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Name
The county was first recorded in 1049 however it was formerly
known as Northworthy but was renamed by the Danes because of
the large concentration of deer in the region. The name of
Derby comes from the Danish 'deoraby' meaning 'the place of
the deer'.
Topography
Derbyshire is bordered by the West Riding of Yorkshire in the
north, Leicestershire to the south, Staffordshire to the
west and south, Nottinghamshire in the east and Cheshire to
the north-west. Hills dominate the region and rise to The
Peak at 2086ft. The county is drained by the Derwent, Dove,
Wye and Trent rivers. There are several spectacular
waterfalls in the county. With a drop of 400feet, the
highest is Kinder Downfall on Kinder Scout. The Pennine Way
starts in Derbyshire at Edale in the Hope Valley. Also in
this part of the county are a series of vast limestone
caverns which are popular with serious potholers and
tourists alike. South Derbyshire is less rugged than the
Dales and the Peak District further north but is fine
walking country.
History
Traces of early settlement have been found in many parts of
the county, particularly around the many iron-age hill
forts. However, it was around the 7th century that English
settlers arrived in the region and became known as Pec-setan,
or Peak Dwellers. The district formed part of the great
kingdom of Mercia and later, on arrival of the Danes in the
9th century, Derby was included in Danelaw, the confederacy
of Lincoln, Leicester, Stamford, Nottingham and Derby. The
earliest important Norman imprint on the county was at
Castleton where William de Peveril, the son of William the
Conqueror, built Peak Castle. The castle's imposing keep was
erected much later by Henry II in 1176. Robert de Ferrers,
Earl of Derby, fought on the side of the Barons against
Henry III. Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner at
Chatsworth and Wingfield Manor. She also visited Buxton for
her health. William Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire, was one
of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to
England. The Earl and his conspirators used to meet in the
'Plotting Parlours' of an inn on Whittington Moor.
Dr.Sacheverell preached his famous assize sermon in Derby in
1710 attacking the Whig government with such rancour that he
was impeached. In 1745, the Young Pretender, Charles Edward
Stuart, was proclaimed King in Derby. Much of Derbyshire was
involved in the pioneering days of the industrial revolution
and Derby, Belper and Duffield became famous for the
manufacture of silk.
Landmarks
Derbyshire has some of the most famous landmarks and
includes The Peak District, The Pennines, The Derbyshire
Dales, Black Rock, Kinder Scout, Mam Tor, High Tor, Creswell
Crags, Dove Dale and, of course, it's world-famous caverns.
Monuments
Bolsover Castle - a 17th century castle built by Sir Charles
Cavendish, Chatsworth House - a classical mansion built by
William Talman between 1687 and 1707 for the 1st Duke of
Devonshire, Haddon Hall - first built by William de Peveril
and now fully restored, Hardwick Hall - dating from 1591
when Elizabeth of Shrewsbury wanted a retirement home,
Kedleston Hall - where the Curzon family lived for over 800
years, Melbourne Hall - a Royal Manor until 1604 and later
developed by Sir John Coke, Cromford Old Mill - where, in
1771, Richard Arkwright first used water power to drive a
cotton mill.
Famous People born in
Derbyshire
John Hobson (1858-1940) the economist was born at Derby. An
opponent of orthodox economic theories, he believed
'under-consumption' to be the main cause of unemployment. He
wrote 'The Science of Wealth' in 1911.
Thomas Cook was born in Melbourne in 1808. He revolutionised
modern tourism and invented the package tour. It evolved
from his zeal for the temperance movement. Wanting to get
teetotallers from Leicester to a rally in Loughborough, he
hired and advertised a special train on the Midland railway;
570 people responded and made the return journey for a
shilling on 5th July 1841. Within a few years Cook was
organising attractive holiday tours; 350 tourists, for
example, paid a guinea to travel by train and steamer to
Glasgow, where they had vouchers for their hotels and were
greeted with brass bands and the firing of cannons.
Robert Lindsay the actor was born in Ilkeston. The son of a
carpenter, he reportedly borrowed five pounds from a friend
to travel to London for an audition at the Royal Academy of
Dramatic Arts (RADA) after which he was subsequently
accepted. It wasn't long before he became a household name
as Wolfie in the 1977 sitcom 'Citizen Smith.' Since then, he
has appeared in a diverse range of roles and parts in
television, films and stage productions in which he has won
a large number of acting awards on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Famous People who lived in
Derbyshire
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) the political philosopher was
tutor to the 2nd and 3rd Earls of Devonshire at Chatsworth
and Hardwick. Travelling with the family, he made the
acquaintance of many leading intellectual figures including
Galileo, Descartes, Bacon and Ben Jonson. He died at
Hardwick Hall aged 91. Florence Nightingale (1820-1910)
spent her early childhood at Lea Hurst near Crich. Sir
Osbert Sitwell (1892-1969) author, and Dame Edith Sitwell
(1887-1964) the poet, both lived at Renishaw Hall to the
south of Eckington.
Customs
On Shrove Tuesday there is a pancake race at Winster. At
Ashbourne Shrovetide football is played between two goals 3
miles apart. Well dressing ceremonies take place at
Tissington on Ascension Day, at Wirkston at Whitsun,
Youlgreave in June, Marsh Lane in July, and Bonsall and
Barlow in August. Matlock Baths has Illuminations and
Venetian Nights from the end of August to early October.
Folklore
It is claimed that the Devil once turned itself into a fiery
dragon in the north and moved south laying waste all in his
path. On the hills above Chesterfield he saw a man with bare
feet and a tattered gown who refused to run away. Instead he
climbed on Winlatter Rock and spread his arms wide to form a
cross and fear struck the Devil who sent a tempest to blow
him away. He never moved. He stood so firm that his feet
sunk into the rock and held him up. The Devil fled to the
north and the priest went down into Chesterfield and told
them how he had saved them and the town.
Diary
In addition to the above customs, a plague memorial service
is held at Eyam in August. The Derbyshire County Show takes
place in June and a Festival of Music and Arts is staged in
Buxton during July and August. |
