Derbyshire

County Signpost
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Contents
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Welcome to the 2010 edition of Derbyshire,

Nottinghamshire & the Potteries County
Historic Buildings Signpost Tourist Guide, your indispensable
guide to the best tourist attractions and days out
the county has to offer.

Attractions We hope that you find our guide, a pleasure to

read, both interesting and informative, and that
you will take it away with you, to use again and
again.

Museums & Arts We offer a taster of the visitor attractions and

events within the County, for both locals and
those who wish to visit from afar.

Towns & Districts To be featured in our next edition -

please email the editor.

For a free download please visit

The Open Air our new map-driven,
online magazine website
Published by: County Signpost Ltd
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Editor: Adam Davison

2010 Competition
Swadlincote Ski & Snowboard Centre
Issue 12 - 2010
Free Sno-tubing and Crest Run tickets
simply email the name of Britain’s 2010 gold medal
winner at the Winter Olympics to the editor !
Annual Publication - The Ultimate County Guide
All material in this magazine is, as far as we are aware, cor- Please mention
rect at the time of printing. County Signpost Ltd does not Derbyshire Signpost

Historic Houses | Attractions | Museums & Arts

accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies which when visiting any of
slipped through. Copyright County Signpost Ltd 2010. the attractions.

Towns & Districts | Open Air

No part of this magazine may be used or
reproduced without the written permission of the
publisher.
Cover image : Bolsover Castle
County Signpost Ltd

www.countysignpost.co.uk
© English Heritage Photo Library
01743 874098
Signpost - page 1 info@countysignpost.co.uk
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 The National Trust
Clumber Park, nr Worksop
Clumber Park is a 1,543 hectare country park
which was once the home of the Dukes of
Newcastle. The property was acquired by the
National Trust in 1946, following a public appeal
and has been open to the public all year round
ever since.
Clumber House was demolished in 1938 by the
Pelham-Clinton family who planned to build a
smaller, more practical home elsewhere in the
grounds. The start of the WW11 in 1939 pre-
vented this happening; the park was requisi-
tioned by the Ministry of Defence and became
an ammunition sub-depot and training camp.
After the war the family decided to sell the estate
hence Clumber is now a ducal estate without a
ducal home. Many clues to the splendour of the
past remain, including the classical bridge,
Gothic style chapel (often described as a cathe-
dral in miniature), the longest avenue of lime
trees in Europe and the Walled Kitchen Garden,
at 450 foot long, is the longest glass house in
Trust care. In the spring and summer months,
visitors can see the progress being made to bring
more areas back under cultivation, visit the glass
house and see the museum of garden tools. A
number of heritage and rare varieties of fruit
and vegetables are grown in the garden, under
the watchful eye of the Head Gardener and his
team.
Signpost - page 5
Clumber Lake landscape - © NT /
D.Noton
The Park has a 40 hectare ‘serpentine’ lake, more
than 20 miles of cycle routes, about 800 hectares
of woodland and open heathland which is
increasing thanks to a long-term restoration
project. Lowland heathland is under threat
nationally, but at Clumber proactive conserva-
tion management has sustained lizards and
nightjars and seen the return of species such as
the Woodlark.
Clumber's mosaic of water, heath and woodland
is home to a wide variety of animals, birds,
insects and plant life, including more than 200
species of spider and a particularly interesting
selection of dead wood beetles and fungi. For
this reason over 400 hectares of the Park is des-
ignated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI). Visitors can learn more about the wildlife
at the Conservation Centre which opens on
summer weekends.
The Park attracts about 700,000 visitors a year.
It has a restaurant, plant centre, cycle hire and a
huge range of events from guided walks to open
air concerts. Many events are aimed at families
and children. The Learning and Discovery team
at Clumber offers a wide range of talks and
activities to schools and other groups. The
Sherwood in Clumber exhibition provides a fas-
cinating look at the history of the landscape to
see how the park that was once part of the
ancient forest of Sherwood was developed.
There are also exhibitions on the house and
wider estate and Wartime Clumber.
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Work continues to develop in the Walled
Kitchen Garden. Recent work has included
restoration of the conservatory and western
long range, creation of a rose garden, new soft
fruit planting areas, refurbished toilet facilities
and introduction of a new tracker pack aimed at
younger visitors plus a range of demonstration
style events.
When Clumber House was home to the
Newcastle’s, the Estate would have been run by
a staff of hundreds - thirty gardeners worked in
the Kitchen Garden alone. Today the property
has 36 permanent staff running all aspects of
work at Clumber, from buildings maintenance to
table service. It relies on more than 100 volun-
teers who help with everything from practical
conservation work to historical research, events
and office administration.
Bike riding is a big attraction and bikes are avail-
able for hire at Clumber for all the family. There
are numerous trails around the park ranging
from a trail around the lake suitable for little legs
to demanding off road ones.
Christmas at Clumber © NTPL / John William
Clumber Park is open daily throughout the year
except 25 December and concert days.
Calke Abbey, nr Melbourne
Calke Abbey came to the Trust in 1985, in lieu
of tax to the Government. It opened in 1987
and has become famous as an example of a
country house in decline in the twentieth centu-
ry. It shows the faded finery, peeling wallpaper
and diminished glory of a country home which
saw its prime in previous centuries.
It is a baroque mansion, built between 1701-4
for Sir John Harpur, and set in 600 acres of
parkland. It also has three walled gardens, a
recently restored orangery and extensive out-
buildings.
The unique quality of Calke lies with the family,
the Harpur Crewes, who lived there from the
reign of James I until quite recently. The most
marked characteristics of the family were reclu-
siveness, a passion for collecting and an absorb-
Signpost - page 6

ing fascination with natural history; the house
contains their spectacular natural history collec-
tion today.
Visitors can see the faded splendour of a once
wealthy house that has remained virtually
untouched since the 1920s, when the last
baronet died. Room after room yields up the
possessions of the Harpur Crewes; paintings,
‘antiquities’ and carriages. There are also individ-
ual treasures like the magnificent Chinese Silk
Calke Abbey Saloon © NT / G.Day
Signpost - page 7
Calke Abbey South Front © NT / G.Day
State Bed, made for George I in about 1715 but
only erected in 1985 after it was found still in its
original packing crate by National Trust staff!
Calke Abbey attracts approximately 120,000 vis-
itors each year, while other people visit just to
enjoy the park. The attractive grounds feature a
beautiful walled garden and an interesting collec-
tion of garden buildings including the recently
restored Peach House. Visitors can also explore
the parkland which was designated a National
Nature Reserve in 2004, in recog-
nition of the quality of its wood
pasture.
In its prime, the house alone would
be staffed by about 26 servants.
Today Calke Abbey estate has a
regular and seasonal staff of 50
including gardeners, wardens, shop
and restaurant staff. Approximately
200 volunteers help at Calke Abbey
at different times, carrying out
essential tasks such as room stew-
arding or helping in the gardens.
Facilities at Calke include a large
restaurant serving a variety of local
www.countysignpost.co.uk
food, a Museum Room with changing displays, a
children’s play area, Squirt’s Stables (the old sta-
bles) offering children’s activities and a well
stocked shop with new Calke Pantry area selling
delicious local food and plant sales area. The
Riding School, an area used by the family for
exercising their horses, has recently been
restored into a beautiful open space suitable for
events, exhibitions and weddings. Look out for
the rowing boat perched mysteriously on the
rafters of the riding school. Workmen found it
there when the Riding School was restored and
its reasons for being there remain unknown.
Calke also has a herd of deer roaming the
ancient parklands, where some of the trees are
almost 1000 years old! It also has a unique
Auricula theatre in the garden, the only original
theatre for displays of these small colourful
plants in known existence, and a throwback to
the Victorian craze for collecting and displaying
rare plant species.
The house and garden are open daily except
Thursday and Friday from 28 February to 1
November 2009 (open Good Friday). The park
is open daily dawn till dusk.
Sudbury Hall Garden Elevation © NT / David
Slade
Sudbury Hall, Ashbourne
Sudbury Hall came into the National Trust’s care
after it was given to the Treasury in 1967 in part-
payment of duties after the death of the 9th
Lord Vernon.
Sudbury Hall is one of the most individual late
seventeenth century houses, and was built in
1660 for George Vernon. Of all the houses built
in Charles II’s reign, it is one of the most idio-
syncratic: a marriage of old fashioned Jacobean
features particularly on the exterior, whilst inside
are carved stone, wood and plasterwork in the
richly decorated classical style of Wren’s city
churches. The interior decoration includes
wood carvings by Gibbons, mythological deco-
rative ceilings by Laguerre and superb plaster-
work. Sudbury Hall also contains perhaps the
finest staircase of its date in situ in an English
country house.
Visitors can enjoy a series of State Rooms
including the Saloon with its Laguerre ceiling
depicting the Four Seasons, the Drawing Room,
Library, Long Gallery and Queen’s Room. The
Long Gallery and Great Staircase were featured
Signpost - page 8
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk

Museum Shop and also newly added (2009) even now, unsurpassed in
woodland adventure playground. Europe. Bess was the sec-
ond richest woman in
Sudbury Hall is the only National Trust mansion Elizabethan England and
to be fully heated by woodchip fuelled Biomass accumulated her wealth
boilers, installed in 2008 and giving Sudbury an through her marriages and
almost neutral carbon footprint. her famed shrewdness!

Visitors are welcome to walk in the grounds

Sudbury Staircase © NT / A. von
in the 1995 BBC production of Pride and
Prejudice. In 1999, the kitchen was used as one
of the locations for the television drama In a
Land of Plenty, broadcast on BBC2 early in
2001. During 2000 this kitchen was redecorated
to its 1930s style. Visitors can also see the Velvet
Bedroom, restored to its 1930s splendour.
Approximately fourteen staff care for the
Hall and Museum. In addition nearly 250
volunteers help with both sides of the
property at different times, carrying out
various essential tasks such as room stew-
arding.
Sudbury Hall and the Museum of
Childhood attract about 110,000 visitors
each year. The house is open daily except
Monday and Tuesday from 14 February to
1 November (open Bank Holiday Mondays
and Good Friday). There is also a restau-
rant and two shops; the Gift Shop and the
which are home to Kestrels, Grey Herons, Grass
Snakes, Dragon Flies, Newts, frogs, toads, Little
and Tawny Owls, and woodpeckers.
Hardwick Hall, nr Chesterfield
Hardwick Hall, described locally as having ‘more
glass than wall’, is an outstanding example of
Elizabethan architecture and one of Britain’s
foremost Elizabethan houses. Today it is cared
for by the National Trust. Hardwick came to the
National Trust in 1959 via the Government, in
lieu of death duties. At that time it was owned by
the Devonshire family.
It was built by ‘Bess of Hardwick’, Countess of
Shrewsbury, between 1590 and 1597. Bess’s ini-
tials, ES, and her coat of arms, decorate the
rooftop. The Hall houses a unique collection of
rich sixteenth and early seventeenth-century tap-
estries and needlework collected by Bess, and,
Hardwick Exterior Elevated © NT / Giraffe Photography
The Hall attracts around
120,000 visitors each year. It
stands in approximately 500
acres of parkland and wood-
land, next to Hardwick Old
Hall, which is owned by the Hardwick Park Farm © NT
National Trust, but managed
by English Heritage.
Walled courtyards enclose fine gardens, an
orchard and a newly restored herb garden, and
the surrounding country park contains rare
breeds of cattle and sheep including
Longhorn Cattle and White faced
woodland sheep.
Visitors can also explore the Hardwick
Park Centre and find out more about
the story of stone and stonemasons at
the Hardwick Stone Centre.
Approximately 200 volunteers help at
the Hall, Estate, Mill and Gardens at
different times, carrying out various
essential tasks such as room stewarding
or helping in the gardens, guided tours
and events.
The property has a range of events
throughout the year, including open
events on the farm.
The Hall is open on Wednesday to
Sunday (Bank Holiday Mondays and
Good Friday) from. It also has a shop
and a restaurant.
Hardwick Stone Centre © NT /

Signpost - page 9
A.Tryner
Signpost - page 10

Kedleston Hall, nr Derby
Kedleston was gifted to the Trust by the Curzon
family in 1986 by Francis, 3rd Viscount
Scarsdale. The Hall is a fine example of a neo-
classical mansion, designed by the famous archi-
tect Robert Adam as his first major commission.
It was built between 1759 - 65 for the Curzon
family, who have lived in the area since the 12th
century, and was designed for lavish entertaining
and as a showpiece to house the 1st Lord
Scarsdale’s art and sculpture collection. The Hall
has the most complete and least-altered
sequence of Robert Adam interiors in England
on the state floor where a series of magnificent
state rooms retain their great collections of
paintings and original furniture.
On the ground floor, where some alterations
took place in the early 20th century, the Eastern
Museum houses a fascinating range of objects
collected by Lord Curzon during his travels in
Asia and whilst Viceroy of India (1899-1905). A
virtual tour of the state floor, for visitors who
are unable to ascend the staircase, is housed in
the adjacent Smoking Room, along with chang-
ing displays of objects and information.
Signpost - page 11
Kedleston south front © NT / M Byron-
The landscape setting of the house is unique in
being formed largely to Adam’s designs at the
same time as the building of the house. Adam
created a pleasure ground of trees and shrubs to
complement the Hall including an orangery,
summer house and statuary. This was designed
to blend seamlessly with the surrounding park-
land which includes five lakes, three lodges, a
three arched bridge and cascades, and a fishing
pavilion flanked by a pair of boathouses. There
are four marked walks around the park which
Kedleston © NTPL
www.countysignpost.co.uk
provides a habitat for a variety of flora and
fauna including veteran trees, rare beetles, fungi,
bats, stoats, owls, birds of prey and waterfowl.
Kedleston attracts approximately 100,000 visi-
tors annually who are welcomed at Visitor
Reception in the main car park. Inside the Hall
a further welcome is received from Kedleston’s
18th century Housekeeper, Mrs Garnett (1pm,
2pm, 3pm on most open days).
Approximately 20 regular staff and 30 seasonal
staff (including gardeners, housekeepers, war-
dens, visitor services, shop and restaurant staff)
help to care for Kedleston and open it to the
public. Approximately 200 volunteers also assist
at the Hall, carrying out various essential roles
such as room stewarding, guided tours, assisting
with events, maintaining Kedlestons archives or
helping in the gardens and park.
Kedleston Hall was used extensively as a loca-
tion for the 2008 Oscar winning film ‘The
Duchess’ starring Keira Knightley and Ralph
Fiennes.
The Hall, Restaurant and Shop are open daily
except Thursday and Friday from the 28
February to 1 November (open Good Friday).
The Restaurant and Shop also open on
Thursdays and Fridays during the school sum-
mer holiday, and on every weekend throughout
the winter months.The garden is open daily
from 28 February to 1 November, while the park
is open on most days throughout the year. A
variety of events take place at Kedleston
throughout the year and an events leaflet is avail-
able.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Kedleston lake and bridge © NT / M Kennedy
Signpost - page 12
 English Heritage
Bolsover Castle
‘By an unlikely miracle,’ wrote the architectural
historian Mark Girouard, ‘the keep at Bolsover
has survived into this century as an almost
untouched expression in stone of the lost world
of Elizabethan chivalry and romance.’
Dominating the countryside from its hilltop,
Bolsover occupies the site of a medieval castle
built by the Peverel family shortly after the
Norman Conquest. Sir Charles Cavendish
bought the old castle in 1612 and began work on
his ‘Little Castle’ project. Despite its embattled
appearance, his creation was not designed for
defence, but for elegant living.
Sir Charles intended the house as a retreat from
the world to an imaginary golden age of chival-
ry and pleasure. His son William, later Duke of
Signpost - page 13
Finally he constructed the cavernous Riding
House with its magnificent roof, perhaps the
finest surviving indoor riding school in Britain:
here he indulged his passion for training ‘great
horses’. There is also a Discovery Centre in the
Stables, with audio-visual displays.
The castle battlements and the Venus Garden
are in the process of being restored, and the
fountain, with 23 new statues, plays again for
the first time in centuries. A series of ‘Caesar
paintings’ depicting Roman Emperors and
Empresses has also recently returned to
Bolsover. These were commissioned by
William Cavendish and copied from originals
by the great Venetian artist Titian - which have
since been destroyed - making the Bolsover
versions uniquely important.
Castle Street, Bolsover S44 6PR
Telephone 01246 822844
www.english-heritage.org.uk
Bolsover Castle - © English Heritage
Newcastle, inherited the Little Castle in 1616 and
set about its completion, assisted by the architect
John Smythson. An extraordinary survival, the
exquisitely carved fireplaces and recently con-
served murals and painted panelling of its interi-
ors take the visitor on an allegorical journey
from earthly concerns to heavenly (and erotic)
delights.
William also added the vast and stately rooms of
the Terrace Range, now a dramatic roofless shell.
To show off his achievement, in 1634 he invited
the Stuart court to ‘Love’s Welcome to
Bolsover’, a masque specially written by Ben
Jonson for performance in the Fountain
Garden.
Signpost - page 14
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk

Peveril Castle
Perched high above the pretty village of garderobe, and a small room with beautiful
Castleton, the castle offers breathtaking views of views of the surrounding countryside.
the Peak District. Founded soon after the
Norman Conquest of 1066 by William Peverel, A new visitor centre, shop and new exhibition
one of King William’s most trusted knights, it can also be enjoyed.
played an important role in guarding the Peak
Forest area.

When ‘Castle Peak’ (as it was known in the

Middle Ages) passed into the hands of Henry II,
he made a number of additions. Most notable is
the great square keep, with its round-headed
windows, built in 1176. Thirteenth-century
developments included the great hall, and
though by 1400 the fortress had ceased to be of
strategic importance, its impregnability guaran-
teed its continued use as a prison.
Peveril Castle - © English Heritage

Following extensive conservation work on the Market Place, Castleton, Hope Valley
keep, English Heritage has erected a walk-way at Telephone 01433 620613
first floor level, enabling visitors to enter two www.english-heritage.org.uk
chambers previously inaccessible: a medieval

Hardwick Old Hall

Hardwick Old Hall - © English Heritage

The remodelled family home of Bess of Bess created, and a wonderful new audio tour
Hardwick, one of the richest and most remark- helps to bring the colourful history of this fasci-
able women of Elizabethan England, stands nating site to life.
beside the New Hall she raised later in the 1590s.
Though the Old Hall is now roofless, visitors
can still ascend four floors to view surviving
decorative plasterwork, as well as the kitchen and
service rooms. An audio tour tells Bess’s story.
Doe Lea, nr Chesterfield
Telephone 01246 850431
A recent exhibition in the West Lodge described
www.english-heritage.org.uk
Bess’s adventures in architecture, telling how she
transformed her birthplace from a medieval
manor house into a luxurious Elizabethan man-
sion: it operated alongside the New Hall as
household accommodation for two centuries.
New graphic panels focus on the rich interiors
Peveril Castle - copyright English heritage

Signpost - page 15 Signpost - page 16

 Made for over 100 years
County Signpost
MOORCROFT
Wingfield Manor Heritage Visitor Centre

There is something
for everyone who
comes to Moorcroft
Described as the worlds
leading art pottery made by
the finest craftsmen
Wingfield Manor- © English Heritage
The vast and immensely impressive ruins of a offering a kaleidoscope of
palatial medieval manor house arranged round a colour and quality
pair of courtyards, with a huge undercrofted
Great Hall and a defensible High Tower 22
metres (72 feet) tall. This monument to late
medieval ‘conspicuous consumption’ was built
in the 1440s for the wealthy Ralph, Lord
Cromwell, Treasurer of England.

Access will be by guided tours only

Garner Lane, South Wingfield

Telephone 01246 856456
www.english-heritage.org.uk Moorcroft Heritage Visitor Centre
Shop, Museum & Bottle Oven
Sandbach Road,Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 2DQ
E.mail: shop@moorcroft.com www.moorcroft.com
OPEN: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm
Closed Sundays Open all bank holidays Telephone: 01782 207943
GUIDED FACTORY TOURS: Booking in advance is advisable
Signpost - page 17 Mon, Wed, Thurs, 11am & 2pm Friday 11am only
Admission Adults £4.50 Concessions £3.50
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk

Melbourne Hall There are various statues along the walkways

and also the spectacular wrought-iron birdcage
by Bakewell.

The Gardens are open from April - September

1.30pm - 5.30pm Wednesdays, Saturdays,
Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays (additional
open days possible in August).The Hall is open
from August 1st - 31st, (but not the first three
Mondays), from 2 pm, last entry at 4.15pm.

Excellent food can be enjoyed in the Melbourne

Hall Tearooms

Browse round the Visitors Centre, open most

days throughout the year, where the Gift Shop
The ‘Birdcage’ - wrought iron
and Estate Workshops provide a fine selection
of unique gift ideas. Telephone: 01332 862502
www.melbournehall.com
Enjoy a photographic introduction to
Melbourne Hall Gardens by visiting ‘Up the
Garden Path’ display in the Visitor Centre.

Take a tram ride

through time!
Step aboard a vintage tram and travel back in time
along a recreated village street complete with
working pub. Explore fascinating exhibitions and
watch trams being restored via the Workshop
Viewing Gallery. A fun-packed day for all the family
with children’s playground, tearooms,

Melbourne Hall is a delightful house full of his- Gardens

shops, Woodland Walk and Pottery Tours
Sculpture Trail.
tory. Originally a rectory for the Norman Parish
Fun for all ages.

Melbourne Hall Gardens are the place to visit if

Find out about

Church, it became the home of Sir John Coke in 4321

Denby, then Paint

you are seeking a relaxing thoughtful stroll. 3 85

0177
a Plate and make

1628. It has been inherited by subsequent mem- 5D P

a clay souvenir.

D E 4 .u k
bers of the family to the present day and is now shire co
The Gardens were planned by Rt. Hon. Thomas erby amway.
Free Cookery

k D
home to Lord and Lady Ralph Kerr and their oc .tr
Matl
Demonstrations

Coke in the early part of the 18th century. The www

Crich
Daily - lasting 30 minutes

young family. colourful and tranquil garden has been imagina-

Shopping Factory shop bargains, plus cookery,

tively updated with some new planting by Lady

garden and gift shops

Melbourne Hall as it stands today shows what Ralph Kerr.

MUSEUM BOURNE’S RESTAURANT PLAY AREA PICNIC AREAS

Sir John’ s descendants have made of it. The

Open: Mon-Sat 9.30am-5pm Sun 10am-5pm
FREE Centre Entry & Parking

family surname has changed three times due to The gardens are designed with paths allowing
Derby Road, (B6179) Denby, Derbyshire DE5 8NX.

inheritance via the female line, the full history

Call: 01773 740799

easy access, and intersected by streams that flow

will be told within the tour, as well as being fully through the grounds underneath miniature
documented in the souvenir guide. bridges and through the lush flower beds.

Signpost - page 19 Signpost - page 20

 County Signpost
Royal Crown Derby
Boasting a rich history and heritage dating back
over 250 years, a visit to Royal Crown Derby
today is a walk through a unique manufacturing
history, where the visitor can see the skills learnt
over the centuries, passed down through succes-
sive generations of craftsmen. These skills com-
bine with the creativity of an excellent design
team of artists and sculptors to create top
quality giftware and tableware.
Royal Crown Derby fine bone china, is the only
branded bone china to be manufactured
exclusively in England.
All processes from design to decoration take
place at the Derby factory. Each piece is an
example of English craftsmanship at its best.
Signpost - page 21
The ‘manufacturing’ is more a combination of
original artistry - from painter to computer
designer to shape-maker/sculptor and with
highly skilled, and experienced staff hand
painting the china.
The factory tour is well worth the time as it
really impresses upon the visitor the skills and
processes involved in making Royal Crown
Derby fine bone china.
Royal Crown Derby paperweights, a range of
decorative animals and birds, are one of the
most successful quality collectables on the
market.
A loyal and enthusiastic collectors club member-
ship eagerly await new introductions every year,
especially the annual complimentary joining gift
and collector’s guild exclusive. Signing events
with key designers is one of the regular
special events that take place at the Visitor
Centre and also at selected retailers.
The Royal Crown Derby Visitor Centre is open
for tours - Tuesday – Thursday 11.30 and
1.30pm (Booking advisable. Telephone for
booking information ).
The Visitor Centre shop (open Monday -
Saturday 10am - 5pm) is a Mecca for collectors
carrying the current product range including
exclusives and limited editions.
Seconds quality, discontinued items and special
offers ensure there are always bargains to be
had.
You can finish your visit with tea, home-made
cakes and light lunches in the excellent café.
Telephone 01332 712800 / 712833
www.royalcrownderby.co.uk
Signpost - page 22
 County Signpost
Celebrating 225 years
of history
The luxury British knitwear brand was founded
in 1784 by John Smedley and Peter Nightingale,
great-uncle of Florence Nightingale. Inspired
by Arkwright’s mill, considered to be the oldest
factory in the world, they decided to set up busi-
ness at Lea Mills, in Matlock, as a brook provid-
ed and still provides a source of running water
and power. The Amber Valley was the ‘silicon
valley’ of its day at the beginning of the indus-
trial revolution. Seven generations of the
Smedley family have ensured that the company
Signpost - page 23
has remained at the forefront of the industry,
taking full advantage of the latest technology,
using the finest quality fibres and Yarns raw
materials, keeping ahead of trends and establish-
ing a reputation for quality, detail and design.
At first, the business spun cotton that was then
sent and made into garments on hand-frame
looms. By the turn of the 18th century, the com-
pany was manufacturing hosiery and knitwear.
Peter Nightingale died in 1803, leaving John
Smedley to run the company on his own.
In 1825, the second John Smedley took over
after working for the firm for six years. He is
remembered for bringing production under one
roof at Lea Mills as well as for his Hydro in
Matlock and for building Riber Castle. For the
first time, spinning, knitting and making up fin-
ished garments took place at Lea Bridge. A last-
ing reputation for quality and reliability was
established.
Leaving no heir, he was succeeded by his cousin
John T.Marsden Smedley, who took over in
1875. He died two years later and the company
passed into the hands of his son John
D.Marsden Smedley who was at the helm for 70
years, making it a limited company in 1893 and
ensuring that the Smedley name became world
famous thanks to his insistence on cutting-edge
technology and diversification. He also incorpo-
rated Sea Island cotton, noted for its long, fine
fibres. In 1876, the iconic ‘Jaybird’ logo trade-
mark was adopted registered and this became
synonymous with fine quality woollen and Sea
Island cotton underwear – still made by the
company today.
www.countysignpost.co.uk
The 1930s saw the company diversifying by pro-
ducing outerwear and introduced the now icon-
ic three-button polo shirt Isis, long sleeve polo
Leander and the roll collar Pembroke, all of
which have become classics and are included in
the range today.
1959 saw John D.Marsden, Smedley’s son-in-law
become Chairman and in the 1960s, the compa-
ny developed their famous fine knit sweaters and
knitwear.
Ian A D Maclean (son-in-law of John) is the cur-
rent Chairman, appointed in June 2008 and a
new Managing Director, New Zealander,
Andrew Caughey was appointed soon after.
Today, the seventh generation of the Smedley
family continues to develop the company along-
side the in-house design and management team.
In the past decade, the most innovative, comput-
er-controlled machines and 21st century tech-
nology have been installed within a modern yet
traditional factory environment. Yarn and gar-
ments are produced to exacting quality and
design standards as family and workforce take
the company forward to the next milestone of
250 years.
John Smedley has recently been awarded two
prestigious awards – The Gold Export Award
and are the first recipients of The Heritage
Award presented by the BKCEC (British
Knitting and Clothing Export Council).
Telephone 01629 534571
Email : enquiries@johnsmedley.com
www.johnsmedley.com
FINE QUALITY KNITWEAR
MADE IN ENGLAND
LEA MILLS WWW.JOHNSMEDLEY.COM
LEA BRIDGE
TEL: 01629 530 426
MATLOCK
DE4 5AG OPEN 7 DAYS: 10AM - 4PM
Signpost - page 24
 County Signpost
Moorcroft Heritage
Visitor Centre
Museum
The Moorcroft Museum enables the visitor to
look back in time: you can let your imagination
run wild and absorb the fascinating history of
this unique company and its hand-crafted pot-
tery. The Moorcroft Museum display sparkles in
cabinets made by Liberty of London in 1924,
enabling the visitor to look at past examples of
the very first pieces designed by William
Moorcroft at the end of the 19th century. You
move forward into the fascinating renaissance of
Moorcroft’s art ten years ago, before passing
through the millennium to the present day.
Themed exhibitions relating to Moorcroft’s his-
tory are an ever-changing feature of this vibrant
and colourful Museum display.
Shop and Bottle Oven
Steeped in history, massive yet gracious, the
Moorcroft Bottle Oven stands in the centre of
the factory shop. Although its
final commercial firing took
place in 1962, the bottle oven is
now one of the few remaining
in Stoke-on-Trent. As a Grade
Two listed building, shop visitors
have the opportunity to step
inside, and there experience the
mood of a bygone age.
Described as the world’s
best-kept Moorcroft
secret, the shop offers
a comprehensive col-
lection of pottery and
table lamps.
Moorcroft pottery, is
displayed to breath-tak-
ing effect on oak stands.
Signpost - page 25
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Every piece of Moorcroft is individual and made
entirely by hand. The method of production of
Moorcroft pottery originated by William
Moorcroft is almost exactly the same today as it
was a hundred years ago. Designs are applied by
On hand will be Moorcroft’s highly knowledge- Tubelining or Slip trailing as it is sometimes
able and friendly sales advisors. You can browse called, a process by which the raised outline is
at your leisure without obligation. applied to the pot in the form of a fine extrusion
of liquified clay or slip squeezed through bag
Factory Tour held in the hand. The colours are based on
metallic oxides, and are applied entirely by hand,
Why not book a factory tour and witness the highly with one colour gently washed over another to
skilled craftsmen at work. The method of making enable them to blend together at high tempera-
Moorcroft has remained virtually unchanged for over tures, firstly with the clay pot then the transpar-
100 years.
ent glaze. It is a second firing which produces
the brilliance and depth of colour which has
Today, Moorcroft is as alive and vibrant as it has
become the unique hallmark of Moorcroft
been at any time in its long and colourful histo-
Pottery.
ry. Old pieces now fetch substantial sums in the
major salesrooms of the world while many
pieces sold less than five years ago have more Opening Hours
than doubled in value. Monday to Friday - 10am to 5pm
Christies the international auctioneers, hold two Saturday 9.30am to 4.30pm
specialist Moorcroft sales each year. Another
(Inclusive of Bank Holidays)
Car Park and Admission are Free.
remarkable fact is that for a hundred years Coach Parties are Welcome.
Moorcroft employed only four full-time design- Closed Sunday. Closed Christmas to New Year
ers. This changed in early 1997 when the
Moorcroft Design Studio was formed. The Telephone 01782 820515
Design Studio now comprises of no less than www.moorcroft.co.uk
nine designers with Rachel Bishop at the head. heritagevisitorcentre@moorcroft.co.uk
Signpost - page 26
 County Signpost
Denby Visitor Centre
2010
It was just outside the town of Ripley in the early
1800s that clay was first discovered at Denby
during the construction of a new road. A local
potter named William Bourne took over the
rights to the clay and in 1809 established what is
now known as Denby Pottery where
the modern factory stands today.
Over the past 200 years, Denby has
created original designs to inspire
every generation and capture the
essence of our times.
You can see
examples of
Denby’s 200 years of
heritage in the small
museum at the Visitor
Centre.
Signpost - page 27
Denby Visitor Centre
Denby Visitor Centre is next to the pottery in a
peaceful sun-trap of a cobbled courtyard sur-
rounded by shops. It’s open throughout the year,
welcoming visitors from all over the world.
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Fully Guided Tours of the pottery are available
every day through the main season (Feb – Nov).
For families with young children, the Craftoom
Tour is the best choice (daily 11am – 3pm). This
has plenty of hands on interaction and includes
making a clay souvenir to take home, and having
a go at painting in glaze onto a Denby plate. For
a more in depth look at the working factory,
choose the Factory Tour (available Monday to
Thursday at 10.30 and 1pm). This tour lasts
around 90 minutes and finishes with the oppor-
tunity to make a frog and paint a plate.
Watch a free Cookery Demonstration in the
Kitchen Theatre (normally daily at 12.30 and
2.30pm). The demonstrations last around half
an hour. There’s a tasting session and a free
recipe to take away.
Shopping
The largest of all the Denby Factory Shops is
here – packed full of bargains, many coming
direct from the factory and exclusive to this
shop. There’s a selection of other award win-
ning shops too including the contemporary
Denby Home Store plus the cookery, garden and
gift emporia.
Bourne’s Restaurant – named after the
Pottery’s founding family, Bourne’s is open daily
for Derbyshire inspired meals, home-baked
cakes, snacks and drinks.
Bourne’s Homity Pie
Events
Food and Gift Fayres take place at Denby
throughout the year, including the Christmas
Fayre on the first Friday, Saturday & Sunday in
Decmber (3rd - 5th in 2010) with over 60 stalls.
For details go to
www.denbyvisitorcentre.co.uk.
Denby Visitor Centre is just off the A38 north
of Derby and a couple of miles south of Ripley.
Open daily throughout the year (Monday to
Saturday 9.30am – 5pm and Sundays 10am –
5pm) and closed 25th and 26th December.
Centre entry and parking are free and there is an
outdoor play area for children.
Tel: 01773 740 799
Email: visitor.centre@denby.co.uk
www.denbyvisitorcentre.co.uk
Denby, Derbyshire DE5 8NX
Signpost - page 28
 County Signpost
De Bradelei Stores –
Belper
From the moment you set eyes on this beautiful-
ly restored mill (famed for manufacturing
George III’s silk hose, Queen Victoria’s
Coronation stockings and Lord Nelson’s vest
worn at the Battle of Trafalgar) you know that
you are in for a different shopping experience.
Its history began in the late 18th Century, when
hosiery and knitwear were one of the major
industries in the area. As well as stockings, pan-
taloons, drawers, gloves and caps were being
produced.
Signpost - page 29
The mill was later taken over by 25 year old
George Brettle, whose famous brand name con-
tinues to prosper to this day.
When De Bradelei Stores, a family based busi-
ness discovered the building – it had been unoc-
cupied for several years and in 1994 their
restoration was complete. As a retail outlet it has
been hugely successful providing a delightful
ambience in which to shop.
www.countysignpost.co.uk
One of the best stories to
emerge from the mill’s history
is that of Neddy, who com-
menced work, as an apprentice to his father at
the age of 10 in 1827. Neddy worked steadily
and reliably with no holidays or days off until he
was 27 years old, when he was caught taking
some tobacco from his fathers pocket. There
was a terrible fuss about this and Neddy was
summoned to George Brettle’s office and ques-
tioned about the matter. Ned explained that he
had never had wages and was therefore unable to
buy his own tobacco and had to resort to taking
it. Ned’s father was told that he must pay the lad
a shilling a week from then on – no talk of back
pay!!
The years passed and Ned continued to work at
Brettle’s becoming the only person to remember
George Brettle in person.
When Ned was 96 the company offered to pay
him a pension, telling him that he had earned the
chance to take life easy! This was 1912 when
pensions were not usually paid. However, Ned
took offence and told them that if Brettle’s did-
n’t want to employ him, he, as a skilled man
could get a job elsewhere! Ned continued work-
ing……
When 98 he became ill and
died three weeks later having
worked at Brettle’s for 88
years. However, his story lives
on – De Bradelei have his
photo and story displayed in
their Chevin Coffee Shop –
one wonders what he would
make of the hundreds of bar-
gain hunters who visit De
Bradelei each day – and of the
No Smoking ban!
De Bradelei Stores in Belper
is a unique shopping outlet –
light years away from the hus-
tle and bustle of the High
Street or shopping malls.
Leading classic brands such as
Windsmoor, Planet, Precis Petite and Jacques
Vert, Alex & Co, Kaliko, Ann Harvey, Minuet
Petite and Eastex offer up to 70% discount
every day of the year! Everyone loves a bargain
and the excellent discounts definitely leave you
with the feel good factor!
De Bradelei’s Chevin Coffee Shop serves deli-
cious home cooked food throughout the day.
The menu includes delicious home-made soups
and salads and scones and cakes to die for!
All in all this family based business offers some-
thing for everyone at affordable prices – by staff
who care – definitely a place to include on your
holiday agenda.
Telephone 01773 882442
www.debradelei.com
Signpost - page 30
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk

Heanor Antiques
& Collector Centre
OPENING TIMES: 10:30am to 4:30pm every
day of the week and year (except Christmas day
and Boxing day)

Telephone. 01773 531181

The Heanor Antiques Centre is the www.heanorantiquescentre.co.uk
largest antiques centre in the county.
The centre has been a family run busi-
ness since the building was acquired
and renovated in 1998. It started with
just 35 dealers present, displaying their
collections over approximately 8000
square feet, and has now grown to
cover about 200 dealers and 15 000
Heanor Craft Centre
square feet of display
space. The Craft Centre and Art Gallery benefit from a
newly extended Stylish Cafe. The Cafe at Heanor
Antiques and Craft centre started as a small
garage conversion next to the car park: It is now
a 80 seat Modernistic designed cafe on the third
floor with outside seating and views across D. H.
Lawrence’s birth place. Openly daily, with a
Below are some examples of art available to buy large selection of food
Heanor Art Gallery
in the Gallery. They are all originals - no limited
editions or prints. Some of the artists are local
prize winners.

You will find

Heanor Antiques
an Aladdin’s Cave spread
over four floors, with a great range of
goods on offer in the display cases, (from books
at 50p, toys, postcards, stamps, fine China, silver-
ware, glass and memorabilia, to Grandfather
Clocks at £4,000). The range of antiques and
1-3 Ilkeston Road, Heanor DE75 7AG
collectibles on display reflects the origins of the
dealers - they come from all over the UK,
Telephone 01773 531181
Ireland and even as far afield as Japan. www.heanorantiquescentre.co.uk e-mail sales@heanorantiquescentre.co.uk

A major new feature on site is the Heanor Craft “a treasure trove of antiques over 4 floors, ranging from small pieces of
Centre, which caters for almost everyone. All jewellery to large items of furniture. Antiques supplied by our 150 individual traders.
local handmade crafts are made by 100+ craft Hunters Rest coffee shop serving lights meals daily.
dealers. The Craft Centre is on two floors and Heanor Craft Centre
crafts are divided in to 80 small units, with an
Art Gallery displaying traditional and modern
art.

Signpost - page 31 Signpost - page 32

 County Signpost

Masson Mills Shopping

Village
On the banks of the River Derwent lies Masson Ponden Mill home textiles, a whisky and real ale
Mill. Built in 1783 by Sir Richard Arkwright, the shop with free tastings! Luggage, cookshop, ex
Father of the Factory System, Masson Mill was catalogue department and so much more includ-
his showpiece. A magnificent traditional timber- ing a unique gift and souvenir hall.
framed structure of red brick with a Georgian
façade, Masson mill was powered by a single After you’ve shopped, or taken a trip into histo-
wheel and stands as a remarkable monument to
the water-powered phase of the industrial revo-
lution. Sir Richard Arkwright created a new
ry at the museum, take time out to relax in our
Riverside Restaurant, you’ll find some delicious
hot and cold meals, Costa coffee and local deli-
MOORCROFT
industrial society that transformed England cacies in this licensed restaurant overlooking the
from a nearly self-sufficient country into the
workhorse of the world.
River Derwent, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the
wonder that is Masson Mills.
Factory Shop
Nowadays Masson Mill is renowned for its Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am – With a vast
‘Mega’ shopping experience over four floors 5:30pm Sunday 11am – 5pm selection of
that’s second to none. The Edinburgh Woollen Parking for over 200 cars
Mill combines the very latest in fashions with
handmade
incredible value for money. The Golf Company Directions: Moorcroft giftware
houses a large selection of top brand golf cloth- It couldn’t be easier to find, just follow the A6 to and table lamps all
ing and equipment. You’ll also find our great Matlock Bath, you’ll find Masson Mill just 1 mile pieces sold at the
Outdoor Clothing section; there are South on the A6.
Waterproofs, Jackets, Trousers, Fleeces, jumpers
factory shop are less
and much more, everything to make that walk Telephone 01629 760208 than perfect.
through the Peak District even more enjoyable. www.massonmillsshoppingvillage.co.uk
There’s a Shoe Shop, a Country Food Larder, With that comes the
opportunity to make
savings of up to 30%
off the usual best
quality retail price.
All stock is subject
to availability.

Moorcroft Factory Shop

Nile Street, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 2BH
Telephone: 01782 820505 Fax: 01782 820501
Email: factoryshop@moorcroft.com www.moorcroft.com

Signpost - page 33
OPEN: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm Saturday 9.30am-4.30pm
Closed Sundays Open all bank holidays
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk
Treak Cliff Cavern
The first record of Blue John Stone being
worked for on Treak Cliff, near Castleton is
1709. Two of the larger mines on the Castleton
facing slope of the hill were called Miller’s Mine,
which was lower down, and Cliff Side Mine
higher up. Both mines eventually joined up at
sometime over the intervening years to become
Treak Cliff Cavern.
Whilst mining in 1926 on a large scale for Blue
John Stone the miners discovered an ancient
water inlet passage going deeper into the hill.
The miners explored found some of the finest
stalactites and stalagmites in Britain. This
changed the nature of the mining operation,
which was already in decline after the First
World War. The miners turned their attention
instead to installing footpaths, steps and lights to
allow easy access for visitors to see the forma-
tions. A large diesel generator outside the
entrance to the old Cliffside Mine, now the show
cave exit, powered electric lighting.
Treak Cliff Cavern, the Wonder Cave of
Castleton opened to the public at Easter in 1935.
2010 sees 75 years of operating as a Visitor
Attraction, but over 300 years as a working Blue
John mine. Illumination for the show cave has
always been by electric light from the beginning,
the mains electricity arrived on site in 1948,
which then allowed developments at the
entrance area such as the café and gift shop, and
a workshop for turning Blue John Stone items.
Previously the stone was taken away from the
mine, down the hill using the little railway (still in
use) to workshops in Castleton, Bakewell etc
Because of the difficult location of the ‘new’
show cave, a big marketing ploy, better than any
signage, was the arrangement across the hillside
of the words ‘wonder cave’ in 10ft high letters
made of large gravel stones painted white. This
was highly visible from miles away. The old sepia
picture shows the remaining word ‘cave’ on the
hillside. When the Second World War began the
word ‘wonder’ was taken off to reduce the
chance of enemy aircraft pilots being able to
Christmas in the Cavern
Signpost - page 35
locate themselves between Manchester and
Sheffield, both major wartime targets. When the
Peak District National Park was created the large
letters no longer complied with legislation, and
the grass was allowed to grow over.
Today visitors can take the 40 minute guided
tour to see the wonderful formations under-
ground and lots of Blue John Stone, now pro-
tected on the visitor route by voluntary agree-
ment with Natural England. Mining for the
stone goes on in the winter months to supply the
gift shop with stone for jewellery etc. An even
larger range is available at Castleton Gift Shop in
the village, where there is a display of antique
Blue John Stone artefacts. The desire for these
large ornaments started the whole Blue John
Stone industry over 300 years ago, an industry
which still continues to this day.
Other events are an Easter Egg Hunt on
Easter Saturday and Sunday (3th & 4th April),
and Carols By Candlelight held at weekends
leading up to Christmas. Also you can polish
your own Blue John Stone.
Castleton Gift Shop
Castleton Gift Shop opened in 1949 and gives
visitors a wide choice of jewellery and Blue John
ornaments made at Treak Cliff Cavern.
The shop is located on the main street in
Castleton and is open every day except
Christmas Day.
Jewellery can also be seen and purchased
through the website www.bluejohnstone.com
For any further information about Treak Cliff
Cavern and Castleton Gift Shop please contact
by any of the following :
Telephone : 01433 620571
Email : treakcliff@bluejohnstone.com
Signpost - page 36
 County Signpost
Barrow Hill Roundhouse
Railway Centre
Barrow Hill Roundhouse Railway Centre is
Britain’s last surviving operational railway
Roundhouse.
The site is now home to over sixty Steam, Diesel
and Electric locomotives, plus numerous wag-
ons and coaches.
At Barrow Hill during 2009 there were constant
improvement to the sites facilities, commercial
activity continued to increase and the events
were excellent.
The steam gala held in April last year, with
Tornado as the star of the show, was the biggest
event ever staged at Barrow Hill; attracting over
9,000 visitors over the two day event. The Rail
Ale festival attracted more people (over 3,500
people) over two days than it had ever done
before and the Diesel Gala, held last August was
again a superb success, with over 3,000 visitors.
Finally, Tornado re-visited, a one-day event, held
last October attracted over 1,500 local visitors.
This event was aimed at a local audience and it
Signpost - page 37
www.countysignpost.co.uk
of models right up to standard
gauge steam and diesel! In part-
nership with Bauer (Emap as
was) this event will see some
huge marketing and is set to be a
very large event. Further details
will be published as the plan
progresses.
December – Sundays 12th and
19th
Santa Steam trains
As always the year will finish
with the ever popular Santa
steam trains.
The Roundhouse has been fully renovated and Telephone 01246 472450
the facilities enhanced considerably. There is www.barrowhill.org
now a platform and running line as well as the
addition of many sidings.
brought a whole new group of people into the
Roundhouse.
2010 events
There are a number of events planned for 2010
including :
May – Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd
Rail Ale Festival
The increasingly popular Rail Ale festival returns
with the plan to expand it and add a few new
items of interest!
September – Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th
(with the possibility of the addition of Friday
the 24th as well)
“Model Rail Live” - in association with Bauer
Media
This is a completely new event for Barrow Hill
and will involve a show encompassing all gauges Leander at Barrow Hill Steam Gala
Signpost - page 38
 County Signpost
The Midland Railway
- Butterley
The Midland Railway Butterley owes its incep-
tion to Derby Museum who in the late 1960s
publicised a plan to endeavour to have a working
museum to the history and development of the
Midland Railway who ever since its formation in
1844 had had its headquarters in the town. The
industrial prosperity and growth of Derby was
principally attributed to the advent and expan-
sion of the railway and even today Derby still
retains its railway importance and probably more
so in the future with other proposed rail indus-
try developments.
It was very fitting therefore that a working muse-
um to this important facet of Derby should be
developed. Derby Museum already had a find 0
Signpost - page 39
Class 3F No.16410 hauls the vintage train through the
country park at the Midland Railway Centre
gauge working layout devoted to the Midland
Railway but a real size working museum was
seen as the next step. It was soon realised that
such a conept could only really be attempted let
alone fulfilled by securing a voluntary group to
support such a concept. The project was given
localised publicity and soon after the Midland
Railway Project Group was set up to steer this
forward.
The launch of the project coincided with the
British Rail resignalling scheme in the area and
this rendered a considerable volume of mechan-
ical signalling and other equipment surplus to
www.countysignpost.co.uk
requirements and over very many years the
group acquired a vast storehouse of equipment
ranging from signals and signalboxes to almost
complete stations. A key element was to source
locomotives and rolling stock and several
steam locomotives were acquired from Barry in
south Wales and much Midland and LMS
rolling stock that itself was becoming surplus
in BR internal use was acquired. Much of this
equipment was later stored or moved to Derby
until a suitable working length of line could be
identified and secured. The line that eventually
became available was the former Ambergate to
Pye Bridge line opened in 1875 and closed as
part of the resignalling in 1968. Ex S&DJR 2-8-0 No.53809 pauses by the signalbox
at Butterley on the Midland Railway Centre.
Access to the line was secured in the early 1970s
and since that date the railway has grown and a
major museum complex on the site of a former
colliery and waste tip at Swanwick has been
developed with ancillary facilities and exhibits
set up. The main museum site at Swanwick now
boasts a major museum building, workshops,
locomotives and rolling stock display, Princess
Royal Class Locomotive Trust’s West Shed,
Golden Valley Light Railway, Historical Model
Railway Society headquarters, miniature and
model railways as well as public amenities. In all
there are 35 affiliated groups on the main muse- The Midland Railway-Butterley is based near Ripley,
um site at Swanwick.
Derbyshire and is one Britain's heritage railways.
In supporting the museum there are regular Any visit to Derbyshire should include a visit to the
timetabled services both steam, and diesel railway which hosts both a working length of line
hauled with many special events held during
each year for which a special timetable leaflet is and a museum complex.
produced containing all the details. The Midland The railway operates steam and diesel hauled
Railway Butterley is one of the UK’s heritage
railways and yet is more than just a railway and
services with many special events during the year.
well worth a visit. For further Information contact our visitor
information line 01773 - 570140 or visit our website
Further information is available from the
Midland Railway Butterley, Butterley station, www.midlandrailwaycentre.co.uk
Ripley., Derbyshire DE5 3QZ or Visitor
Information Line 01773-570140 or by email to
The Midland Railway - Butterley
midland.railway@btconnect.com
is more than just a railway
Signpost - page 40
 County Signpost
Crich Tramway Village
The authentic Village scene will transport visi-
tors to a bygone age, with its cobbled streets,
period shops and catering outlets, historic build-
ings and even our very own working pub. Spend
time watching our expert craftsmen lovingly
restore our vintage trams in the workshop
gallery and wonder around the tram Exhibition
Hall to soak up the sites and sounds of Britain
as the tram developed over the century. Take
time to walk around the depot to see our world
class tram collection and find a tram from your
city, maybe even one that you have ridden on!
Signpost - page 41
www.countysignpost.co.uk
unique atmosphere with wartime music and the streets in protest for the right for women to
street re-enactments, but watch out for spies! vote. (See website for more details of this event
Reduced entry for anyone in 1940s dress. and many others)
With unlimited tram rides though the village on
the beautifully restored trams, and breathtaking
views of the Derwent Valley, Crich Tramway
Village offers the perfect day out for people of
all ages.
Crich Tramway Village is situated near Matlock,
Derbyshire, eight miles from M1 junction 28.
Admission prices for 2009: Adult £10.50. Senior
£9.50. Child (4-15) £.5.50. (Event admission
prices may vary)
Telephone: 01773 854321
Enquiry@tramway.co.uk
www.tramway.co.uk
Or if you prefer, be exported back to Edwardian
Britain and unique opportunity to ride on our
horse drawn tram and see the suffragettes storm
Take a stroll along the woodland walk and con-
servations area to spot the local wildlife in its
natural habitat, or go in search of mythical crea-
tures hiding in the trees on the sculpture trail.
Allow the children to let off steam in the indoor
soft play area or the outdoor adventure play-
ground.
Why not visit for one of the themed events. The
ever popular annual 1940s event held on April
the 12th and 13th and August the 8th and 9th
in 2009, gives you a taste of war time Britain,
with Anti-blast netting covering windows and
trams ready for war. Receive your ration book
and identity card on arrival and join in the
Signpost - page 42
 County Signpost County Signpost

The Nottingham
Transport Heritage Centre

The Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre is
set within the confines of Rushcliffe Country
Park in the South of Nottinghamshire just out-
side the village of Ruddington.
Home to standard gauge steam & diesel trains,
classic buses, model railway and a superb minia-
ture railway in the Heritage Centre and an adven-
ture playground, Wildlife Lake and an extensive
network of footpaths in the Country Park there
are attractions for all the family.
The Centre is open from 10:45 until 5:00 from
Easter through to October. With transport
events in May and August, Miniature and Model
Railway events through the season and Santa
Specials in December there is always something
happening to make a visit worthwhile.
The Heritage Centre is signposted off the A60
Nottingham to Loughborough Road in
Ruddington just south of the traffic lights.

Steam Trains run regularly every Sunday and Telephone

Bank Holiday Mondays on the 8 mile round trip 0115 9405705
to Rushcliffe Halt on the Great Central main line www.nthc.co.uk
once used by the express trains from
Nottingham Victoria to London Marylebone.
Each month you can also ride the whole 9 mile
length of our line to Loughborough Junction.
Travelling behind a Heritage Diesel Locomotive
you can view the countryside and wildlife of
South Nottinghamshire down to the Soar Valley
in Leicestershire.

Signpost - page 43 Signpost - page 44

 County Signpost
Belper’s past glories
can still be seen
The attractive Derbyshire town of Belper was
the first real Mill Town in the world. The pio-
neering Strutt family transformed a small village
of nailmakers in to a busy and industrious com-
munity full of millworkers.
That’s why Belper is included in the 15 mile long
Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, which
stretches along the river valley from Matlock
Bath to Derby. The Site contains a fascinating
series of historic mill complexes (the world’s
first modern factories!), including one of the
earliest fireproof buildings – Strutt’s North Mill
at Belper. The oldest surviving mill in the town,
Strutt’s North Mill houses an award-winning
independent museum and visitor information
centre.
When William Strutt built the North Mill in
1804, he used an internal structure of cast iron
columns – a major step towards the modern-day
skyscraper!
The Belper mill complex began with the world’s
second water-powered cotton-spinning mill built
Signpost - page 45
by Jedediah Strutt and his sons, following a part-
nership with Richard Arkwright at Cromford.
Nearby, visitors can still see the horseshoe weir
built to create a head of water and mill pond that
is now used for public boating from the
Edwardian River Gardens. Created by George
Herbert Strutt, a descendent of mill pioneer
Jedediah, over a century ago, the extensiveley
renovated gardens are an attractive setting for a
stroll or spend a pleasant afternoon listening to
the summer entertainment.
The Strutt family provided a complete commu- The East and North Mills from Belper’s River Gardens.
nity for their workers. Much of this 18th and
19th century development still exists today.
Guided walks and walk leaflets are available
Bakewell’s Old House Museum
from the visitor centre in Strutt’s North Mill.
For more about Belper visit Strutt’s North Mill –
this now also has a touch-screen Tourist
Information Point with ideas and information
Cunningham Place, Bakewell, DE45 1DD
about visiting the Peak District and Derbyshire. 01629 813642
While you are at the mill you can enjoy a guided
tour to learn about the lives of the mill workers, Opening times - Open daily from
the development of cotton spinning 1st April - 4th November - 11am - 4pm
in Belper and a Strutt invention
which transformed the hosiery indus-
try. Admission is: Adults £3, conces- Group and school visits by appointment
sion £2.50, Children (7 to 16) £2, - Contact Anita for further information.
family (2 adults with children) £8.50.
Group rates are available.
Price freeze for 2010 Adults £3 -
Ring 01773 880474 for more details Child £1.50 - under 5's FREE
on how to have a great day out in
Belper!
www.belpernorthmill.org.uk bakewellmuseum@googlemail.com
www.oldhousemuseum.org.uk
Signpost - page 46
 County Signpost
Bakewell’s
Old House Museum
The building eventually fell into disrepair and in
the 1950’s was destined for demolition. A local
builder recognised it’s historic features. He
unearthed the great Tudor fireplace hidden away
behind a false wall, stripped plaster off a Tudor
wattle and daub wall and even found a Tudor
cupboard plastered and made into a wall divider.
The Bakewell and district Historical Society was
formed to save the building and use it as a muse-
um. A rare Tudor toilet was discovered in 1966.
With beamed ceilings and the great fireplace,
this enchanting building now provides an atmos-
pheric setting for a large collection of fascinat-
ing folk, craft items. Specialist displays of toys,
© George Challenger
costume, cameras, early lighting, WWI, WW2,
and information about local history and indus-
Voted Derbyshire Museum of the Year by
tries.
Renaissance East Midlands, the Old House
Museum nestles away behind Bakewell’s Church
and is the town’s best kept secret.
The buildings outlines the last 500 years of his-
tory, with its Georgian and Victorian room
extensions and time period windows.
Beginning life as a Tudor tithe (tax) collector’s
house, the Old House was enlarged in
Elizabethan time to become a residence of the
Gell family.
In 1777 Richard Arkwright built Lumford cot-
ton mill nearby and needed housing for his many
millworkers. He converted the Old House into
six cottages. Arkwright’s Mill was a major
employer in Bakewell.
Jean Kenyon volunteer at the museum
holding Renaissance Museum of the
Year, Derbyshire Award. © Si
Homfray of Hammer Design
Signpost - page 47
Edwardian tinplate toy. Turning the handle the man
appears to be sawing wood. © Si Homfray Victorian silk, sating evening purse with pearls and
embroidered grape vine. © Si Homfray
New for 2010 is a purpose built gallery housing
evidence of Bakewell’s industrial past and a Blue badge holders are welcome to park on the
working clock from the Bakewell Union museum forecourt. The museum has uneven
Workhouse. The blacksmith forge, the wheel- floors on varying levels which may prove diffi-
wright and the cobbler share this space with the cult to less abled visitors.
history of Arkwright’s Lumford Mill which was
more recently the DP Battery works. Bakewell’s Old House Museum is open from 1st
April (or good Friday if earlier) until 5th
Part of the great waterwheel from Lumford mill, November. Ticket prices are frozen for 2010
is situated in the new courtyard and a sculptural Adults £3, Child £1.50.
interpretation of the massive waterwheel stands
proud, a symbol of engineering history.
For further information or to book a guided tour
Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the courtyard please contact Anita Spencer on 01629 813642
which is ideal for your picnic lunch. e-mail bakewellmuseum@googlemail.com or
visit the website: www.oldhousemuseum.org.uk
There are also a number of courtyard and house
events throughout the season.
With dressing up box, quiz sheet and hands on
activities the Old house is a real trip down mem-
ory lane and appealing to adults and children of
all ages.
We welcome adult groups daytime or evening
for guided or behind the scenes tours.
A variety of delicious catering can be booked in
advance.
School, youth groups are also welcome for a
guided tour or a costumed, Victorian,
washday experience and other National
Curriculum linked activities. Bisque doll made in France or Germany 1895 -
1905.
© Si Homfray
Signpost - page 48
 County Signpost
The Derwent Valley Mills
World Heritage Site
Stretching 15 miles down the river valley from
Matlock Bath to Derby, the Derwent Valley Mills
World Heritage Site contains a fascinating series
of historic mill complexes, including some of
the world’s first ‘modern’ factories.
In the 18th century, the Derwent Valley saw
these new types of building erected to house
ground-breaking technology for water-powered
manufacturing. To attract and retain a workforce,
the mill owners provided housing and other
facilities such as schools and places of worship,
which resulted in the creation of the first mod-
ern industrial communities.
Signpost - page 49
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Middleton Top
Cycle Hire
Middleton by Wirksworth
Quality bikes at
The fact that the further development of cotton
reasonable prices on
mill technology happened in Lancashire rather
one of Derbyshire’s
than Derbyshire resulted in the Derwent Valley
best trails.
avoiding urbanisation, so the visitor can enjoy
visiting the remarkable early industrial commu-
nities in an unspoilt landscape setting.
Each mill has its own story to tell. Theirs is the
story of pioneering engineers and entrepreneurs
who made Britain a world leader.
The first stages of the factory system were set in
A great way to explore Derbyshire
Tel: 01629 823204
motion when the Lombe brothers set up a silk
mill in Derby in 1721.
Built between 1771 and 1791 Richard
Arkwright’s Mills at Cromford included the
world’s first successful water powered cotton
spinning mill - a true blueprint for factory pro-
duction.
Arkwright’s 1783 showpiece Masson Mills are
the finest surviving and best preserved example
of an Arkwright cotton spinning mill.
William Strutt’s pioneering North Mill of 1804
THE SMARTER WAY TO SHOP
was a prototype skyscraper - one of the earliest
iron-framed buildings in the world. Womenswear
With the heart of the textile industry moving Lingerie
away in the early 19th century, the surrounding
mill settlements are well preserved for posterity. Shoes
The mills, their millponds, weirs and watercours-
es and the mill workers’ cottages (the first indus- Menswear
trial housing estates) in the mill settlements have
a character and charm all of their own. Outdoorwear
www.derwentvalleymills.org OPENING HOURS Mon-Fri 9.30-5.30 Sat 9.30-6.00
Sun & Bank Holidays 10.30-4.30
FIND US AT Chapel Street, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1AR
T. 01773 882442 www.debradelei.com
Signpost - page 50
 County Signpost www.countysignpost.co.uk

The Hidden Windmill Chesterfield Events 2010

E a s t e r M o n d a y M a r k e t a n d T a b l e T o p S a l e – Monday 5 April
Tucked neatly into a dip in the surrounding hills, much hard work on the part of volunteers over
Heage Windmill sits dominantly on the edge of many years. With a squat stone tower, shining
a ridge at the lower end of the Peak District, white cap and six sails, turning gently in the M a y D a y R a l l y a n d M a r k e t – Monday 4 May
almost hidden from sight from those not sharing breeze, she is the only working windmill in
her secret. Built in 1797, she (windmills are
always ‘she’) was restored in 2002 back to full
Derbyshire and one of only four working
windmills with more than four sails anywhere in
S p r i n g B a n k H o l i d a y M a r k e t a n d T a b l e T o p S a l e – Monday 31 May
working order, aided by significant grants and the country!
M e d i e v a l M a r k e t – Tuesday 27 poor July background pic
Traditional flour is regularly milled
(providing the wind blows) and is sold
!!
at the mill shop and at Farmers A u g u s t B a n k H o l i d a y M a r k e t a n d T a b l e T o p S a l e – Monday 30
Markets at Belper and Bakewell.
August
Situated about a couple of miles north C h e s t e r f i e l d W e l l D r e s s i n g – Saturday 11 to Saturday 18 September
east of Belper, Heage windmill is run
as a charitable venture and is manned
and operated by a team of dedicated C h e s t e r f i e l d M a r k e t F e s t i v a l – Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 October
volunteers , any surplus income is
used to maintain the windmill. A
‘virtual reality’ display makes the upper
floor viewable for those unable to
climb the step stairs. Visit
Visit Chesterfield
Che
esterfield M
Market
arket
Throughout the year special events are
held there, such as the well dressing, GGeneral
eneral Market
Market
car and tractor rallies etc . (For more
information see the web site.) Monday,
Monday, FFriday,
riday, SSaturday,
aturday, 99am
am - 44pm
pm
The windmill is open every Saturday
and Sunday from 11-00am to 4 pm FFlea
lea Market
Market
from Easter until the end of October, TThursday,
hursday, 99am
am - 44pm
pm
and at Bank holidays. Visitors are
shown round the mill by guides in
period costume and adequate parking FFarmers’
armers’ Market
Market
and disabled toilet facilities are
available.
2nd Thursday,
2nd Thursday, 99am
am - 44pm
pm
LLast
ast SSunday
unday ((exc
exc DDec),
ec), 110am
0am - 22pm
pm
Light refreshments are on sale in the
mill shop. Parties are received by prior
arrangement. Market
Market HHall
all
Telephone 01773 853579
Monday ttoo Saturday,
Monday Saturday, 99am
am - 55pm
pm
www.heagewindmill.co.uk ((early
early cclosing
losing W ednesday)
Wednesday)

TTel:
el: 01246 345777/8 Email: tourism@chesterfield.gov.uk www.visitchesterfield.info

Signpost - page 51 Signpost - page 52

Chesterfield
Whatever the time of year,
there is always a reason to
visit Chesterfield!
Chesterfield is home to one of the country’s
largest open-air markets. The bustling market
stalls sell everything from shirts to shoes and
from cutlery to carpets. Markets are held every
week on Monday, Friday and Saturday with a
Flea Market every Thursday. There is also a
Farmers’ Market on the second Thursday of
every month and last Sunday of every month
(excluding December). Throughout the year
there are special events centred around the
market such as the Medieval Market on 27 July
and a Christmas Market on 21 November.
As well as visiting the market, take a tour up
the famous ‘Crooked Spire’ of the Parish
Church. No one is quite sure how and why the
228-foot high tower leans 9 feet 5 from its true
centre, but enjoy the many extraordinary sto-
ries that are told on the tour. The Church is
open throughout the year from Monday to
Saturday.
A visit to Chesterfield Museum and Art Gallery
will tell the story of Chesterfield from its begin-
nings as a Roman fort to the building of the
‘Crooked Spire’ Church and it’s growth as a
Market town. Admission to the museum, which
is open Monday to Saturday (closed Wednesday)
10am – 4pm, is free of charge.
One way to find out more about Chesterfield is
to go on the new audio trail, which guides visi-
tors around Chesterfield and helps them to find
out more about the towns history. The hour and
a half trail highlights 30 sites of interest and will
Signpost - page 53
Crooked Spire Church
provide all sorts of fascinating information. Did
you know there are 32 tons of lead tiles on the
Crooked Spire? Why is George Stephenson’s
statue outside Chesterfield Railway Station? This
audio trail will give you the answers to these
questions and many more. Pick up a trail from
Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre.
The ancient Derbyshire tradition of Well
Dressing, the art of decorating springs and wells
with pictures made of growing things, can also
be admired in Chesterfield. This custom origi-
nally took place in Chesterfield as far back as
1868 and you can see this ancient craft being
demonstrated and displayed on 11 - 18
September. The finished dressing can be viewed
at the pump in the Market Place.
The 7th Chesterfield Arts and
Market Festival will be held on 28
- 30 October. During this three
day Festival the town is host to a
programme of entertainment
including classical concerts in the
‘Crooked Spire’ Church, perform-
ances at the Winding Wheel and
Pomegranate Theatre, a CAMRA Garden of Light
Beer Festival in the Market Hall
and the Garden of Light in
Queen’s Park. The town’s Victorian Park will be Enjoy the Chesterfield area on foot from 15 – 23
transformed with a rainbow of lights which May, discovering the pretty village of Ashover,
shimmer and move amongst trees and plants, dip exploring the beautiful bluebell woods round
into the lake and reflect ripples onto the leaves Linacre Reservoirs or walking along the
above. There will also be a programme of enter- Chesterfield Canal, followed by a cruise back to
tainment for all three nights at the Garden of town. The Walking Festival will offer something
Light including a traditional fun fair and fire- for everyone including a trip into Chesterfield’s
work display. twilight zone on the ‘Tales of Murder and the
Macabre’ walk, to the 34-mile long Chesterfield
Just 3 miles north of Chesterfield is Revolution Round Walk.
House, taking its name from the Revolution of
1688. It was here that three local nobleman: the For more information on events please contact:
Earl of Devonshire (formerly of nearby
Chatsworth), the Earl of Danby and Mr John Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre
D’Arcy met to begin planning their part in Rykneld Square,Chesterfield, S40 1SB
events which led to the overthrow of King
James II in favour of William and Mary of Telephone 01246 345777/8
Orange. The ground floor of the cottage has a Email: tourism@chesterfield.gov.uk
display of 17th Century furniture and upstairs is Website: www.visitchesterfield.info
home to a changing programme of exhibitions.
Walking Festival
Signpost - page 54
 County Signpost
South Derbyshire and
The National Forest
First conceived in the late 1980s, the exciting
idea behind The National Forest was to create
a “forest for the nation”. A national competi-
tion was held and the choice made to plant a for-
est over 200 square miles, linking the ancient
Forests of Charnwood and Needwood.
Almost eight million trees have been planted,
transforming parts of Derbyshire, Staffordshire
and Leicestershire, and new woodlands continue
to be created. Over 90% of trees are native
broadleaf and are maturing well, blending in
with existing established woodland, to create
habitats for wildlife and a landscape for visitors
and locals to relax in and enjoy.
With beautiful country parks, swathes of young
and mature woodland, stunning wildlife, mead-
ows, sparkling lakes and bubbling brooks, the
rolling rural landscape of The National Forest
and South Derbyshire is perfect for gentle walks
and summer-time strolls. Or come at quieter
times to savour a sea of snowdrops, blanket of
Signpost - page 55
www.countysignpost.co.uk
More than 400 woodlands have been opened
and hundreds of miles of new footpaths and
pretty bridleways created in this ‘Forest in the
Making’ – a special place you will want to keep
coming back to, just to see how much it has
changed and matured!
Major new attractions and activities on offer for
2010 include
• the National Brewery Centre (formerly
Coors Visitor Centre and the Bass Museum)
opens its doors in May and promises a new visi-
tor experience, including animation, holograph-
ics and live performances
• Twycross Zoo opens its new multi-million
pound Himalayan-themed visitor centre and
Snow Leopard enclosure
• in July the National Memorial Arboretum
will complete the Basra Wall commemorating
those who have lost their lives in Iraq
Walking in the National Forest © C. Beech
bluebells, or the fiery reds and golds of autumn
– the choice is yours!
• tucked away within the woodland at Rosliston
Forestry Centre is The Glade in the Forest
events arena, offering an idyllic setting for events
and performances throughout the year
Relax & explore The National Forest ©
2009 National Forestry Walking Festival -
Photography Competition winner © L Hextall
Footsteps in the Forest
22 May to 2 June 2010 sees the welcome return
of “Footsteps in the Forest”, the third
National Forest Walking Festival. Almost
fifty short, medium and long guided walks across
the varied landscape of The National Forest and
surrounding areas make it easy to discover
woodlands and reservoirs, canals, beautiful rural
landscapes and historic towns and villages. Hear
fascinating facts about the wildlife, history and
heritage of this beautiful area.
Walks are led by local enthusiasts keen to show
visitors around the area, and there really is some-
thing for everyone whatever your interests and
abilities. New for this year is “25 miles through
South Derbyshire’s Woodlands” – giving 6 hours
walking on Saturday and Sunday with the oppor-
tunity to wine, dine and stay overnight. Too
strenuous? There’s an evening pub walk, and a
teatime stroll, while 1-mile Family Fun walks are
a great way to introduce children to walking!
And why not enter the photographic competi-
tion?
Request more information by contacting
Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre on
01283 222848 or visiting
www.thenationalforestwalkingfestival.org.uk
History past and present
While modern history is being made with the
creation of the largest woodland scheme since
the planting of the New Forest more than a
thousand years ago, this beautiful part of the
country is not just about trees.
Signpost - page 56
 County Signpost
One of the most ancient places in England,
Repton was an historic capital of Mercia and
the site of a fierce battle between Saxons and
marauding Viking invaders. The Market Cross is
reputedly where Christianity was first publicly
preached in the Midlands, and in 1848 a Burton
man sold his wife for a shilling (5p)!
The unique Saxon Crypt under Repton Church ©
K.Mason
Repton’s importance declined with the opening
in 1777 of the Trent & Mersey Canal and the
inland port of Shardlow, now one of just two
inland canal ports to survive largely intact.
Regular ‘fly’ boats linked to places as far away as
Hull, Boston, Liverpool and Manchester, but
today the canal is important for recreational pur-
poses, and Shardlow Heritage Centre offers a
lively interpretation of canal and village life.
Further west the 585-berth Mercia Marina at
Willington is the UK’s largest new-build, canal-
based marina.
Look out for Swarkestone’s historic 3/4 mile
long medieval causeway, and the Pavilion or
Bowl Alley House now an unconventional holi-
day home, built by the Harpur family when their
main residence was Swarkestone Hall. It was
here in 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie gave up the
fight and turned for home: pipers still ‘invade’
in December!
The Harpur’s relocated to Calke Abbey, a
magnificent new house near Ticknall which
gradually slipped from finery to faded glory as
Signpost - page 57
the family became ever more reclusive and
eccentric. The estate was even planted to ensure
there were no public views of the house, which
in 1985 passed to the National Trust in a very
dilapidated condition. Calke is now a ‘must see’,
one of the most unusual English country hous-
es you will ever visit, preserved as an estate in
decline. Collections of birds, ornaments, paint-
ings and family photographs sit amongst peeling
wallpaper and paint. The 600 acres of beautiful
parkland boast an C18 stable block, Gothic-style
church and walled gardens.
In contrast to hidden Calke, Melbourne knows
all about travel and tourism, and the Melbourne
Festival is held each September. Two of
Melbourne’s famous sons are Victorian Prime
Minister Viscount Melbourne (who gave his
name to the Australian city), and famed travel
agent Thomas Cook the “father of modern
tourism” (born here 1808). Explore this beauti-
ful Georgian town with its local shops, pubs and
restaurants. Discover Melbourne Hall in a pic-
turesque poolside setting, with fabulous formal
gardens and a visitor centre. Visit the lavish
parish church, often described as a ‘miniature
cathedral’ – one of the finest examples of
Norman ecclesiastical architecture, it may have
been built by the first Bishop of Carlisle or as a
royal church by Henry I.
Now the main town of South Derbyshire,
Swadlincote is much more recent, founded on
the coal & clay industries and famous for the
manufacture of salt-glazed pipes which were
exported worldwide. Cairo, Rio de Janeiro and
Mexico City all stand on Swadlincote sewage
pipes! Today the town features a Ski,
Calke Abbey & Parkland © K.Mason
Snowboard and Toboggan centre, and
an 80-acre woodland park brings The
National Forest right into the heart of
the town. Don’t miss Sharpe’s
Pottery Museum, which also fea-
tures a coffee shop and Swadlincote’s
Tourist Information Centre (TIC).
Housed in a 19th century pottery
where the first rim-flushing toilet was
made, exhibits, displays and interac-
tive technology tell the story of the local Pottery
Industry, and exhibitions and events are held
throughout the year.
Bringing us right up to date, The National
Forest is making new history, creating fantastic
new environments and facilities in which to
enjoy a growing range of activities and events.
So, why not craft a traditional longbow and then
learn how to shoot it at the award-winning
Rosliston Forestry Centre – a fantastic experi-
ence… Here too you will find 154 acres of
walks and cycle trails, play areas, laser combat,
craft shops, a restaurant, bird of prey displays,
and the new Glade in the Forest outdoor arena
where events are held throughout the year. At
the other end of Rosliston, Beehive Farm
includes peaceful fishing lakes, and a rare breed
animal farm.
National Forest sculpture at Rosliston Forestry
Sharpe’s Pottery Museum & Swadlincote TIC
Swadlincote Tourist
Information Centre
Friendly staff are happy to provide further
details of places to visit, local accommodation,
activities and transport, and the many other
attractions and events in the area.
Why not make a weekend of it? There are more
than 90 comfortable hotels, friendly guesthouses
and cosy village pubs. If you prefer self-cater-
ing, please ask about cottages and apartments, or
try a log cabin – perfect for a stay in The
National Forest! There is a brand-new Youth
Hostel too, or get back to nature on one of our
camping and caravan sites. Swadlincote TIC
offers a local and national accommodation
booking service, together with tickets for local
events, and is an agent for booking coach day
trips.
A wide range of books, maps and postcards are
on sale to help you make the most of your visit,
as well as gifts and souvenirs to take home as a
momento.
Open six days a week except Bank Holidays, and
closed Sundays, the TIC is located in Sharpe’s
Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlinote. An
external 24-hour touch screen kiosk provides
information on accommodation, places to visit
and events when the TIC is closed. See the
advert on page 13.
Signpost - page 58
 County Signpost
Derwent Valley
Heritage Way
View across Derwent Valley
Discover the beauty, splendour and heritage of
Derbyshire’s River Derwent by following the
Derwent Valley Heritage Way. This is a 55 mile
walk along the Derwent Valley from Ladybower
Reservoir in the Peak District National Park via
Chatsworth. Then on through the Derwent
Valley Mills World Heritage Site down to
Shardlow, where the Derwent flows into the
River Trent.
The way-marked Heritage Way can be enjoyed
either as a long distance walk or as a series of
shorter walks, giving you the opportunity to
explore the valley’s rich heritage and numerous
visitor attractions.
Following the path of the river, there are climbs
and descents as the route follows field and
woodland paths, tracks and some sections of
pavement and road.
There is a wide choice of accommodation in the
area if you choose to stay for a while and take a
walking break and explore the valley from end to
end.
Signpost - page 59
Why not spend some time in Belper and discov-
er Strutt’s North Mill to unwind the story of cot-
ton spinning. Home to the Derwent Valley
Visitor Centre, this gives you the perfect oppor-
tunity to learn more about this UNESCO World
Heritage Site and the valley’s history. The muse-
um is housed in one of the most important
industrial buildings in the world as the ‘fire
proof ’ building which influenced the construc-
tion of skyscrapers.
For more information on the Heritage Way
Strutt’s North Mill at Belper (01773 880474), or
view www.nationalheritagecorridor.org.uk
The Derwent Valley Heritage Way Guide is avail-
able to purchase from Matlock Tourist
Information Centre. Tel: 01629 583388.
River at Belper, Derwent Valley Heritage
Way
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Autumn Footprints
Ever wondered what the green stuff in your garden tast-
ed like? Join the Autumn Harvest, which takes you
around the Country Park where wild food in abundance
will tempt your taste buds.
Let the experienced and knowledgeable guides
lead the way, join a free-guided walk or two and
take the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery
around Amber Valley and Erewash. There will
be walks for everyone.
View www.visitambervalley.com for further
The Amber Valley and information.
Erewash Walking Festival
Set in the picturesque heart of Derbyshire, the
Autumn Footprints Festival offers a great choice
of over 30 free Guided Walks over 16 days.
The Walking Festival which runs from
September 11 to 26 2010 – is very popular with
both novice and experienced walkers wanting to
enjoy the beautiful colours of the Autumn amid
areas known for their natural beauty, superb
scenery, industrial heritage and attractive towns
and villages.
Led by knowledgeable local volunteers and staff
keen to show off their patch, the wide variety of
walks explore local heritage, natural history and
wildlife - taking walkers alongside rivers and
canals, as well as through open countryside,
towns and villages.
Learn how to read a compass and OS map on “Map
Reading for beginners” so that you can make the most of
future walks and avoid getting lost, or try a gentle intro-
duction to Nordic Walking to improve your fitness.
Crich Stand footpath © Michael
Signpost - page 60
Fleming
 County Signpost
The Peak District
Centrally placed, with easy access, the Peak
District & Derbyshire is an ideal place to spend
your leisure time. With a huge variety of things
to do for all the family you’re sure to enjoy a
break in this beautiful part of the world.
For a breath of fresh air put on your walking
shoes and choose one of the many paths and
trails, from all day hikes to meandering along
beside a tranquil stream there’s somewhere to
suit everyone. Or bring your bikes; you can cycle
on old railway trails, safe from traffic or even
career down steep mountain sides on one of the
many bridleways for a more adventurous sport.
There are also cycle hire centres across the area
within easy access to trails so there’s really no
excuse!
Signpost - page 61
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Lathkill Dale
Chatsworth, or polish your own Blue John stone things to do, places to visit and events check out
at Treak Cliff Cavern; not only are there many the website www.visitpeakdistrict.com where
places to visit they all have activities and events you will also find a large selection of walks and
happening throughout the year. For ideas of trails to download.
If you prefer you can wander round some of the
many picturesque villages or discover the indi-
vidual shopping in the market towns where local
produce and food and drink can be found in the
many cafes and restaurants.
One of the unique attractions is the practise of
Well Dressing which happens between May and
September. Most weeks you will find at least one
place in the area has dressed its wells with large
pictures made from flowers petals leaves and
other naturally occurring products. These can
depict bible stories or local anniversaries and
often take hundreds of hours of work each.
Castles and caves, steam trains and trams, cable
cars and stately homes the choice of places to
visit is enormous. Watch a mock battle at
Bolsover Castle, enjoy a glorious afternoon tea at
Bakewell
Signpost - page 62
 Lea Gardens
Lea Gardens nestle in a south-west-facing slope,
on the northern edge of the Amber valley, look-
ing across to one of the 1,000-foot (305m) peaks
of the Pennine chain.
Lea Gardens is a unique collection of highly
acclaimed rhododendrons, azaleas kalmias and
other plants collected from the far corners of
the world.
The Gardens are sited on the remains of a
medieval millstone quarry and cover an area of
approximately 4 acres (1.6ha) on a wooded hill-
side. The excellent rock Garden contain a huge
variety of alpines with acers, dwarf conifers,
heathers and spring bulbs.
Signpost - page 63
H i gh P ea k T r ai l , M id d le to n
Top
Bird life has been encouraged in quiet woodland
walks below the main gardens. This area, plant-
ed with ornamental trees and specie rhododen-
drons, contains many assorted bird-boxes donat-
ed by friends of Lea Gardens. The colours,
scents and natural bird life can best be appreci-
ated on a quiet weekday.
Telephone 01629 534380
www.leagarden.co.uk
www.countysignpost.co.uk
Middleton Top
Running for 17.5 miles through the southern Pennines;
the High Peak Trail is a delightful way of exploring the
Derbyshire Dales. This traffic-free route is ideal for
walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Starting in the
Derwent Valley just south of Cromford, now part of
a World Heritage Site because of the wealth of its
industrial archaeology, the trail quickly climbs the val-
ley side and within a few miles is on the limestone
plateaux of the “White Peak”. From here on it is flat!
The trail is in fact one of the oldest standard gauge
railways in the world, so old in fact that some of its
features are those of canals. Long inclines were used to
climb up the valley sides instead of flights of locks but
once on the level the line hugged the contours giving
curves that would not be found on later lines. The line
even linked two canals, the Cromford and Peak Forest
and for the first thirty years of its life was part of the
canal system rather than the railway system.
Nowadays you can appreciate the skill and ingenuity of
the men who built the line as you walk along the track
or enjoy your picnic at one of the many picnic sites. At
High Peak Junction you can explore the site and the
original railway workshops using the audio tour. If you
time your visit you may also be able to see in operation
the magnificent Leawood Pumphouse built in the
middle of the 19th century to top up the
canal from the River Derwent. If engineer-
ing is your interest, then you must also visit
the winding engine at Middleton Top. Built
around 1830 this is the last of 9 engines
built to haul wagons up the inclines. This
engine is open on the first weekend of the
month throughout the summer.
Possibly the best way to explore the trail is
on a bike and these can be hired at either
end of the trail at Middleton Top and
Parsley Hay. If you are feeling particularly
energetic from Parsley Hay you can join the
Tissington Trail, another old railway, which
gives you another 13 miles to go at!
Middleton Top Visitor Centre has long been
a Mecca for the recreational cyclist. One of the earliest
cycle hire centres in the country, starts an ideal flat and
safe route for families and children - with new bikes
arriving for the 2010 season - with access to miles of
traffic-free routes through the best scenery the White
Peak has to offer you might have thought it couldn’t
get better, but it has.
The cycle route of the Pennine Bridleway starts at
Middleton and provides a challenging route for the
more adventurous cyclist.
Middleton and the trail is not just about cycling how-
ever, and the trail offers something for everyone with
industrial heritage, beautiful scenery and walks to suit
everyone wither you want a short stroll or a challeng-
ing hike.
Telephone 01629 823204
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Penninebridleway
Signpost - page 64
 Shipley Country Park

building, guided nature and heritage walks,

children’s nature trails, arty activities, map
reading courses and much more. The annual
Autumn Footprints - Amber Valley & Erewash
Walking Festival takes place in September and
includes guided walks and walk related events
throughout the park.

The Shipley estate was developed during the

18th century as a country estate and coal mining
area by the influential Miller Mundy family.
Following the restoration of the old coal mines
and opencast quarries, the area was opened as a
country park in 1976 by Derbyshire County
Council and is now well established as a green
space for all to enjoy. Entry to Shipley Country
Park is free of charge. Parking £1.00.

Open all year.

Slack Lane, Heanor, Derbyshire DE75 7GX

Tel: 01773 719961 www.derbyshire.gov.uk

Located near to Heanor, Shipley Country Park
offers over 700 acres of attractive landscape
with leafy pathways, tranquil lakes, large wood-
lands and wildlife meadows. You can walk or
ride on 18 miles of footpaths and bridleways
through the park. Whatever the season, there is
always lots to see and do in the park such as bird
watching, angling, walking, cycling, horse-riding,
kite flying, jogging, wayfaring, photography,
picnicking and exploring the park.

Shipley Country Park achieved Green Flag

Award status in July 2008. The Green Flag
Award is the national standard for parks and
green spaces in England and Wales. A wide
range of events take place including bird box

Signpost - page 65