,500. This was to comprise a new municipal airport being planned, which opened in June 1938. The house serving as the terminal and aero club house, until the commercial side of the airport closed in 1968 and moved to Castle Donington, after which a new owner lived in the service wing and allowed the remainder to fall into hideous dereliction. A friend managed to rescue a few pieces of plasterwork and staircase to aid eventual restoration.

After two public enquiries rejected applications to demolish the grade II listed structure, it was acquired for conversion into a care home, but at that juncture along came Toyota and the County Council. The car-maker refused to keep it in use on their factory site and the County Council, in 1993, decided to demolish it.

At the last moment however, came a knight in shining armour in the shape of Gainsborough Properties, who won the contract to demolish it, taking it down stone by stone, making plans and numbering the parts, and storing it for re-erection. The tragedy is that, despite four attempts to get planning permission to re-erect it in various southern Derbyshire locations, all have been blocked.

I did once suggest that the City Council acquire it for re-erection on the deserted house platforms either at Markeaton or Darley parks, to create a useful community facility or boutique hotel but the suggestion was dismissed by the councillors.

Nevertheless, Burnaston House is still awaiting the call, safely palletted up and protected by plastic, so we may yet see it gracing our countryside again.

Burnaston House, stable block after conversion to house, 1981 [M. Craven]

100 Year Quiz Answers on the following page 1915-1924 1. Born in 1915 Lester William Polsfuss was famous for inventing what?

2. Which famous filmmaker graduated from Benton High School in 1917?

3. Which West Ham song was launched in 1919 (song, name and writer)?

4. Who made a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane in 1910?

5. Which party was founded in 1920?

6. In 1917 Ann was 25 in which Montgomery book?

7. Which football stadium (the largest in England) was opened in 1910?

8. What was signed on June 28th 1919?

9. Whose tomb was discovered in 1922?

10. Which Navy battlecruiser was built in 1916?

1925-34 1. The last one of these travelled to Ripley in 1933?

2. How did Otto Frederick Rohwedder make breakfast easier in 1928?

3. Which honey loving children’s favourite appeared in 1926?

4. How did the ‘Sultan of Swat’ create a record in 1927?

5. Which famous footballer made his debut for England in 1934?

6. What technological breakthrough occurred in 1925?

7. Who did Clyde Barrow meet for the first time in 1930?

8. Which girl first appeared in the Daily Mirror in 1932?

9. What crashed in 1929?

10. Who drove at 301.129 mph in 1933?

1935-44 1. Which magnificent structure was burned down in 1936?

2. Born in 1942 which man floated like a butterfly?

3. Which famous publication featuring Big Eggo was launched in 1938?

4. Which popular board game was released in 1935?

5. What caused panic when broadcast in 1938?

6. What form of flight was invented Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky in 1939?

7. What evacuation took place in 1940?

8. Who went into hiding in 1942?

9. Which number was introduced following a fire on Wimpole Street in1937?

10. What drivers’ assistants were introduced in 1935?

1945-54 1. What was still orbiting in 2013 since 1953?

2. What madness came to the BBC Home Service in 1951?

3. What were discovered in caves on the West Bank 1946?

4. Which unique form of transport was introduced in London in 1953?

5. What happened at Lyons Corner House in 1954?

6. What gave you a quick flash on 1947?

7. Which dystopian book was published in 1945?

8. Which trials began in 1946?

9. Which popular ‘holes’ were introduced in 1948!?

10. What kind of rationing ended in March 1949?

1955-64 1. What was the best selling car in Britain for 20 years from 1962?

2. Which kids’ favourite opened in 1955?

3. What fastening device was invented in 1956?

4. What did Ernie do in 1957?

5. What appeared for the first time since WW2 in 1964?

6. What made Able and Miss Baker famous in 1959?

7. Which blonde bombshell died in 1962?

8. Which sea war broke out in 1959?

9. Who was possibly the most unpopular man with his report in 1963?

10. Which satirical magazine was launched in 1961?

1965-74 1. Who scored a memorable hat-trick in 1966?

2. Which programme was conceived by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett in 1966?

3. Which major vehicle manufacturer went bankrupt in 1971?

4. Which space-flight landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969?

5. What did Louis Washkansky receive in 1967?

6. Whose sword was used to knight Sir Francis Chichester in 1967?

7. Trevor Nunn was the head of which organisation in 1968?

8. Who fought the mods?

9. What was introduced to the British mail in 1968?

10. Who stopped writing her diary in 1969?

1975-84 1. Which fruity computer was launched in 1984?

2. Which man re-wrote Wimbledon history in 1975?

3. What became the nation’s craze in 1980?

4. Who received seven perfect tens in 1976?

5. What was unique about Louise Joy Brown?

6. Which Sony invention introduced a change in music listening habits in 1979?

7. What made Mark David Chapman famous in 1980?

8. Which safety device became compulsory in 1983?

9. Which still popular kids programme was first aired in 1984?

10. Whose body was found hanging beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London in 1962?

1985-94 1. What Rumanian disaster took place in 1986?

2. Which famous wreck was found in 1985?

3. What was the unpopular announcement made by the government in November 1987?

4. Which historic Liverpool building was re-opened in 1988?

5. Which virus with a 90% death rate broke out in Gabon in 1994?

6. Why was the Grand National cancelled in 1993?

7. Who became Britain’s most expensive footballer in July 1992?

8. Which record enjoyed 16 consecutive weeks at number one in 1991?

9. Which TV shorts first aired on the The Tracey Ullman show in 1987 eventually became world famous?

10. Which 1989 Act came into force in 1990?

1995-04 1. Which stadium was demolished in Derby 2003 after 113 years of sporting history?

2. Which ban came into place in 1996 and was eventually lifted in 2006?

3. Which competition did Britain win in 1997 for the first time since 1981?

4. Which spy returned to the cinema in 1995 six years after the last film was made?

5. Which coin came into circulation in June 1998?

6. What began to be lifted into position on the South Bank in 1999?

7. Who succeeded Kevin Keegan as England manager in 2001?

8. Who was captured by American troops in 2003?

9. Which French author’s ashes were interred in the Panthéon in Paris in a televised ceremony in 2002?

10. Codenamed Dulcimer, it was launched in 2002.

What was it?

2005-2014 1. Which former Russian President died in 2007?

2. Which hurricane died in 2010?

3. What happened to Nicolaus Copernicus in 2010?

4. Who won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the third consecutive year in 2013?

5. Which British tabloid published its last edition after 168 years in 2011?

6. Which Irish footballing genius died in 2005?

7. Which magazine celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014?

8. What switch-over was eventually completed in 2012?

9. Which show was launched by a computer entrepreneur in 2005?

10. Who was the first British man to win a Grand Slam tournament in 2012 since 1936?

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43 Give out 45 Bullrushes 47 -- Suite 48 Story 49 Lean over 50 Lazy

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BLACK’S

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Worcester Credit Installer 10 Years Warranty on all Worcester Boilers

100 Year Quiz Answers on the following page

Answers will appear here shortly, so check back soon!

Birmingham’s

Jewellery Quarter

By Brian Spencer

Across from Birmingham’s New Street Station and past the city’s incongruous statue better known as the ‘Floozy in the Jacuzzi’ signposts point the way past the massive buildings housing the Council House and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. The direction we were following was to the Jewellery Quarter.

The Birmingham Assay Office displays the Birmingham assay mark: the anchor.

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ntil the rapid expansion brought about by the Industrial Revolution, Birmingham was a cluster of tiny hamlets that eventually merged into one vast car dominated metropolis. During the late 1700s an up-market estate was built on land owned by the Colmore family, and centred on St Paul’s Square.

The elaborate clock tower, erected to commemorate the visit to South Africa by Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain. He was Mayor of Birmingham between 1873 and 1876 and Member of Parliament from 1876 until 1914.

Unusual for its day, the use of high class residential buildings for light industry was allowed by the Colmores. As a result it became normal for jewellery makers to move away from inconvenient parts of the city and set up their small hand-crafted businesses in the back rooms of their homes. Gradually the whole of Birmingham’s jewellery making, concentrated itself in one tiny part of the city. In this way the movement of bullion could be better controlled and a camaraderie of manufacturing families continued their chosen way of life until cheaper or more efficient methods led to its closure.

In at least two cases, manufacturers simply stopped work on the final Friday, locked the door and walked away leaving their tools as

GENERAL INTERESTS

Above left: Pickering & Meyell; still operating from their original premises.

Above right and below: Views from inside the pen museum.

Left: The Birmingham Assay Office

though ready to be picked up again on the following Monday morning.

As much of this part of Birmingham’s fascinating manufacturing history is still there for all to see, a self-guided tour can be followed with the aid of a leaflet picked up at the city tourist office near the Council House. There is no hard and fast way to follow the tour but we decided to take it clockwise and take in as much as our brief time allowed.

Starting at the ‘Jewellers’ Church’ in St Paul’s Square, we turned left and made for Newhall Street where the imposing building on the corner, houses The Birmingham Assay Office, the city’s fourth since 1878, each larger than its predecessor. The busiest in Britain, millions of gold and silver items are tested and hallmarked every year. Followers of Antique Roadshow programmes will have seen the expert peering through a small magnifying glass and announcing that the piece of jewellery is hallmarked as say Birmingham or London. How he or she knows this, is by checking one of the symbols stamped on the article in question. If the symbol was an anchor

they would immediately know it had been assayed in Birmingham; another symbol would give the date.

Swinging right into Frederick Street we came to a large imposing building now known as the Argent centre, home of the Pen Museum. It is hard to realise that two firms once occupied this massive building, both making steel pen nibs, in an industry employing thousands of people, especially women.

During the 19th century over a hundred companies were busy making pen nibs in the Birmingham area alone, but the invention of the Biro put an end to the demand for a remarkable range of skills. The museum is open daily, showing the range of intricate, hand operated machinery, needed to make the bewildering range of nibs on display.

Left round the corner into Albion Street where at numbers 54-57 is where the family-led firm of JW Evans made fashion jewellery from 1880 until 31 March 2008. This was when the last proprietor, Tony Evans, locked the front door of the handsome Georgian building and walked away, leaving

…they simply turned the key in the door and walked away, leaving a time capsule for future generations.

Aquinas House still looks as it did in 1882. all the tools, packaging and records; even the grubby work smocks mutely waited for their never to return craftsmen owners. Fortunately rather than demolish the workshop and turn it into yet another solicitor’s office, English Heritage stepped in and, leaving everything exactly as they found it, made the property into an historic record of a past industry.

Moving on up Tenby Street as far as the corner with Warstone Lane, where Aquinas House still looks as it did in 1882, when Messrs Manton and Mole went into partnership making jewellery. Now converted into office accommodation, the elaborately decorated concrete floor at the entrance remains as a feature from more affluent times. To its right and in the centre of a cross roads, the tall elaborate clock tower was erected to commemorate the visit to South Africa by Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain in 1903.

He was Mayor of Birmingham between 1873 and 1876 and Member of Parliament from 1876 until his death in 1914.

The Jewellery Quarter Museum is at 75-80 Vyse Street in premises once occupied by the Smith and Pepper jewellery factory. Like JW Evans, this

workshop was left as it had been for over 80 years and the owners decided to retire. Again they simply turned the key in the door and walked away, leaving a time capsule for future generations. Taken over by the city council, everything is there, warts and all, from the crude looking work benches, to the almost lethal number of electrical appliances, all working off one plug.

Work-in-progress seems to have been controlled by flimsy bits of paper moving to and fro between floors in a dumb waiter frequently accompanied by a cream cake, a present from the proprietor’s unmarried sister. The workshop is open daily with guided tours and an adjoining museum explains some of the mysteries of this complex trade.

Moving down Spencer Street we came to the building once owned by Pickering and Mayell. One of the oldest still operating in its original form, this is a pair of houses built in the 1820s with workshop wings (known as ‘shopping’) to the rear. The original front door surround and some windows survive in a rare example of a hybrid residential property with workshops.

The jewellery box makers have occupied the property since around 1900.

Above and right: Birmingham Jewellery Museum, based on Smith and Pepper.

Below: JW Evans; preserved by English Heritage.

Left: Water is a prominent feature in Bull, Ring Square.

Moving to the end of our short tour we came to 27-32 Mary Street, a ruinous building currently undergoing long overdue restoration. Most ‘shopping’ wings or workshops were to the rear of the street frontage buildings, but this building constructed between 1818 and 1827, clearly shows how the residential and manufacturing elements were linked, with workshops at the side and the rear. This is the oldest example of this form of building in the quarter.

awards have been made since 1827. Nearby Toye, Kenning and Spencer on Warstone Lane, have been making military regalia and badges along with royal awards since 1685. The firm was originally founded by a Huguenot immigrant family and considered to be the oldest company in Birmingham; other ancillary trades such as the outer shapes for brooches and rings are made nearby. The School of Jewellery (part of Birmingham City University) is in the modern looking building on Vittoria Street; founded in 1890 it is the foremost institution for teaching fine metalworking in the world.

The school’s Atrium Gallery is accessible to the public 10am-4pm during exhibitions. Many famous people have been associated with the area now covered by the Jewellery Quarter – James Watt engineer and inventor lived on regent place, just off Caroline Street between 1777 and 1790 and John Baskerville, creator of the Baskerville typeface is buried in Warstone Lane cemetery, as is Major Harry Gem, the inventor of lawn tennis.

While the volume of jewellery made in the quarter is nothing like its late Victorian heyday, it still functions, but often in a slightly varied way, such as at Thomas Fattorini in Regent Street where medals, badges, trophies and

Special tours of the Jewellery Quarter are organised from time to time – see advertised Heritage Walks as advertised by the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter: telephone 0121 348 8001.

The Jewellery Quarter still operates today but in a slightly different way.

From

Cow Hide to

Cricket Ball Matthew Abbott with the finished hides for cricket balls

When he recently visited Joseph Clayton (Chesterfield) Ltd, Brian Spencer was able to delve into the ancient mysteries of tanning leather.

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he first thing that strikes you as you enter Clayton’s tannery is the lack of obnoxious smells. Piles of cow hides waiting to enter the tanning process seem as far removed from the animals they once covered as could possibly be. Apparently, so I was told by Matthew Abbott technical sales director, once the animal is killed the removed hide is covered with salt in order to begin the preservation process and eventual tanning. Most of the hides they tan come from abattoirs in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland but many, mostly buffalo hides, travel from as far away as Thailand without showing any signs of decomposition.

Leather tanning is almost as old as time and was certainly practiced in ancient Egypt, but despite the incursion of modern plastic materials, natural leather is still ideal for anything from the soles of shoes to oil and hydraulic seals and equestrian leathers. Clayton’s have been making leather since 1890 when a group of Chesterfield businessmen joined together in order to use the hides from locally slaughtered animals. Gradually and over the years the company began to specialise in top quality leathers, nowadays almost the sole tannery of its kind from an industry that numbered 6000 at the end of the Second World War. There are other tanning firms in the south

of England but they mostly restrict their output to shoe leather.

The process of turning a cow hide into leather can take anything up to seventeen or eighteen weeks. During this time the hide is steeped in an alchemy based on vats with gradually strengthening chemicals, but before and after such an important part of the operation it has to undergo a whole range of processes, starting with the removal of hair from the outer surface together with fibres and residual fat from the under side. This is mostly done in a rotating drum not unlike a large industrial washing machine and takes around 72 hours before the longest part of the process; steeping in vats of water-borne chemicals. As leather does not take too kindly to rapid drying, this has by necessity to be gradual and gentle with the hides stretched on racks rather like the old fashioned bedding driers still found in manorial halls. Towards the end of the tanning process the hides have to be flattened into usable format, but before that can take place those that are destined for decorative purposes have to be dyed or embossed with patterns.

As leather is a natural product that once covered a cow’s back, by its very nature there are bound to be variations of thickness or even blemishes such

Hides arrive from all over the world

Early process of removing hair from the hides

Tumbling to finish cleaning the hide

Determining the thickness of the hide

The quality of Clayton’s finished leather makes it highly desirable as incompletely healed scars. These variations and flaws have to be taken into consideration before the finished hides can be used. Very little is wasted, as after careful checking of both thickness and for flaws, the hides are cut into uniform strips of varying qualities. Around 60% of the tannery’s production is exported, mainly to the USA and Japan where the quality of Clayton’s finished leather is highly desirable.

Despite using water from nearby Calow Brook and despite operating a traditional almost ancient water-based process, there is little if any disturbance of the environment. Waste is recycled as far as possible with fats converted into industrial gelatine or tallow with hair and scraps of unsuitable hide going into compost; nothing is sent to landfill.

Seeing leathers destined for everything from military accoutrements, footwear, dog leads

and friction leathers or even floor tiles and wall coverings, the one thing that really caught my eyed was a pile of bright red hides destined to become cricket balls. Here the most minute variation in thickness can and must dictate the standard of cricket ball. I was mildly surprised to learn that most cricket balls whether they be destined for first class games or local knockabouts, are made in Pakistan. Together with neighbouring Kashmir, they make more cricket bats and balls than anywhere in the world, usually beneath a poster of a smug looking Imran Khan who despite political differences is still the region’s sporting hero.

Among the many specialised hides made by Clayton’s are leathers for waist belts, glazing straps, polishing leathers, dog leads, leathers for orthopaedic appliances, scabbards, as well as other military uses; the list is almost infinite: but all once covered a cow’s back.

Finished hides of all colours

QUARRYING Rock beneath our region has been quarried for centuries, providing building stone and road surfacing. In doing so many of those quarries had it not been for controls over their shape and size would be even more dominant in the landscape.

Brian Spencer looks at how this is carried out.

& The Story of Stone

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here are basically two types of rocks beneath our feet, especially when standing in the Peak District. These are basically limestone and gritstone and their colours gave the names of both parts of the Peak; White and Dark. These rocks were laid down millions of years ago, when what became Derbyshire was a shallow lagoon, edged with small volcanoes. Countless animals and plants lived in these waters, with bodies and cells made from a kind of chalk. When they died their bodies oated down to the bottom of the sea, gradually forming layer upon layer, becoming the huge deposits of limestone within and around the Peak District. As time went by, a massive river delta began to drop millions of tonnes of grainy sand, which like the limestone was compressed into the layers of rock we see jutting out above places like the Derwent valley and

outlying moors. Further south and east two other stone features were exploited. Soft sandstone from long disappeared desert dunes being easily cut, was tunnelled to make dwellings beneath Nottingham. In the Erewash Valley it provided shelter for the hermit, in what is now Dale Abbey. Gravel beds in the Trent Valley are the result of massive oods around the end of the Ice Age. Stone has been an essential part of everyday life, from our prehistoric ancestors who erected the enigmatic stone circles dotting the landscape, or Romanised settlers who built the stone walls around their farm at Roystone Grange. In medieval times, grand houses and cathedrals such as Derby, relied on local stone, a practice that is still followed to this day. Later on limestone was burnt, to provide lime to

Dene Quarry, Cromford.

sweeten the land and when heated, along with special clays, turns into cement, the building material of choice for everything from road bridges to tower blocks. The fine grained quality of limestone found beneath Middleton-by-Wirksworth was used to make many of the thousands of gravestones marking the last resting place of Great War soldiers. Some limestones are composed of a very high quality calcium carbonate and find their way into everything from sugar refining, to computer technology. Gritstone is still quarried as a building material, but no longer do quarrymen carefully make millstones in their spare time, leaving them out on the moors until required; all of those stacked around the base of crags above Grindleford mark the end of a very special Peakland industry. Destined for the Scandinavian wood pulp trade they became surplus when the industry switched to steel rollers. Only grindstones for the SheďŹƒeld knife makers, or our milling, continued to be made for a few more years, but even those were lost to changing needs.

If you fly from Mediterranean resorts into Manchester during daylight and are lucky with the weather, the route is often directly across centre of the White Peak, then over Kinder and Bleaklow to turn left above Oldham.

From a window seat preferably on the left hand side, the view down below, takes in most of the limestone quarries dotted around the White Peak. Surprisingly there are more than one expects, from Ballidon where roadstone is quarried, the other side the hill from Longcliffe where much of its stone is used for its chemical properties. Griffe Grange across the Via Gellia is continuing to feed this need. Further on is a line of quarries on Sterndale Moor above Buxton. These are exploiting stone, mainly for road building when combined with bitumen to form macadam. Over to the right is ICI’s Tunstead Quarry, one of the largest in Europe, while further to the east, the massive hole above Hope is along with a special kind of clay found nearby, providing the first stage in the production of cement.

Some quarries re-work ground where lead miners once delved. These such as those on Longstone Edge are looking for fluorspar, the now valuable

commodity at one time spurned by those seeking metal. These quarries by the necessity of following old veins that once contained lead are linear in shape and can be easily back-filled once the fluorspar has been extracted.

Despite most of the quarries in and around the Peak District being fairly well screened, some are inevitably visible no matter how well their owners try to hide them behind plantations of trees and artificial hills. ICI in particular once went to the trouble of employing a graduate in landscaping to try and come up with ideas of how to naturalise Tunstead’s abandoned quarry faces. No matter how much time the poor man spent on manually planting shrubs and semi-alpine flowers, nothing wanted to take root. In desperation he tipped a load of pig slurry over the hedge of one face and bingo, within a year or two the whole area was covered with luxuriant natural growth. Other highly visible quarries have exploited this apparent difficulty by providing viewing platforms with interpretative plaques. This is the case at the Hope Valley cement works where a viewing area off the road from Bradwell to Pin Dale opens up a view of the whole complex system

Hope Valley Cement Quarry The prominent ledges are known as benches.

working in the bottom and walls of the quarry. The plaque at Cromford’s Dean Quarry viewing area explains what is going on in the buildings far below and on the carefully graded levels called benches. Not only that but it also acts as a kind of memorial to the man who first took a wheelbarrow into what was then an open field and with pick and shovel turned the first sods to start what became the village’s dominant feature and major source of employment.

Over the years various attempts to either reopen old quarries or extend the life of those existing have caused much heartache for those among us who try to protect the countryside around. Quite recently an attempt to extend gritstone quarrying near Stanton Moor attracted the attentions of a group of eco-warriors who were concerned over the damage that might be done to pre-historic relics such as Nine Ladies Stone Circle and other archaeological remains on the moor. Such was the determination of those people that some even burrowed beneath the proposed extension area, or camped in caravans hauled up into the branches of surrounding trees. Eldon Quarry was and unfortunately still is, a blot on the landscape, whose owners were prevented in extending its activity and as a result, it led to its closure. In retrospect perhaps it would have been better to allow a degree of expansion, linked to landscaping the working face to make it look more natural. Wirksworth’s Dale Quarry was literally bombing the town with rocks and dust every time blasting took place, but fortunately this was abandoned and the once almost derelict town has come back to life. Over on the opposite side of the Derwent there was a proposal to reopen Duke’s Quarries, the long neglected gritstone workings in woodland below Crich Carr, but following a determined campaign by local residents and others similarly concerned, the wilderness that replaced the quarries, has been preserved.

When quarries are abandoned for whatever reason, nature usually reclaims its own, but at Crich where the earlier, part of the now, almost workedout quarry has become natural woodland, a long level section is now used by vintage tramcars. Likewise the old quarry above Matlock Bath has been cleverly put to use as the site of Gulliver’s Kingdom. Despite some entrepreneur’s ambitious scheme to build a multi-use complex in Hall Dale

Quarry on the edge of the Peak District National Park near Matlock, nature has covered the once scarred land with shrubs and trees together with rare flowers.

Quarries whatever our opinion may be of their part in the nature of things, they are a necessary part of everyday life, providing stone for grand buildings like the Bank of England, giving our roads safe surfaces, making cement for our houses, cleaning exhaust gases from power stations, or even providing the fluoride in our toothpastes; we couldn’t live without it.

Above and below: Halldale Quarry - abandoned a year ago and now being re-claimed by nature.

John Smedley’s

Lea Mills Brian Spencer visits the historic mill, still at the forefront of textile technology after well over two hundred years of existence.

Lea Brook provided power to drive a corn mill long before Peter Nightingale (ancestor of Florence) and his partner John Smedley father of the philanthropist son of the same name, converted it to a cotton spinning mill in 1784. Associates of Richard Arkwright, they specialised in the production of fine cotton threads that were woven into muslin fabric by cottage based handloom weavers. Fairly soon afterwards Peter Nightingale took a back seat, devoting most of his attention to his lead mining and smelting interests, leaving the day to day running of the business to John Smedley Senior.

Top: The famous bridge at Lea Mills, showing the ‘jaybird’ logo and the date 1784, when the mill started.

Above: View over cottage gardens towards the carpenter’s workshop.

Below: Three of the cottages built by Peter Nightingale in the 1790s, awaiting renovation.

With the technique and experience of spinning fine cotton threads, the co-founder’s son the John Smedley who later became the advocate of the healing power of water therapy, turned his attention to the manufacture of knitwear and hosiery – folklore believes that the term ‘long johns’ were named after him. Over the years since then the firm made a name for itself as manufacturers of finely knitted garments and underwear, products found in all the major stores throughout the land and as far away as Japan.

Even the Queen buys Smedley cardigans; the Royal Appointment crest sits proudly alongside the symbol of a jay, a bird quite common near Lea Mills and used as a play on the letter ‘J’ for John Smedley.

Throughout its long history, Smedley’s have simply added buildings almost randomly to the original mill, but nowadays filling them with the most up to date machinery available. Inevitably following this long history, masses of historical data have been collected over the years. Rather than dump it in a short-sighted clear out, the company appointed an archivist, Jane Middleton-Smith and it was she who guided me round the intricacies of John Smedley Ltd of Lea Mills.

This page top: View of the ‘making-up room’, where skilled machinists start the process of putting the garments together.

Left top: ‘Running on’. Debbie Bennett catching every stitch of the ribbed waistband on the knitter’s transfer bar.

Left middle: David Whittaker inspecting a test piece of work on the oldest knitting machines still in use, dating from the 1950s.

Left bottom: Richard Smedley carefully setting the garment for pressing.

Above: Roy Webster using a glass iron to check every stitch in the panel he has just knitted.

Below: Archivist Jane Middleton-Smith examining one of the garments in the John Smedley Archive, it holds almost 7000 pieces.

John Smedley’s

Lea Mills

Using machinery designed and made in Italy and Japan, operatives twist and blend the finest wool and cotton threads to make the starting point of lightweight knitwear, much of which incidentally finds its way back to Japan to satisfy an almost insatiable demand.

It was while walking through the different departments that I realised Smedleys must be a happy place in which to work. Almost everybody I spoke to had decades of service to their credit and there was at least one third generation, Bethany, working close to her grandmother Joyce McCrearey. Joyce incidentally attends to the occasional broken or loose threads that find their way into the finished piece. There is even a John Smedley working in the finishing section, but as far as he knows, he is not related to the firm’s founder.

Basically and in layman terms, the fine threads are knitted at lightning speed on computer controlled machines to make bodies, arms, cuffs and collars, all of them eventually joined by a separate process into a finished garment. Sizes and shapes of the end product are controlled by a system of automatic gears, reminding me very much as those in a car. With all these oddly shaped bits and pieces to be joined into one, it falls to the nimble fingers of skilled operators who feed the loops on the ends of each section of the cardigan or pullover and by some miracle of mechanical technology, cuffs, arms become one. There is even a machine that stops the edges of unfinished pieces from curling as nature would like them to do.

Once all the machinery has finished its work, garments need a bit of smartening up before they can find their way on to shop counters.

This is done by a simple but essential process of spreading the raw garment over a framework and with steam and gentle pressing everything is ready for one last check; this is done by spreading the garment over a light source to pick out any flaws, the last of thirty different stages in making a cardigan fit for a queen.

With a factory shop as part of the mill complex, there is no need to travel down to the high class shops in London, especially as from time to time there are special discount sales on offer at Lea Mills.

This page top: Yarn preparation, the first stage of the process. The picture shows the doubling machine with the twisting machine in the background.

Above: Protti knitting machines, to produce ribbed knitting for cuffs and waistbands.

Below left: The ‘uncurling machine’, used to iron panels flat before make-up.

Below right: Garment back panel almost finished on the fully fashioned knitting machine.

Pursuing a cause very close to his heart, Brian Spencer visited Burton upon Trent to see the National Brewery Centre, the museum of brewing throughout the ages.

While there he found a royal connection with this ancient industry.

The National

BREWERY CENTRE

T

he present trend towards micro-breweries harks back to the days when every inn made its own beer – some good, others not so. It was partly the desire to guarantee a decent brew that led to the founding of such brewing dynasties as Bass and Worthington. They not only changed the way beer was brewed, but also produced ales that could be transported far and wide.

The reason for Burton becoming the major centre for the brewing industry was two-fold, geology and good transport links. The geological part is due to the fact that the town sits on top of a huge layer of gypsum (plaster of Paris), which in turn hardens subterranean water, ideal for improving the flavour of beer made with it. Being in the middle of the Trent valley transport links were ready made, first with the Trent and Mersey canal, and later the railway network helped speed deliveries to all parts of the country.

The first men to take advantage of this situation were William Worthington who bought out a small brewery for £320 in 1761 and William Bass.

Worthington was already a trader with Baltic countries, importing timber and flax, but soon developed a trade the other way with a special nut brown strong ale; he also used the imported timber to make staves for his beer barrels. Bass on the other hand was a carrier for the small breweries that had sprung up around Burton, but around 1777 decided to turn his hand to making beer – the rest as they say, is history.

With the modern changes in techniques and the amalgamation with giants such as the American Coors Company, large scale breweries have changed out of all recognition and have begun to look more like oil refineries. With this development away from traditional methods, the brewery-dominated landscape of Burton has changed almost beyond recognition. As a result, part of Worthington’s has been developed as a museum of the industry, the National Brewery Centre, a far cry from the gleaming stainless steel silos of nearby Coors’ Brewery.

Spread over a series of sheds and buildings once part of Worthington’s brewery, the museum traces the history and methods of brewing from as far back as ancient Egypt, through traditional vat based brewing to modern stainless steel continuous process plant.

Part of the vintage vehicle collection The first building concentrates on the traditional methods of brewing, with sacks of barley waiting to be mashed in exactly the same way as we mash tea. In the first stage the barley is allowed to germinate, or malt, a laborious manual process carried out by itinerant labourers in their off time from working on East Anglian farms. Known locally as ‘Norkies’ they seem to have enjoyed locally mashed tea as well as Burton ale and many of them took home one of the huge tea pots made nearby. The next stage towards a decent drink was to stop the barley germinating and mix it with local water and hops for flavour in large copper-lined vats, or tuns.

Education bar

Bottling plant

Collection of inn signs

THE ROYAL CONNECTION Along the way special commemorative brews have been created, some of them for royal occasions. Many of whom seem to have enjoyed the privilege of taking over from the master brewer. In 1902 King Edward VII pulled the levers to start the brew now known as King’s Ale. This beer is exceptionally strong especially when matured for at least two or three years in oak casks; it is said to be at its best after 40 years after bottling! About 400 barrels of each King’s Ale was brewed, much of it finding its way to Buckingham

Palace, with the rest sold to discerning drinkers under the label of Royal Ale. Since then several special royal brews have been created, the King’s grandson, Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) continued the tradition by mashing Prince’s Ale in 1929. Along the way there have been brews for special royal events, such as Jubilee Strong Ale to commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee; followed a year later by HRH Princess Anne mashing a brew of Princess Ale. Earl Spencer father of Princess Diana mashed a Celebration Ale in honour of the birth of Prince William in 1982.

Unlike the other commemorative brews, Celebration Ale was sold at £25

Twin cyliner steam engines

The little museum follows the process of brewing from a certificated limited edition of 5,000 bottles with the profits donated to the Licensed Victuallers’ Schools.

When Coors Brewers bought Bass Brewers in 2001 the firm continued the tradition of brewing commemorative beers. The last commemorative ales are Queen’s Ale and Duke’s Ale, both mashed in 2002, when HM Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the museum to celebrate Burton’s Millennium of Brewing and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Special presentation packs containing a bottle of each ale were sold for £150, with the profits donated to the Queen’s Jubilee Charities.

The little museum follows the process of brewing through the various stages of filtering and bottling by way of the unique Burton Union System where yeast, a by-product of brewing is allowed to separate from the beer.

The yeast is not wasted and high in Vitamin B it ends its days as the main constituent of Marmite. Bottling is highly specialised and developed around the time bottled beer was exported to the Colonies; India Pale Ale – IPA – was created in order to withstand the long sea journey to India packed in straw lined wooden barrels.

Cleaning out the mash tub

Moving outside the initial part of the museum, the first thing to catch the eye is the collection of vintage lorries, at least one in the shape of a beer bottle. However, it the four legged methods of propulsion, six huge dray horses that are still used to make deliveries on special occasions. Like all big

Burton upon Trent in the 1920s

horses they have a liking for polo mints and woe-betide anyone unable to cater for their needs. Gentle giants they may be, a nudge from their massive head soon lets you know what they think you should be doing.

There is a special exhibition of inn signs hanging on a nearby wall. Salvaged from Robinson’s Brewery in Stockport, they tell an interesting history of the meaning of inn signs. Apparently the idea dates from Roman times when the inn keeper would hang out a bunch of leaves at the end of a pole, announcing the fact that a fresh brew was ready. In the middle ages there was a kind of trading standards inspector known as a ‘peculier’. Part of his job was to sit in a puddle of the fresh brew which was only passed if his leather britches stuck to it: the kneeling figure on the bottle of Theakston’s ‘Old Peculier’ beer seems to be doing just that.

Across the yard, the museum is devoted to all the quirks and foibles of brewing, from a mock-up of an Edwardian pub complete with snoozing cat,

The Royal Mash Tub

Part of the transport collection

bar games and little girl sent to buy a gill of ale for grandma. In a display of beer mugs, one of them has a pottery whistle incorporated within the handle: apparently this was meant to be used in a noisy bar when it was blown to alert the landlord to the fact that the jug needed a refill. This odd custom has led to the meaning of the statement about ‘wetting your whistle’.

There is also a model of Burton upon Trent as it was in the 1920s, with the town far more dominated by breweries than it is today.

Along with the historical section of the museum, special events are held throughout the year, ranging from beer festivals, to model railway exhibitions and concerts. For more information, contact the National Brewery Centre online, at: www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk: or phone: 01283 532 880 The National Brewery centre is open daily throughout the year, except Christmas.

Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle’s main entrance

Nottingham’s proud symbol This one--time royal castle, arsenal and prison played its part in much of England’s history as Brian Spencer discovered when he went there recently.

F

irst and foremost, the building standing proud on top of a high crag above the centre of Nottingham is not a true castle, but a ducal palace standing on the site of a historic castle. This early building was a typical motte and bailey structure built by William the Conqueror in 1067.

Initially it was a mainly stone-built tower where the nobility lived (the motte), surrounded by a wooden palisade (the bailey) to house servants and livestock. Gradually this structure became stronger when stone replaced timber and towers were added to complete the stronghold.

Throughout the following centuries Nottingham castle became the royal stronghold in the north Midlands. Each succeeding monarch who followed the Norman conquerors used it as a base in order to control the often unruly peasants north of the River Trent. Whether or not Robin Hood existed is doubtful, but it is nice to imagine him standing where his statue aims occasionally stolen arrows, pointing at an imaginary cruel Sheriff of Nottingham. Genuine or not we can imagine strife and struggle for control of the castle going on from time to time, for this certainly happened.

Plantagenet Edward I, Hammer of the Scots used the castle during his

forays across the border, but much of his gains were lost by his son at the Battle of Bannockburn. Basically a weak and unpopular king, Edward II was taken from Nottingham to Berkeley Castle where he was murdered in a particularly painful and cruel way. His son Edward III was then only 15 and his scheming mother Queen Isabella managed to rule the country alongside her lover Roger Mortimer. A couple of years later Edward fearing he might end up like his father, decided to regain his birthright. Under cover of darkness he and just 24 men at arms made their way to one of the tunnels, a secret entrance, or sally-port into the castle. Making their way quietly into the upper bailey they disturbed the Queen and Mortimer in conference with their officials. An attempt to support them was quickly put down and Mortimer was captured – traditionally he was held in part of the secret passage known as Mortimer’s Hole. True or not he was soon taken to London where he was tried and executed for treason. Claiming his rightful crown, Edward set about strengthening the castle, turning it into a royal palace, one of the most powerful fortresses in his kingdom.

Such was its importance that Edward held three Parliaments at Nottingham

Mortimer’s Hole The Old Trip to Jerusalem public house

Castle, where at one of them, in 1337, in order to protect English weavers’ trade, the wearing of foreign cloth was banned for anyone other than by the Royal Family.

Other kings have passed through the gatehouse which still stands as the only major relic of a once powerful castle. Scots King David II was imprisoned in one of its towers on his way south to the Tower of London. Using its impregnability, the castle was frequently used as a prison. In 1374 the Speaker of the House of Commons was held here and then in 1392, Richard

Inside Mortimer’s Hole

II imprisoned the Mayor, Aldermen and Sheriffs of the City of London over some spat or other.

It seems as though King Richard used Nottingham Castle as his summer retreat, holding a Great Council there in 1388 and a Parliament in 1399.

His successor King Henry IV magnanimously gave the castle to Richard’s widow Queen Joan and she lived there until her death in 1437.

Neither of the following two kings, Henry V and Henry VI had much

Robin and Maid Marion

Robin Hood

Above the window is the equestrian statue of the Duke of Rutland, damaged in the 19th century riot

From civil war to civil riot interest in Nottingham, but it regained its strategic importance during the Wars of the Roses when Edward IV spent £3000 between 1476 and 1480, creating a palace which he used as his main base in the long struggle for supremacy. It is quite possible that Richard III spent time there before his ill-fated march down to Bosworth where not only did he lose his horse, but also his crown and his life on the 19th August 1485. Although the victor of the Battle of Bosworth Field, Tudor King Henry VII, spent money on repairing the castle, he didn’t spend a great deal of time there and when his son, Henry VIII came to the throne, it was considered to be in Dekay and Ruyne. A man who appreciated luxuries, Henry VIII ordered new tapestries and generally improved its amenities, but he only visited it once, in August 1511, the last time a reigning monarch actually stayed at the castle.

Cost of repairs seems to have been a constant drain on royal finances and even during the reign of Henry’s daughter Queen Elizabeth I the place was in desperate need of repairs. Following the report from one of the queen’s surveyors, he found himself struggling against Civil Service intransigence when a request for funds was answered by being told that the money would be forthcoming ‘from tyme to tyme’. A couple of times during Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Nottingham Castle was tidied up for her proposed visit,

on one occasion when she was supposed to meet Mary, Queen of Scots, but nothing ever came of it. It was during one of the most momentous events to take place in British history that the castle had its final and dramatic part to play in its hitherto six hundred year existence.

On 22nd August 1642 King Charles I in his quarrel with Parliament raised his standard on Derry Mount just outside the castle walls and so began the English Civil War. By choosing the castle as his rallying point he was emulating Richard III, and like him it eventually led to his death, not on the battlefield, but on the scaffold in Whitehall, the seat of English democracy.

The castle was used by both Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the Civil War, each besieging the other as fortunes waxed and waned. With the eventual surrender of King Charles after the last long drawn out battle around Newark, the castle was ‘slighted’, completely demolished in order to prevent its further military use. So it lay, ruined and neglected, providing easy building material for the surrounding area, until the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 returned King Charles II to the throne, ending England’s first and only attempt to become a republic.

In 1663 Charles Cavendish, soon to become the 1st Duke of Newcastle,

Above: Children from Claremont Primary School study in the art gallery Left and below: Modern mosaics decorate the castle and grounds.

Part of the Museum’s armour collection

From mob rule to museum one of indomitable Bess of Hardwick’s descendants, bought the ruined castle from the Duke of Buckingham. First sweeping away the rubble from the ruined castle, he set about building the ducal palace Renaissance-style building which dominates the top of the castle mount overlooking the central commercial part of the City of Nottingham. Despite his plans, work on his palace was incomplete by the time of his death around 1679 and it was left to his heirs to complete what he began by spending £14,000. The result was truly magnificent, evoking the splendour of the previous Royal Castle, providing comfortable accommodation for one last monarch-to-be This was when the then Princess Anne later to become Queen, stayed briefly before her coronation in 1702; great balls were held and visiting dignitaries entertained. However, even in comparatively modern times the castle was not to be allowed to continue its peaceful existence.

In 1831during the progress of the Reform Bill through the House of Lords (it was an attempt to give the vote to a wider range of the population), the citizens of Nottingham were horrified to learn that the current duke was opposed to such a move. Incensed by such an attack on their liberties, a large mob marched up to the palace on the night of 10th October 1831. As

it was unoccupied at the time the mob managed to break down its outer defences and in full view of the impotent Mayor and Town Constables, wrecked many of the valuable contents and set the place alight. By their action, almost copying actions during the French Revolution, the Reform Act was passed the following year, eventually allowing all of us the right to vote.

Today the only evidence of the riot is the ruined equestrian statue of the Duke standing above the east doorway, but the house stood a blackened ruin for another forty years. Various suggestions were made over its use, ranging from housing to a law-court with prison attached. The best suggestion was to restore the building and turn it into a museum, which eventually it became. Today it houses one of the best art galleries outside London, together with the history of the Sherwood Foresters along with the amazing number of Victoria Crosses its members have won throughout recent wars.

Nottingham Castle is open daily throughout the year (except Christmas).

Guided trips down Mortimer’s Hole Cave come out in Brewhouse Yard conveniently near the Trip to Jerusalem pub.

The

Orphanage Slaves of Monsal Dale

The sylvan glades of the Derbyshire River Wye at Monsal Dale mask the site of the horrendous treatment of orphans. They were dumped by the so-called Guardians of the Poor and treated as cheap labour for the rapidly expanding eighteenth-century cotton industry.

Brian Spencer investigates.

Two roads lead down to the Monsal Dale section of the River Wye, one of the most tranquil of the Derbyshire Dales. Linked only by a woodland footpath through the delightfully named Water-cum-Jolly Dale, each road leads to a cotton mill. Cressbrook Mill and Litton Mill were built originally to use the power of the swiftly owing river. It was in these mills, or at least their predecessors as the originals in common with many other cotton mills, were damaged by fire, that one of the worst acts of inhumanity against children took place.

From the late eighteenth to the nineteenth-century an early form of social service saw the building of workhouses in order to care for the growing population of paupers and orphans left behind by the all too rapid expansion of the Industrial Revolution. Poor housing and sanitation, together with dangerous as well as unhealthy working conditions, led to children being orphaned by the untimely death of one or both parents, especially when it

was the bread winner who died first. Workhouses were financed by Parish Rates and run by committees of local worthies who were euphemistically known as Guardians of the Poor, but whose main interests were to keep costs as low as possible. Almost every parish had its workhouse, where its doors opened to swallow the aged and to separate husbands from their wives, and children from their mothers. Overcrowding was the norm, especially in large densely populated areas like the east end of London and as a result the so-called guardians were always on the lookout for ways to reduce the number of inmates under their care.

With the unprecedented expansion of the factory system, a need arose for cheap and plentiful labour which came to be looked on as the answer to the problem of overcrowded workhouses. At the same time it offered an almost unlimited cheap labour force to be used by unscrupulous mill owners. In a system which was not to be exceeded until the Holocaust of the twentieth-

Cressbrook Mill in all its glory

The Apprentice House

century, children as young as eight who were unlucky enough to be living in a workhouse, were persuaded to become indentured apprentices to the cotton trade. Not only were the workhouse authorities paid a premium by the employers for each child, but literally by the stroke of a pen, the problem of feeding and housing part of the indigent population was cleared.

No doubt children were gleaned from workhouses closer to Derbyshire, but the bulk of the so-called apprentices came from the London area.

Persuaded by the workhouse master that they were being apprenticed to a useful trade, most of them willingly signed their indenture papers; not that many of them could read or write and only signed the paper with either a cross or their thumbprint. Even in the depths of winter and wearing the scantiest of clothing they had to endure the discomfort of the long journey north, huddled on the outside of the mail coach. As they were only given a pittance to see them through the two or three-day ride, unless more auent

travellers bought them food, the children literally starved. This was to be a harbinger of their life to come as slave apprentices.

Dumped from the Manchester Mail at Buxton the children were met by their future employers and driven the rest of the way to Monsal Dale in covered wagons. To us the road into the dale is one of joy, for each season brings out the ever changing beauty of the place, but try to see it through the eyes of a poor orphaned child who only knew the smoke and clamour of the east end of London. Brothers and sisters and friends were split arbitrarily, some destined for Litton and the others to Cressbrook.

Even though the mills are little over a mile apart is unlikely they saw each other ever again.

The first Litton Mill was built in 1782 by the notoriously mean Ellis

horrendous conditions Needham of Hargate Hall near Tideswell, together with his partner Thomas Firth a farmer who also came from Tideswell. It is hard to realise what conditions the pauper children, some as young as eight had to endure. Paid an absolute pittance of a few pence a week, they worked for fifteen hours a day from Monday to Friday until nine or ten at night. Not for them a five day week, it was sixteen hours on Saturday, the extra hour being devoted to cleaning the dangerous machinery they were expected to work on and under, at the beck and call of cruel overseers. Housed in the ‘Prentice House’, a building now disappeared, but originally on the far side of the river from the present mill, they slept in two-tiered bunks, three to a bed, with boys on one floor and girls below. Woken at 5 a.m., they began work with a breakfast of thin porridge, working until lunch break of oatcake and black treacle and maybe weak broth for lunch, when the water wheel stopped for half an hour.

The only respite to this drudgery came on Sunday when a local preacher would read to the children and during the last meal of the working day when one of the Needham sons or maybe Mrs Needham would lead them in prayer. A replacement Prentice House, slightly better than the original, once used as stables, stands at the left of the far end of the mill yard.

Enduring such horrendous conditions it is hardly surprising that epidemics broke out and children were frequently maimed or killed while working the

Litton Mill Yard

primitive spinning machinery, especially as skilled medical attention was hard to come by. Bodies of children who died this way were secreted away often under cover of darkness and buried in unmarked graves in local church yards. A small plaque in Tideswell churchyard commemorates this fact.

Corporal punishment was meted out for the simplest of misdemeanours and ranged from a beating until blood poured from the child’s back, or heavy weights hung about their bodies, or being hoisted in a flimsy cage high above dangerous machinery. As a further twist to this horrific tale, when children reached their late teens they were deemed to have completed their apprenticeship. Rather than be taken on as fully skilled workers they were dismissed and thrown out to try and find work in an already over crowded workplace. Their only salvation was to return to the tender mercies of the Poor House.

Cressbrook Mill further downstream was originally owned by Sir Richard Arkwright, but he sold it to William Newton, a self educated poet and millwright, known as the Minstrel of the Peak. He was also head carpenter during the Duke of Devonshire’s building of the crescent in Buxton. Folk lore compares Newton favourably with his fellow mill owner Ellis Needham, making him sound like an ideal employer, but by reading reports left by his apprentices later in their lives, they were treated just as harshly as

those working in Litton Mill. Children who were questioned by visitors to Cressbrook Mill were so cowed by their employer that they only gave favourable answers to questions about their welfare. Certainly they worked the same long hours and from reports published in the Ashton Chronicle dated May 1849, they were just as harshly treated as their brothers and sisters further upstream. Their accommodation was also in a barrack block, the building which still stands beyond the recently restored mill.

Its unhappy memories a thing of the past, part of the Apprentice House was latterly converted into a hikers’ café known as Dave’s Tea Stop, one of the few places in the Peak where walkers are at liberty to eat their own sandwiches.

Both mills no longer spin cotton, Cressbrook’s frames were silenced in 1965, but Litton continued by spinning speciality yarns for another decade, still powered by the river, but this time through a water driven turbine before it along with its sister mill fell into decline, mute memorials to the lives of countless so-called apprentices. In recent years developers have restored the listed fabric and converted them into highly desirable apartments.

Cressbrook Apprentice House, now Dave’s Tea Shop.

Litton Mill

Pollyanna Pickering in the Antarctic

Passionate about wildlife and equally passionate about accurately interpreting her subjects Wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering has travelled to the Ends of the Earth to find inspiration for her latest exhibition. Over 50 paintings will be exhibited to the public for the first time from the 13th – 28th June in the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of her private gallery at Brookvale House, Oaker, near Matlock (AA signposted). Visitors will be welcome between 10.00am – 6.00pm each day, admission free This exhibition of brand new work will showcase the remarkable series of paintings created following Pollyanna’s recent expedition undertaken with National Geographic to the lost continent – The Antarctic. However the collection will also feature paintings inspired by Pollyanna’s travels around the world – from the high Arctic where she travelled with the Inuit people camping on the ice in tents and igloos while in search of wild polar bears – to the wilds of the Russian far east where she braved temperatures as low as -60 to paint Siberian Tigers, and the Amur leopards which share their habitat.

Pollyanna has also returned to the sketches made in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan during her fellowship expedition as an ambassador for the international society Artists for Conservation to create new paintings of snow leopards.

Her eagerly awaited new book Way of the Wolf launched last year, will also be available throughout this event. Pollyanna will be in her gallery throughout the exhibition to chat to visitors, and will be pleased to sign copies of this and her other books.

Two new limited edition prints will be launched at the exhibition. Also on display throughout will be Pollyanna’s extensive ranges of greetings cards, fine art and limited edition prints, and a wide variety of giftware featuring her work, including signed sets of her postage stamps and exclusive giftware commissioned by Harrods, alongside brand new card crafting kits, as launched live on television

in a series of programmes featuring Pollyanna on the Create and Craft channel. 10% of all sales will be donated to conservation projects through the Pollyanna Pickering Foundation.

Pioneering artists such as Catesby and Audubon were among the first to penetrate the previously unchartered swamps of the Americas, while painter Thomas Baines accompanied the adventurer David Livingstone on his voyage of discovery into the unexplored heart of Africa. Pollyanna Pickering has continued this legacy of the artist as explorer.

Since the first sighting of the Antarctic continent in 1820 by Russian naval officer and explorer Bellingshausen, countless explorers have been drawn to the challenges of this beautiful but harsh landscape. Early explorers endured extremes of physical endurance to further geographical and scientific discovery. Even now that the white

continent can be reached in relative comfort and safety it continues to exert an almost mystical lure.

Unusually for Pollyanna it was primarily the landscapes which drew her to visit the Antarctic.

“Most often when I travel I am searching for a specific species of animal – and although I will inevitably sketch and paint the habitat in which it can be found, that is not the motivation for my visit.” On this occasion however it was the thought of painting the beautiful pure and pristine icescapes, the bright shining icebergs chiselled by wind and water with a luminous turquoise glow as though lit from within that inspired her journey.

With this in mind, last December, Pollyanna boarded the National Geographic Explorer – an icebreaker, whose expeditions act as a platform for National Geographic experts, including photographers, writers, artists, field researchers, naturalists and film crews to visit field sites with guests in tow.

Departing from Ushuaia, the ship crossed the dreaded Drake Passage (so calm it was more like the Drake Lake) sailing into the Weddell sea, and then along the Antarctic peninsula taking in landings at the Paulet Islands, Linblad Cove, Paradise Bay and Port Lockroy among many others.

And indeed once she reached the Antarctic, Pollyanna inevitably found that it was the wildlife

which began to fill the pages of her sketchbooks. “The undoubted highlight of my journey was sketching penguins. Because they have no land predators and have never been hunted they were quite happy for me to sit amongst them with my sketch folders and materials – and would even wander up and have a closer look at what I was doing. It was an entirely new experience for me to paint wild creatures which are so completely unafraid – and quite simply they are a joy to watch.” Every day Pollyanna would head out in a zodiac – “During our very first landing I sketched a colony of Adelie penguins. They build open nests lined with small rocks, and think nothing of nicking the odd choice pebble from a neighbour’s nest! I watched as they squabbled, courted, and fended off the predatory skuas flying overhead. I had been there for almost 30 minutes, when I realised that some of the eggs had hatched – and peeping out from under the protection of the parent bird were little downy sooty grey balls of fluff.”

folder and a selection of watercolour pencils and paints.

When travelling in the high arctic Pollyanna travelled by dog sledge with an Innuit guide, camping in tents and igloos on the ice in temperatures as low as -40. Here sketching was incredibly difficult – she could remove her thick down filled mittens and woollen gloves and work in her silk thermal gloves – but only for a few minutes at a time before the risk of frostbite setting in. However while in the Antarctic Pollyanna was blessed with relatively mild temperatures – between 0 and -5 on most days – which meant she could spend longer periods sketching bare handed.

She could also sketch in comfort from her cabin window, as icebergs drifted past.

The long shifting shadows, and the luminous effects of the sun on the towering icebergs and majestic mountains provide a source of constant inspiration for painting, and in Pollyanna’s opinion the Antarctic is the best open air studio an artist could ever wish for!

There are of course practical issues to be considered. Good planning is essential for any painting expedition – but more so when in the Antarctic. If Pollyanna had forgotten a vital tube of paint she couldn’t just pop into the nearest art shop for a replacement. She did however try to keep her sketching equipment to a sensible minimum which could easily by carried in a zodiac, and when hiking. She prefers to sketch on individual sheets of paper rather than in a sketchbook, so carried these along with a sketch

Visit www.pollyannapickering.co.uk to find out more.

Returning home, Pollyanna said “I was constantly

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Pollyanna also sketched gentoo and chinstrap penguins admitting “when I first set out for the Antarctic I somehow couldn’t imagine finding a great deal in the way of wildlife to inspire me aside from the penguins – but I was very wrong” She was fortunate to have many sightings of the magnificent humpback whales – and was also able to sketch Weddell seals and leopard seals as they hauled out on the ice floes.

Before she left, Pollyanna’s friends joked that she wouldn’t need to pack anything except white paint – but of course with the almost endless daylight and crisp clarity of the atmosphere the Antarctic is full of colour. From the deep cerulean blue of the icebergs floating in a pewter sea, to the pastel pinks of the pack ice as the sun circles low on the horizon. The landscape of the frozen continent is a kaleidoscope of ever changing violet and golden hues.

overwhelmed by the beauty of the Antarctic. I saw a great variety of wildlife - the snowy white wandering albatross, the humpback and minke whales – and of course the penguins. Awesome is an overused and consequently devalued adjective – but I felt that I journeyed to somewhere that is genuinely awesome. I truly enjoyed the challenge of capturing my impressions on canvas back in my studio, and am excited to share the new work for the first time during the ‘To The Ends of the Earth’ exhibition.”

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Gardening

APRIL

Being lucky enough to be able to do Gardening Talks on a regular basis means I can talk to keen gardeners about projects they are going to tackle this year plus gauge the feeling about how the season is going so far. It seems that the general consensus is that everyone is happy with the fact the bad weather finished early, but the constant cold snaps are slowing everything down.

Here’s hoping April will provide much better weather.

To get inspired Look out for the N.G.S Open Garden booklets , The reason I love the open garden scheme is because these are “real” gardens that easily relate to our own gardens.

So pick up a yellow booklet for dates and locations from any good plant nursery or garden centre and also look out for the yellow posters – the open gardens are a great source of inspiration.

Allotment or Vegetable Patch: • • • • • • •

Still a good time to sow green manure Buy vegetable plug plants (approximately Easter weekend onwards) Fertilise spring cabbage with a high nitrogen feed Plant new asparagus “crowns” Potatoes, shallots and onion sets should still be available to buy Feed fruit trees and bushes with sulphate of potash Crops to sow directly outside or under cloches are peas, mange tout, mixed salad leaves, radish, cauliflower, turnip, lettuce, carrots, beetroot, cabbage, Brussels, broad beans, leeks, rocket,

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Swiss chard and spinach.

Also sow in your vegetable plot tagetes and poached egg plant to attract beneficial insects.

In the Greenhouse: • • • • • • • • •

Protect any seedling from cold Water any seedling trays or pots with copper fungicide to help prevent damping off disease.

Remember to increase ventilation on warm days If too hot, put up shading to protect plants Buy plug plants to grow on for pots, bedding displays and baskets.

Sow French and runner beans in pots.

Sow melons, cucumbers, marrows and courgettes in a heated propagator Check plants regularly for signs of peat or disease Plant tomatoes in grow bags or large pots.

General Garden Maintenance: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Repair or sow new lawns with grass seed.

Apply moss killer to lawns – or sulphate of iron which is the active ingredient in moss killers.

Rake out any dead grass from lawns.

Start to feed the lawn with a suitable lawn fertiliser.

Prune out any green shoots (reversion) off any variegated shrubs.

Check that stakes are not rubbing against trees or tree ties are not too tight.

Cut away any “suckers” growing around the base of trees and shrubs.

Sprinkle a handful of sulphate of potash around tulips to improve flowering Sow sweet pea outside around the base of cane supports, obelisks or even try a hanging basket for them to trail down.

Give camelias, rhododendrons, azaleas and pieris a good handful of ericaceous (acidic) fertiliser.

Now is the ideal time to start to spray roses as a preventive for mildew, rust and blackspot.

Keep topiary in check by giving a light clip now.

I normally say look out for new varieties of trees & Shrubs this month but here are some that are old favourites

Forsythia:

A great early flowering shrub that has masses of bright yellow flowers on long stems, I like to see forsythia topiary or as a informal hedge …. A very showy shrub, that should be in most peoples gardens.

Spiraea x cinerea `Grefsheim`:

Or “bridal wreath” currently mine at home is full of flower buds so this will look fantastic at this time of year, long flower racemes of pure white hang down almost weeping. Very easy to grow likes most soils in full sun to part shade. I wouldn’t recommend this for a pot but planted in a border or an informal hedge makes a good feature. The R.H.S has given this plant the Award of Garden Merit.

Ribes (Flowering Currant)

Again another showy early flowering shrub, most varieties can get large but can be pruned hard after flowering to keep under control. The flowers range from Red to pink to white.

If you need any help or advice, please contact me (remember to quote Country Images in your email) And remember it’s FREE! Mark Smith shrubman@ntlworld.com or 01332 700800 Or Facebook – Just search for Mark Smith and look for my smiley face

Scabious Blue Mist

No 2 years are ever the same...

This is a slight departure to my normal gardening blurb, but as the good weather is potentially just around the corner I thought it was the perfect time to remind you, when you are out in the garden, to wear sun screen or clothing that will protect you from the sun … not the first thing people think about while doing gardening but sun protection should be part of your gardening equipment.

Listen out for me on BBC Radio Derby on Monday 18th, I will be doing my normal gardening show live from Chelsea with Andy Potter who will be interviewing the celebrities that we meet. Pictures next month.

Allotment or Vegetable Patch: • • • •

Feed strawberries as they are forming fruit with a liquid tomato fertilizer or powder sulphate of potash.

Earth up potatoes by moving soil or compost up around their stems.

Hang pheromone traps in apple and plum to control pests.

Remember to pick rhubarb as they develop and water

this time last year we were talking about how the growing season had started extremely early. Having talked to many growers this season they all say the same thing, they are behind about 3 to 4 weeks. But horticulturists are an optimistic bunch and do say we will be rewarded with an “Indian summer” later on in the year … only time will tell.

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clumps with liquid feed.

Remove strawberry runners as soon as they grow – they take nutrients from the mother plant. Pot up runners in plant pots to make extra plants to plant up in the autumn.

Feed fruit trees and bushes with sulphate of potash Watch for signs of powdery mildew on fruit trees and bushes and treat with a fungicide.

Plant out crops raised under glass, such as tomatoes, marrows and courgettes.

Prevent birds for eating your soft fruit by covering small bushes with netting.

In the Greenhouse: • • • •

Remember to properly ventilate your greenhouse, poor air circulation can encourage disease.

Keep a look out for pests, check under leaves and new shoots for signs of attack – usually red spider mite, whitefly or greenfly.

Try hanging sticky traps over plants to catch any whitefly.

Important to water growbags and pots regularly, sometimes

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daily if needed in very warm weather.

Pinch out the centre of any cuttings to promote bushy growth Liquid feed any planted up hanging baskets.

General Garden Maintenance: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Still a great time to sow new lawns with grass seed.

Remembering to water well if there is a lack of rain.

Rake out any dead grass from lawns.

Feed the lawn with a suitable lawn fertilizer.

Check for daisies and dandelions, and dig out.

Plant out container grown trees and shrubs - remembering to water well if there is a lack of rain.

Tie in any new growth of climbing plants, such as honeysuckle and clematis etc.

Buy a water butt to collect any rainfall to use later.

Buy a compost bin to recycle any green waste from the kitchen and garden.

Apply bark mulches around newly planted or established trees & shrubs to retain moisture and help suppress weeks.

Sprinkle a handful of sulphate of potash around fruit trees and bushes Give camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and pieris a good handful of ericaceous (acidic) fertilizer.

Clip hedges and apply a granular fertilizer Keep topiary in check by giving a light clip now.

Hand weed beds to prevent weeds establishing.

Watch out for red lilly beetle on the leaves of lilies. You can easily squash any you find or spray with a suitable pesticide like Provado Ultimate Bug Killer.

Apply teak oil to wooden garden furniture to condition and improve the look of it for summer.

Look out for greenfly and blackfly developing on shrubs, perennials and roses, spray with a pesticide.

Try these three plants that will give you great late spring colour

Exochorda x macrantha The Bride:

A simply stunning shrub with light green rounded leaves, a mass of pure white flowers starting from the end of April into mid May, but unlike “The Bride” this also flowers in autumn. Like full sun or part shade – some books say acidic but will be fine in neutral, well drained soil. Will reach about 4ft in height.

Scabious Blue Mist / Pink Butterfly

Fast becoming one of my favourite plants for value for money , this exciting plant has a dome forming habit with rounded, dome shaped flowers that appear from the beginning of February, to late September of powder blue or light pink flowers. Attracts masses of bees and butterflies and grows about 1ft x 1ft, needs a sunny moist but free draining position.

Sorbaria Sem

A great shrub that should be better known, attractive pale yellow foliage with narrow pointed leaves and vivid bright orange red new growth. Height 4 to 5ft needs a sunny well drained position.

Makes a good container plant.

Cruising the Balkans

Temple of Artemis in the ancient city of Ephesus, Izmir Province, Turkey.

Port of depature; Istanbul. Left: the skyline and right: the Grand Bazaar.

AFTER LOCK DOWN TRAVEL

T

his October I decided to go on a Silversea cruise to the Balkans. I chose it specifically because it was an area I knew very little about and I thought it would make a refreshing change from the mainstream ports I have visited on so many Mediterranean cruises.

This cruise combined some great historic sites in Turkey and Greece with sailing through the Dardanelles past Gallipoli to dip a toe into the Black Sea, visiting ports in Rumania and Bulgaria. Such an unusual itinerary had come about due to Mr. Putin’s shenanigans in Crimea, so I jumped at the chance to visit these more obscure ports of call.

To add a new dimension to the adventure, I had also decided to travel on my own on a cruise for the first time. While I am not new to travelling solo, I was interested to learn how it would change the cruise experience and how it would feel to be a single traveller on board.

The ship was departing from Istanbul, so this was to be my first challenge as a woman travelling alone. My last stay in Istanbul had been 20 years ago and all I could remember was just how male-orientated life there had been then. Women were virtually unseen in the bar and café culture in those days. Would I feel intimidated? Would I end up staying in my room for 24 hours?

A VERY WARM WELCOME I needn’t have worried. Everyone from the courteous taxi driver, to the friendly hotel staff, made me feel very welcome. I even ventured out for dinner alone to a small restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist. At the restaurant they made quite a fuss of me, bringing me the local home baked bread, which came puffed up like a balloon. They showed me how to eat it, with olive tapenade, some olive oil mixed with sour pomegranate syrup and chilli flakes. It made such a tasty starter.

The only disappointment was not being able to have a glass of wine with my meal. Apparently, if any restaurant is within 100 metres of a mosque, no alcohol can be served. And there are now so many mosques under the fundamentalist regime that this now affects many of the city’s restaurants.

Next day I walked to the Grand Bazaar and enjoyed a couple of hours shopping for slippers, scarves and costume jewellery. As a woman alone, I learned very quickly not to stand still or look lost. Immediately I did I was approached by local men, trying to sell me things. However, if I kept walking and limited any questions for directions to police or taxi drivers this eliminated the problem.

In the afternoon I boarded the ship and at tea time we set sail. I decided to go to the Singles Cocktail Party on the first night to get acquainted with some of the other single travellers.

As the Silver Cloud is only a small ship with only 280 passengers, there were only 12 of us – all women! However, it was a great way to meet and get to know one another and we all had dinner together that evening, comparing notes on excursions booked and places we had already visited.

From the ancient city of Ephesus to Nessebar, Pearl of the Black Sea. Once the ice had been broken it was good to have a few friends to eat with or join on excursions without the pressure of being together all the time. I began to realise this could be a very pleasant way to travel.

One of the main reasons for choosing this cruise had been to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. Whenever I had been within striking distance of Ephesus before it had been in the height of the Summer and I had been deterred by the heat.

October would be more comfortable for walking around the ruins. I booked myself on a half day tour and, I have to say, I thought it was the best excursion of the cruise.

On reaching Ephesus after an hour by coach, I was astounded by its size. I had been to Pompeii in Italy earlier in the year, which had impressed me, but this was 10 times the size of Pompeii. At present only 60 pc of Ephesus has been excavated, so they are constantly working on some areas. We visited 2 large mansions under cover, which are still being excavated. These are worth visiting as they give you a real feel for the elaborate and sophisticated nature of the buildings. Not only had they underground heating, but they also used running water to cool the air in the heat of Summer.

One of the most memorable areas in Ephesus was the public toilets. With seating for 74, this used to be a truly social experience – somewhere to go to share conversation while sitting on the loo. The row of toilets had running water along a gutter in front, where you could dip your personal sponge and clean yourself after. No need for toilet paper in those days!

Perhaps the most impressive site was the amphitheatre. With seating for 25,000, this was built high into the hillside. It is still used for outside concerts and the acoustics are said to be amazing.

All above: the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul.

Later in the day I visited the Grand Bazaar in Izmir. This was a totally different experience to the one in Istanbul, but equally fascinating. Built along a rabbit warren of narrow streets, it was heaving with people selling anything from pots and pans to leather bags. There were lots of wedding shops with very fussy wedding dresses, and lots of white satin suits for little boys with elaborate headdresses. It wasn’t somewhere to necessarily buy souvenirs, but it did give a very interesting insight into the local culture.

As we headed back towards the Black Sea we entered the narrow straits of the Dardanelles near to the site of the ancient city of Troy, and then sailed for 3 hours through the Dardanelles on our way to the Sea of Marmara.

As we sailed through this barren land, we passed various sites of the Crimean War along its banks until we finally reached Gallipoli. The resident historian on board gave a very moving lecture about the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War. The whole campaign was a disaster from beginning to end, with such a dreadful loss of life – 43,000 British, 8,500 Australians, 2,500 New Zealanders. Short of supplies, constantly thirsty and dying of dysentery, the survivors had to finally be evacuated. Next year is the 100 year anniversary and many relatives will be there at sunrise 25th April next year to commemorate their deaths.

On our way to the Black Sea our ship sailed along the Bosphorus, giving us a great view of Istanbul on the way. I have to say it was a wonderful experience to see all the mosques and minarets, mansions and palaces along the waterfront as we sailed past. It really is a city seen at its best from the water.

Our last port of call was a beautiful little-known town in Bulgaria, called Nessebar.

It is known locally as the “Pearl of the Black Sea” or Bulgaria’s Dubrovnik”, and is now a World Heritage site. Its history dates back to Antiquity, with lots of ancient ruins dotted about. The most fascinating buildings though are the unusual 19th century wooden houses seen throughout the town.

Nessebar is built on a peninsula and it takes about half an hour to walk around the outer edge. While there appeared to be a very interesting organised tour, I decided it was time to have a day off. I wandered around the harbour and found a wonderful little fish restaurant. There I ordered a selection of fish and a bottle of wine for next to nothing, and sat in the sun thinking how lucky I was to be in yet another fascinating place I’d never heard of before.

All in all, the Balkan cruise was a really refreshing change and a wonderful introduction to a more obscure area of Europe. As for cruising on my own, I would be quite happy to do it again. I found cruising was a really safe environment for a single woman, with as much company or as little as I wanted, whether it was at mealtimes or around the pool or on excursions. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone feeling apprehensive about travelling alone.

Top left: Amphitheatre Ephesus.

Top right: The Library, Ephesus Above: Communal toilets in Ephesus with gutter for washing.

Left: Barbara Collins, Travel Correspondent.

8

Sights to See before they disappear

Those about to plan a once-in-alifetime adventure trip or honeymoon could be forgiven for thinking that no option should be off the table.

However, fast forward just a few decades, and some of today’s most popular destinations could literally be out of consideration. Where the following eight places are concerned, sooner rather than later is the time to visit.

Glacier National Park

Hikers, campers and outdoors enthusiasts head to Montana’s Glacier National Park for one million acres of lakes, peaks and meadows, much of it visible from the cliff-edge-hugging Going-to-theSun Road at 7,000 feet. Not for long, perhaps.

The park, which was established in 1910 and nurtures one of the largest ecosystems in North America, has witnessed a drastic change in its landscape. Of the original 150 glaciers recorded in 1850, only 27 remain, and some experts suggest there won’t be any by 2030.

European Alps Glaciers aren’t faring any better in the European Alps, the winter sports playground for 80 million skiers and snowboarders from all over the continent each year. In short, the Alpine ski resorts are losing their snow, with barely half the Alpine glacial ice compared to the 1850s.

Even since the 1980s, one fifth of the ice has disappeared, and the worst predictions point to two thirds of ski resorts gone by 2100. In the meantime, attempts to mitigate the growth of barren stretches of rock where powder snow once lay come in the shape of snow canon and snow blankets.

Mount Kilimanjaro

A lack of snow in Africa could be seen as less of a crisis, but when the location in question is the previously snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, the continent’s highest peak, the transformation comes as a symbolic blow. As much as 17 feet of ice has disappeared from the summit since the turn of the new millennium, and the mythical snows could be gone entirely by 2030.

Seychelles Overall, global sea levels have risen by eight inches since 1870. Few places feel the rise more acutely than the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Not only has the stunningly beautiful tropical island chain suffered the world’s worst coral-reef extinction, but authorities have also been forced to place granite boulders on previously idyllic beaches to temper rising sea levels. Some argue that the problem is not so much the sea levels rising as the land itself sinking through erosion. Either way, in a country where 80 percent of the population lives on the coast and where the capital itself is on reclaimed land, the possibility of a Seychelles-free world could be less than a century away.

Maldives

The 1,100 islands of the Maldives are suffering a similar fate. Already, the island paradise is the world’s lowest-lying nation, at an average of barely five feet above sea level. A three-foot rise in sea levels, as predicted by 2100, would submerge the island. Although the president has requested international aid in relocating the country’s 350,000 inhabitants, there has been no let-up in construction of exclusive luxury resorts for those ready to book their dream vacation.

Taj Mahal

Mount Kilimanjaro

Venice

Venice Ever since it was built on land reclaimed from the marshes 1,200 years ago, Venice has always suffered from flooding, or Acqua Alta as it is referred to by weary locals. However, the problem is now so bad that the World Monuments Fund has placed the distinctive Italian city on its list of destinations under threat. Rising tides and sinking foundations are to blame. The land on which the city’s Renaissance architecture teeters has subsided by nine inches in a century, while the tide level from the Adriatic Sea has risen by three inches. Luckily, authorities have restricted the pernicious access off giant cruise ships, which offload two million passengers a year. However, unless plans to reclaim the salt marshes and build a flood barrier succeed, St. Mark’s Square could be underwater in 70 years.

Maldives

Great Barrier Reef It would be rather hypocritical to snipe about pollution at the same time as demanding greater travel access to more destinations at increasingly competitive prices, but the effects are hard to avoid. The biggest victim could be the world’s largest barrier reef, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. One of the seven wonders of the natural world, the reef is still top of most scuba divers’ bucket lists for its abundant sea life and biodiversity. However, coral cover has already halved since 1985, and the most pessimistic estimates warn that damage from carbon dioxide levels in the ocean and rising sea temperatures will have caused irreversible damage by 2030. In a hundred years, the reef could be an underwater wasteland.

Taj Mahal Even monuments are not exempt from environmental damage. India’s top tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal in Agra, has taken the breath away for more than 350 years. However, the distinctive white marble exterior is slowly turning yellow, and the plummeting water levels on the neighboring Yamuna River have weakened the foundations. Already, tombs in Shah Jahan’s 17th century mausoleum have started to crack and the minarets are tilting. Without rapid and effective action, the entire structure could collapse, as early as 2016 according to some analysts.

Stand in front of the pyramids at Giza, for example, and you could rightly assume that the world’s most inspirational landmarks will inevitably endure. The sober reality, though, is that travelers have limited time in some cases to see first-hand certain landmarks that are typically taken for granted.

Glacier National Park

Great Barrier Reef

e v a e L h Frenc A chance invitation recently took Brian Spencer to Haims, a remote rural village in central France where he was introduced to the French way of rambling.

Haims is a Vienne Départment village roughly half way between Limoges and Poitiers, west of the A20 autoroute from Paris. It was founded, or so the church records state, in AD936, but today is so rural that it only appears on the larger-scaled road maps. Five very minor roads that seem to lead nowhere meet beside its firmly locked church which only holds services once a month, but somehow manages to ring a tinny bell three times a day. There is a school for the fourteen infants it holds – the older children being bussed into nearby senior academies. Despite its remoteness, Haims has a vibrant social life based on its modern equivalent of a village hall.

Haims and its duck ponds We had an insight into the French rural pastime of hunting while we were there. Sitting quietly and minding our own business one afternoon we were startled by the sudden noise of a long convoy of fast moving cars and angry motor bikes hurtling through the village. They all stopped about half a mile away just in time for a pack of hounds to hurtle across the road hotly followed by a lone huntsman in his feathered hat and carrying a handsome hunting horn. As soon as the hounds disappeared and after a chaotic few minutes of three-point-plus turns, the whole entourage rushed off, letting tranquility descend once more. Strangely there was no sight of anyone on horseback.

The only direct flights from East Midland are operated by Ryan Air, something I have dreaded using since reading stories about massively hidden costs. While I must admit that the crowded cabin space (luggage put in the hold costs extra) was almost as bad as flying by ex-Russian military helicopter from Kathmandu to Namche Bazar, I have to take my hat off to Ryan Air for running such a no-frills, efficient service. By carefully plotting our way through the maze of booking pit-falls we managed the trip for £76

Bois Morand, a privately owned chateau very much in the Loire style.

per head return, including one suitcase carried in the almost empty hold.

We were staying in Haims at le Petit Cochon, the little pig, a small Chambres d’Hotes guest house developed from a hundred-year old building once used by the village wheelwright. Andy Reeds and his wife Julie bought the building a year or so back and have been steadily turning it into a successful business. Andy’s experience as a chef was acquired in London, Paris and Blackpool, but they decided to take on the French at their own game and appear to be succeeding. In an area partly populated by secondhomers, the little pig has become something of a focal point where ex-pats and local residents alike can mingle and get to know each other. Andy and Julie have catered for gatherings of eighty sat in the open air outside the village hall, but are just as capable of passing on their culinary skills to two willing students in their farmhouse-style kitchen.

Whilst it is fair to say that the guest house is still very much ‘work in progress’, development activity such as converting the old loft into bedrooms does not interfere with guests’ enjoyment. What Andy and Julie have

done so far is to re-create the comfortable ambience of a rural French farmhouse. From the typically heavy curtains in the bedrooms, to the large bare wooden communal table in the dining room, or the large open plan kitchen, everything looks just as though it had been plucked from a turn of the twentieth century yeoman farmer’s home, but at the same time, the house is comfortable and modern. The only thing missing was those strange light switches so loved by French hoteliers. These are the ones which work on a time switch that turns off the light within seconds, plunging the poor traveller into total darkness on some rickety staircase. Fortunately all the light switches in le Petit Cochon are those that stay on.

Guests staying overnight seem to come from all over Europe, which is amazing when one considers the fact, that as yet there is no sign of any description to indicate what goes on behind the mellow façade. While we were there a couple from Dijon stayed two nights en-route for la Rochelle, but on Saturday, four members of a Dutch family came to enjoy what Andy is developing as the house speciality – a Saturday night soirée. This takes the form of a special dinner, often with a distinctly non-French theme. I had

The 12th century ch urch at Antigny, Vi enne.

Another view of Antig

ny, Vienne.

e v a e L h c n e r F

My fellow remblesrs

been told to expect curry, something which did make me wonder, if I could have cut out travel costs, by popping down to my local take-away.

Luckily I had been mis-informed and rather than eating curry, we were regaled with dishes of Mexican origin that were new to me, but soon had me under their fiery spell. Nachos, jalapenos, guacamole and salsa were followed by a dish of scallops and prawns, dressed with red onions, peppers, coriander, all in lime and orange juice. For the main course chicken was served with creamed corn and Mexican rice, with chilli and corn bread. All this was cooled down with a delicious three milk cake made by blending flour and eggs with condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream – something out of this world.

Andy and Julie’s soirées are becoming so popular that the local mayor occasionally puts in an

appearance.

On the Sunday morning we were invited to join the local rambling club. At one time the idea of walking for pleasure was anathema to your average Frenchman and woman, but over the last few decades there has been a marked change.

Waymarking is often far better than in the U.K. Driving to the start point meant going by way of various pick-up points where introductions were made with the traditional kisses on both cheeks – something certainly missing from our local rambling groups. The group calls itself Escarp’Haims and seems to be run along similar lines to ours, but with one exception that I will come to later.

We set off along a well marked track, floundering a little in the unavoidable mud whenever the

route coincided with the tracks of a passing tractor. There was no danger of getting lost as several members of the group were wearing high visibility bright yellow jackets. At first I thought these were borrowed from the local roads authority, but close up they turned out to be emblazoned with the club name and other indistinguishable letters; quite a good idea in retrospect. The countryside was undulating farmland and scrub woodland, nothing steep, but certainly not flat, in fact ideal easy walking terrain with wide ranging views towards what I suspected was the Loire valley: bird life was abundant and we passed at least one viewing hide.

The only marked difference between French and English ramblers came at exactly 11:00 a.m. This is the time your average UK walker stops and pours a cup of tea or coffee from their flask. Not

so in France. A vast and I really mean vast, array of goodies was produced from various rucksacks, sausages, quiches, pates, several varieties of cheese, bread, a light as thistledown lemon cake and of course wine. This was not a coffee break, but a full scale picnic and apparently it is a normal happening. Not content with such a spread, it was repeated at the end of the walk when some rather strong home made brews augmented the other liquids. We came away quite mellow and wondered if we could persuade Derbyshire Ramblers to copy this excellent custom, although it must be said that it is not recommended in the middle of a particularly long hard walk.

Several of the villages near Haims have an ancient custom where a lamp is lit in a tall pillar whenever someone dies. Called Lanternes des Mortes they stand in the centre of what we would call a village green. Andy drove us out into the Gartempe Valley, a tributary of the

Loire, stopping first at Antigny a village built on the foundations of a Roman fort and where the church dates from the twelfth century. About a mile upstream is Bois Morand a still privately owned chateau, very much on the Loire style. We couldn’t go in but could admire it through the locked wrought-iron gates and over the intricate design of its traditional knot garden. North along the valley are the twin towns of St Germain and St Savin with the latter being the largest and oldest. The abbey church of St Savin is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is currently being restored, although I must admit to being somewhat unimpressed. My reasons are that the centuries old patina has been sand blasted away and the majestic stone columns are now garishly painted with very modern looking scroll work on top of pastel colouring, something I cannot imagine being there before. What is good though, are the carefully restored wall

paintings. Work inside the church was almost finished on our visit and attention was switching to the outside, especially to the almost castle-like range of abbey buildings and its venerable water powered mill.

Three days were just enough to whet our appetites to this (to us) unknown part of rural France, somewhere we must return to if only to explore more of the maze of paths and interesting villages. So with thanks to Andy, Julie, Freddie the dog and the two cats, we enjoyed our stay and especially the food.

Address: Le Petit Cochon Chambres d’Hotes, 2 Route de Montmorillon, Haims 86310, France Tel: 00335 3352 1679 Website: www.lepetitchonchambresdote.com Email: lpc.haims@gmail.com

It’s the Irish Way

Joining Slacks of Matlock’s tour of County Kerry, soon convinced Brian Spencer that the Irish tend to do many things in a different way to us.

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e had been driving an hour or so south west along the M7 Motorway from Dublin and pulled off at very new services in the heart of Ireland’s agricultural midland. As well as the pristine condition of the buildings, it was the name, that caught my eye.

Not your Leicester Forest East or Watford Gap, this one was named after an individual; President of the USA Barack Obama no less! Apparently ancestors on his mother’s side came from Moneygall, the district surrounding the service station and so the locals were quick to cash in when it came to naming the place. As far as I could tell from a specially prepared exhibition, no American president in recent memory, could expect to be elected without some Irish links, however vague. Perhaps the current president should be called O’Bama.

The Slacks tour we joined, was to County Kerry in the far south-west of Ireland. However, before we got there we had to drive past miles of ranch-style homes, each set in its acre or so of immaculate tree-less lawn behind imposing gate posts, usually topped by concrete eagles.

This was middle USA dumped haphazardly on to emerald green fields, probably by those who had made their fortunes elsewhere. Returning to their roots, they have brought a bit of Southfork America back with them. Occasionally the old family cottage, or at least its foundations would be left as a reminder of times gone by, but all this has taken place despite rumours of strict town and country planning regulations. There seems to have been no transitional building style as say in England, but it shows how Ireland has moved from abject poverty to the recent affluence of the Celtic Tiger economy.

The way Ireland was treated in the past, becomes apparent in the castle guarding the now delightful Georgian city of Limerick. Every English ruler from William the Conqueror onwards, tried to suppress the Irish, mostly by ‘planting’ settlers from lowland Scotland subsequently at the heart of the ‘troubles’ in Ulster. Although the Vikings, followed by the Normans, tried without much success to settle in Ireland, it

was King John, Robin Hood’s nemesis who built Limerick Castle beside the navigable River Shannon. Further rulers like Henry VIII, or Queen Elizabeth 1st and Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell all used Limerick as a strategic base for suppression of the indigenous Irish.

The unfortunate supporters of Charles 1st were besieged in the castle for months during the Irish part of the English Civil War, living next to an open pit where their starving comrades were dumped. There was further trouble after King James’ trouncing at the Battle of the Boyne and even during the 1922 rebellion, but since then Limerick Castle has been allowed to slumber in peace.

Despite its tribulations, it was undermined during various sieges.

Limerick Castle stands firm and strong and just waiting to be explored.

Aided by European Community funding, 21st century technology has brought its turbulent history back to life. Touch-screens connect with tales of the siege and warfare; animations and ghostly projections are all part of the experience making it a fascinating trip back into the past: and dare we say it, a good example of EU subsidies well spent.

Dingle harbour, the most western in Europe, is another example of

Above: Limerick Castle built by King John Below: Inside the castle - a life-size tadleau

The delightful Georgian city of Limerick Above: The Shannon at Limerick Right: A view over the Shannon river

where EU subsides were spent. The sheltered anchorage now has a brand new harbour, large enough to accommodate a couple of battleships, along with a handful of local trawlers, lobster boats and pleasure craft as well as the boat that takes tourists out to see Fungie. He is the friendly dolphin that has charmed visitors for the best part of ten years and is guaranteed to appear and do his stuff whenever a boat comes by. A tall monolith near the harbour entrance gives some hint of how the funding to build the harbour was arranged. Topped by what can be only called the leering face of Charles Haughey the scandal-prone ex-Taoiseach (prime minister), it is a most sycophantic commemoration by the local fishermen, giving their thanks to the great man for his support.

Dingle harbour

With or without the harbour and its trips to find Fungie the friendly dolphin, Dingle town is high on the tourist trail, especially with Americans searching for their roots, or Germans who seem to have fallen in love with all things Irish. The main street beside the harbour is lined with pubs where most nights the walls will be vibrating with Celtic folk music, some even played by Irish bands. With or without the approval of the almost mythical planning control, every building along the street is painted in bright primary colours, and seems to get away with it.

Speaking of statues, along with the bust of Charles Haughey we came across another, this time in the quiet market town of Castle Island where we made our base for three nights. This one is to a local worthy called Con Houlihan who, according to the dedication was a much revered local school teacher, writer, rugby player and fisherman. The way his hand is shown makes it look as though he should be holding a pipe that has probably been stolen, but no it was the characteristic way he always held he held his hand when speaking.

He was obviously a much loved man in the locality and amongst his other attributes shown on the plinth, he is strangely credited with being a turf cutter.

A few years ago, my wife and I were waiting for the ferry across the mouth of the Shannon, when an old woman newspaper seller came along, but all that she had on offer were copies of An Poblacht, the Sinn Fein house journal.

It made interesting reading – apparently the ‘troubles’ were all the fault of a conspiracy between Ian Paisley and the English government in London: no doubt the Unionist inspired equivalent would say it was all Dublin’s fault.

During our stay at Castle Island we took a pre-breakfast stroll each day along the street to the local paper shop where incidentally, we found that the Irish Independent gave a more balanced version of the current news than An Poblacht. Each time we walked up the street we had to dodge past the local street sweeper, who seemed to be only responsible for the same ten metres of pavement. Although there was a leaf blower in his wheel-barrow alongside a tough looking broom, he obviously spent the day picking up leaves one at a time with the aid of long-handled tongs; but only those where the curled edges, any flattened on to the pavement, were simply ignored.

Killarney a town with real shops In the past, we avoided Killarney thinking it would be a tourist trap, but as it was on Slacks’ itinerary there was no missing it, but I am pleased to admit that although it is a popular tourist destination, why else would we be there, it certainly has its attractions. With the Killarney National Park starting at the end of the main street, it seems an idyllic place. The access road runs through dense woodland with scrubby clearings kept open by small Kerry Black cattle and rutting stags, eventually leading to Ross Castle and Lake Leane.

Part of the tour was a boat ride round the lake, but as luck would have it the heavens opened on the only wet morning of our tour – not bad for Ireland.

Fortunately the ferry was one of the enclosed by Perspex affairs and so the cruise round the tiny mist-shrouded islands was a pleasure; but what we

couldn’t see was the 3000 foot plus mountain range towering above us. This is Macgillicuddy’s Reeks, a name that still provokes a remembered schoolboy smirk.

Back on land and looking for the promised jaunting car ride back to town, we were walking past the foot of Ross Castle when I saw what looked like a log moving towards the shore. It was an otter about a metre long and we just stared at each other for a good minute before he turned and swam away.

Killarney town despite its tourism background, still has streets lined with real shops, not a Tesco in sight. Butchers’ and bakers’ sit alongside greengrocers, old fashioned haberdashers and pubs, the sort of shops we have lost over here. No doubt in an attempt to attract American visitors, there are a couple of speculative shopping malls, but the ‘to let’ or ‘for sale’ signs on the few that had been taken, gives clear evidence of the general lack of interest in so-called progress. Flags of all nations, including the Union Jack, fluttered in the breeze along the main street along with banners encouraging the local team in the regional Gaelic football finals. Gaelic football incidentally is a cross between rugby and soccer; the ball is round but the side posts of the netted goals extend upwards; but that is the Irish Way.

Above left: Con Houlihan - local school teacher, writer and fisherman! Above right: Dingle village.

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A WALK OVER

MATLOCK & TANSLEY MOORS

Following a friends suggestion of a short walk, I jumped at the chance of a jaunt over the local moors.

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‘a jaunt over the moors’ 3.5

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WALK 3½miles (5.6km). Easy walking, mostly on clearly defined paths and quiet side lanes. Very little climbing involved. Muddy section above Matlock Golf Course.

RECOMMENDED MAP: Recommended map: OS Explorer 1:25,000 scale map; Sheet OL24 – The Peak District, White Peak Area.

PARKING: Parking off the A632 Chesterfield road adjacent to Highfields School – n.b. please do not impede access to nearby houses or the entrance to Slack’s Coaches.

BUS ROUTE: Frequent bus services from Matlock – numbers 17, 64 and 163. Ask to be dropped off at the stop for Highfields School – Lumsdale site REFRESHMENTS: Cafes and pubs in Matlock also the Plough Inn, Brackenfield is just 2 miles away and serves great food.

Following a friends suggestion of a short walk, I jumped at the chance of a jaunt over the local moors. It goes without saying that the four-legged member of our expedition was more than willing to join us.

The walk starts more or less on the outskirts of Matlock, close to Highfields School. The route is ideal for semi-invalids, or anyone looking for a short walk of no more than two to three hours. It follows the western side of Bentley Brook up and around Matlock Golf Club before swinging back towards and across the main Chesterfield road. Views on the return leg cover the Derwent Valley, are overlooked

by Riber Castle on one side and Black Rocks on the right.

A WALK OVER

MATLOCK & TANSLEY MOORS the car, parked near Highfields 1 From School, walk up to the main road and cross with care. Follow the signposted footpath between two houses and out into open fields, crossing two stiles along the way.

2

Go through a stone squeezer stile and turn right along a farm lane. Continue along it with mature woodland on your left until it reaches a farm gate marked ‘private’.

half right at the gate, go down to 3 Turn a wall and turn left. (Ignore the more obvious walled path at right angles going down to the golf course).

Before moving on, look down into the golf course, towards a prominent rock surrounded by bushes inside a fence. This is known locally as the Cuckoo Stone; although why or how it came to be named, or in fact where it stands, I do not know, because it hardly looks natural in such an isolated position. Possibly it was erected in pre-historic times, but even then its purpose is strange as it doesn’t have the particularly wide field of view required by ancient standing stones. One thing to note though is not to do what I once did and walk up to it for a closer view, thereby rousing the ire of two lady golfers intent on playing through!

4

The official right of way follows the wall, but you may find it swampy underfoot; if so go a little uphill and follow a well used path below the large house and go down to a stile.

slightly right from the stile and 5 Bear cross the top end of the golf course and then left, downhill through undergrowth as far as a stream.

the stream by a narrow bridge 6 Cross and then climb up to a fence with

a stile next to a large holly tree.

Continue uphill as far as a rough track and turn right.

The stream, known as Bentley Brook, once powered a series of small mills set around the gorge of Lumsdale further downstream.

If time allows towards the end of the walk, it is worthwhile exploring the ruined mills. the track, past the entrance to a 7 Follow long abandoned quarry and then past a cottage and the side entrance to the golf course. Beyond this point the track becomes surfaced all the way up to the main road.

The remains of Cuckoostone Quarry on the left are worth exploring, especially in summer when the bilberries are ripe. This was also once part of a plant nursery where the heady scent of yellow azaleas hints of its specialisation. The view opens on the right, so pause to admire the scenic vista.

Riber Castle is prominent on its hilltop. left at the lane end and walk 8 Turn along the footpath as far as a bus

stop. Turn right and cross the road, again on the look out for speeding traffic. Go down the farm lane opposite, towards Wayside Farm.

through the farmyard and also a 9 Go gate, out on to open fields. Cross over the field and walk towards a cottage on the far side.

in front of the cottage, 10 Immediately turn sharp right and over a stile to

follow a narrow path between a fence and an old stone wall. Cross stiles on either side of a narrow brook, more a ditch than a stream, and walk beside the boundary of the caravan site at Packhorse Farm.

another stile then over a small 11 Cross paddock usually part filled by timber waiting to be cut into logs.

final stile reaches the farm’s access 12 Adrive.

Turn left here and walk up to a walled moorland lane.

The name of Packhorse Farm hints that it was once a stopping place for trains of pack ponies carrying salt to Chesterfield and beyond.

13

Turn right and walk along the lane.

Follow it down into a dip and up past rough woodland on the right and wild rhododendrons on the left.

the road makes a sharp right 14 Where angled turn, look for the stile next to a

large sycamore tree a few yards to the left of a field gate.

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Climb over the stile to follow the wall on your left (ignore the path diverging right), and cross a rough field.

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Where the wall ends, bear slightly left and ignoring another path diverging more sharply left, follow your path gradually to the right into the pine covered mounds of long abandoned

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Bentley Brook and Lumsdale Quarries.

17 Because it is used as a cross country

trail by members of Highfields School cross country club, there are many possible tracks going downhill through the old quarry. In order to avoid excessively steep ground, take tracks going mostly left and downhill until a wider track is reached. Turn right along this and go downhill towards an area of rough undergrowth.

Pause again for the view. Riber Castle is close to your left and Black Rocks dominate the right hand skyline. Between them the Derwent has carved a deep cleft beneath the limestone crag of High Tor.

18 Bear right at a footpath junction and

continue downhill, then over a small footbridge to reach the road close to Highfields School.

MARKEATON, MACKWORTH AND THEIR COUNTRYSIDE

It is hard to realise that this walk never strays far from the outer limits of Derby, but right from the start the route wanders through farmland devoted to wheatfields and lush pasture. Surprisingly and despite its proximity to such a vibrant city, none of the paths used on the walk can be said to be overused; in fact, on the return leg the path through fields of grazing sheep and cattle is so little used that in places it can, without careful attention to the described route, be positively non-existent.

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‘fields of grazing sheep’ 6.0

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WALK 6 miles (9.7km) of easy walking along farm lanes and field paths. 197ft (60m) total ascent with some muddy sections after prolonged rain.

PARKING: Pay and display at the Markeaton village end of Markeaton Park – entrance off the minor road from Allestree to the A52 Derby/Ashbourne road.

RECOMMENDED MAP: OS 1:25,000 scale Explorer Map; Derby, Uttoxeter, Ashbourne & Cheadle.

BUS ROUTE: Derby to Markeaton services REFRESHMENTS: Bryers Heritage Farm, off Markeaton Lane, Markeaton Park also Meynell Langley Nursery tea rooms (slightly off route).

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The walk starts from the western edge of Markeaton Park, where on a sunny weekend the car park fills rapidly and parking might be a bit of a problem. The way is then along well defined farm lanes, past a couple of substantial brick-built farm houses and through wheatfields. To the right of the track on the outer journey, a long belt of woodland screens the view into Kedleston Park, quite near, but coyly almost invisible from this angle.

A short length of rural road leads towards Meynell Langley. The way from there is as previously hinted, a little vague on the ground; there is some way marking, but the thing is to follow my instructions carefully and you will eventually find yourself deafened by the noise of traffic thundering along the Ashbourne road.

Fortunately this is fairly brief and by taking a left-hand turn down a country lane you will find yourself in the tranquil village of old Mackworth.

Passing beyond its church, hedges lining yet more wheat fields are criss-crossed on the way back to Markeaton Park, with the aerial-topped tower of Derby University pointing the way.

MARKEATON, MACKWORTH AND THEIR COUNTRYSIDE Markeaton Park car park, turn 1 From right and follow the road for about

100yds as far as the surfaced driveway to Markeaton Stones Farm.

past the attractive brick-built farm 2 Go and its subsidiary buildings. Pass

through a traffic barrier and follow the unsurfaced track through arable fields for about a mile.

is a side path cutting the next 3 There corner but it is easier to continue along the track and as far as a ‘T’ junction with a tarmac lane.

have lived there for over nine centuries.

George Nathaniel Curzon, Marquess of Kedleston, Viceroy of India who as a supporter of the National Trust, gave Kedleston to the nation. through the gate and turn left on 7 Go to a minor road, Lodge Lane, which is followed across a dip, for about 120 yards.

the road where it turns sharp 8 Leave right. Turn left by the gatehouse,

and go down the drive leading to Meynell Langley gardens, but almost immediately go left through a gate marked with a footpath fingerpost.

left along the lane, heading for a 4 Turn belt of woodland appearing on your right – this is Vicar Wood.

the surfaced lane bears left, 5 Where continue forwards until you reach Upper Vicarwood Farm.

The farm like the others seen or passed along this walk, is built of mellow-hued bricks no doubt produced locally a couple of hundred years ago. From the proximity of Kedleston Hall the farms are likely to have originally been part of the estate.

6

On entering the farmyard of Upper Vicarwood Farm aim to the left of the stable block and go through a gate.

Continue along the now grassy track running between the mature woodland and a ploughed field. Follow this track, climbing gently uphill until it reaches a gate.

If you look carefully, over to your right and through the trees, Kedleston Hall appears beyond its nearby pleasure grounds that were laid out around the time (1761-70) when James Paine and Robert Adam co-operated in its building. Built in the classical style, it was made for the first Lord Scarsdale. He was one of the Curzons who

A short diversion before turning off the drive will be to follow the drive towards the nursery where plant trials study the suitability of new arrivals. There is an almost Scandinavian-style café that makes an ideal break half way along the walk. Return to the gate opposite the gatehouse and bear right to continue the walk. the garden’s boundary hedge 9 Follow into a grassy field, then through a small, wooded enclosure, after passing a lake glimpsed briefly in a hollow to your right.

path is indistinct in places and 10 The waymarking is sparse. Go through a

small gate and out across the middle of two fields, down to a narrow brook.

the footbridge and climb up 11 Cross the field on its far side, at the top

of which the path forks. Follow the waymark pointing left and go through the gap left by an abandoned gateway.

Outbuildings of Bowbridge Fields Farm will appear to your right.

12

Ignoring the temptation to follow the lime tree lined drive away from the

farm; bear left across the field and follow the hedge on your side of a large house. through a kissing gate and out on 13 Go to the busy A52. left to follow the pavement for 14 Turn a little under half a mile, passing the garage and its diner.

left down Jarveys Lane and 15 Turn follow it through Mackworth village. the village road turns sharp 16 Where right, continue forwards on to a rough field track. Bear left and go through a stile to skirt round to the right of the church. Go to the right when level with the church.

17

With Derby University and the cathedral tower on the skyline

ahead, follow occasional waymarks alongside the hedge on your left. there is a wide gap in the 18 Where hedge go through it and with the next section of hedge on your right, follow the steadily improving path as far as the Markeaton road.

reaching the road you can either 19 On turn left to follow the pavement back

to the car park, but it will probably be more enjoyable and traffic free to cross the road where it turns sharp left and continue forwards along a driveway into the park. Cross the twinarched bridge over the lake and go left by the children’s playground, then left again by the boating lake to reach the car park.

Bryer’s Heritage Farm

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