An Introduction to Derbyshire

Derbyshire’s (shortened as Derbys) natural splendour has been enchanting tourists throughout the centuries. Legions of Roman visitors explored the underground wonderland of local caverns. Lord Byron compared the county’s scenic beauty with that of Greece and Switzerland, and thousands of well to do Victorians arrived to ’take the waters’ in the spa towns of Buxton and Matlock.

Today, the diverse unspoilt landscape - from sombre, majestic moorlands to delightful dales - remains, one of Britain's National Parks- the Peak District, Derbyshire’s leading attraction. But much has been done to heighten the county’s appeal for day-trippers and holidaymakers.

Award-winning museums have opened throughout the county, historic sites have been brought to life through clever interpretation and theme parks have introduced rides, which thrill even the most demanding daredevils.

One of Derbyshire’s biggest claims to fame is its treasure chest of historic stately homes. All situated in splendid settings, these grand houses are often the first port of call for visitors.

Known as the ’Palace of the Peak’, Chatsworth houses a priceless treasury of artworks. Built between 1686 and 1707, with major additions in the 1820s, it is richly furnished and decorated with painted walls and woodcarvings. The 1,000-acre parkland, where deer roam free, was landscaped by Capability Brown and the gardens feature fountains, secluded walks and a magnificent cascade.

The dramatic story of Dorothy Vernon’s elopement with John Manners lends extra romance to Haddon Hall - England’s best-preserved medieval manor house. Haddon has remained almost unchanged since the 16th century, and features beautifully panelled rooms, superb tapestries and terraced gardens.

Impressive architecture gives Hardwick Hall its special allure. Famed for being ’more glass than wall’, the house was designed in 1597 by Bess of Hardwick and is crowned with her initials. Its magnificent Great Chamber, collection of Elizabethan needlework and 500-acre park are highlights of any visit.

Also well worth seeing are Sudbury Hall, a richly decorated, late-17th century house with its own estate village, and Kedleston Hall, which was rebuilt from 1759 as a great classical palace and includes a museum of Indian collections.

Calke Abbey at Ticknall has been nicknamed ’The House That Time Forgot’. Built in 1701, this baroque mansion has remained a virtual time capsule since the death of the last baronet.

The 17th-century Bolsover Castle is another historic site and is often used as the setting for re-enactments of battles from bygone times. Part of the site is in ruins, but the ’Little Castle’ is well preserved and decorated in Jacobean style. 

Even more ancient sites are there for the viewing in Derbyshire. The limestone gorge at Creswell Crags features a series of caves occupied by humans about 70,000 years ago. The visitor centre includes a display of the archaeological discoveries which have made it internationally famous. 

The county also has its own ’Stonehenge’ - the impressive prehistoric monument of Arbor Low near Youlgreave. Almost 60 slabs of limestone lie inside a circular bank on a site which some claim was used for human sacrifice.

Derbyshire’s rich history has given birth to a vast range of museums - some of the most fascinating and unusual specialising in the county’s transport heritage.

Visitors can take a trip down memory lane at the unique Crich Tramway Museum, where painstakingly restored vintage trams trundle along a two-mile route into the local woodland. There are over 40 steam, horse-drawn and electric trams on display.

The days of steam trains are vividly recreated at the Midland Railway Centre near Ripley, which runs a regular passenger service. This huge museum site includes beautifully restored locomotives and rolling stock, stations and signal boxes, all set within a 35-acre country park. 

The Red House Stables Working Carriage Museum at Darley Dale features a beautiful collection of original horse-drawn vehicles, some of which can regularly be seen bringing a touch of elegance to local roads.

Derbyshire’s industrial past has been the inspiration for several major museums. Derby Industrial Museum is on the site of the local silk mill, which was built in the early 1700s and became a prototype of the modern factory. Today it houses the Rolls-Royce Aero Engine Collection, as well as many items charting the development of the area’s railways and textile industry.

You can take a guided tour around Cromford Mill - a monument to Richard Arkwright, the "Father of the Factory System". Another popular destination is Caudwell’s Mill at Rowsley - the only working water-powered roller flour mill of its kind. 

Nearby at Matlock Bath, the Peak District Mining Museum provides a glimpse of the working conditions under which the Derbyshire lead miners laboured.

And the story of stone - from prehistoric axe factories to hi-tech processing - is told at the National Stone Centre in Wirksworth. 

The city of Derby has several museum attractions. Pickford’s House Museum highlights Georgian life, while the City Museum and Art Gallery houses the largest public collection of Derby porcelain - complementing the exhibits in the Royal Crown Derby factory museum.

Derbyshire County Council museums also offer entertainment, education and enjoyment galore. The ’Wonders of the Peak’ exhibition at Buxton Museum takes visitors through seven scenarios depicting various aspects of the past.

Over at Sudbury Hall, the Museum of Childhood is a delight for young and old alike, offering a taste of bygone childhood through toys, books, costume and nostalgic room settings.

Among the most intriguing is New Mills Heritage and Information Centre, which highlights the town’s progress from prehistoric times. It also features a large model of the town as it looked in 1884, as well as an urban studies centre.

If you delve even deeper into Derbyshire, you will find an underground scenic beauty to rival that of the hills and dales. Awesome show caverns can be found in many locations, with fine examples in the Peakland village of Castleton.

Dominated by the Norman keep of Peveril Castle, the community’s caverns are also famous as the unique source of Blue John, England’s rarest semi-precious stone, which was first mined by the Romans.

In 1680, Charles Cotton described Poole’s Cavern at Buxton as ’The first wonder of the Peak’. In fact, the cave’s spectacular stalactite formations were a hit as far back as the Romans! Today, various exhibitions - including displays of archaeological finds - have been introduced. 

The two show caverns at the Heights of Abraham Country Park in Matlock Bath were first opened to the public in the 1800s, when they were illuminated by candelabra suspended from the roof.

Today their splendour is brought to life in hi-tech style. The Great Masson Cavern is introduced by a multivision programme explaining how the cavern was created and the history of the mining complex of which it is a part. At the Great Rutland Cavern, a 17th-century lead miner greets tour parties with tales from the past.

But probably the most dramatic attraction of the 60-acre country park is the 570-metre cable car ride, which carries visitors to the summit.

Pleasure-seekers on the look-out for even wilder thrills need hunt no further than the American Adventure theme park. Spectacular shoot-outs, sensational ’white-knuckle’ rides and peaceful Mississippi paddle boat trips help capture all the excitement of America.

Situated between Heanor and Ilkeston, the park has swiftly become one of Derbyshire’s top tourist draws with its line-up of over 100 attractions. As well as hair-raising rides, it boasts the country’s largest indoor play area to keep youngsters amused, whatever the weather.

An action-packed visit is also assured at Gulliver’s Kingdom, perched high on a terraced site in Matlock Bath, where attractions include go-karts and a log flume.

Visitors keen to indulge in more tranquil activities can enjoy Derbyshire’s country parks. Two major recreational havens run by the County Council - Elvaston Castle and Shipley Country Park - offer acres of space for outdoor pastimes.

Once owned by the Earls of Harrington, Elvaston Castle and its pleasure gardens are a landscaped gem on the outskirts of Derby. Many secluded walkways meander through the 200 acres of wood and parkland, while the elegant gardens are among the country’s finest.

Shipley Country Park at Heanor has 600 acres of woodland, lakes, rolling hills and wildflower meadows. Once a medieval estate, the site became a farming and coalmining area in the 18th century. It has now provides a haven for walking, picnicking, bicycling, horse-riding and fishing.

When it comes to exploring the countryside, Derbyshire’s many trails are the ideal starting point, providing traffic-free routes into landscapes rich in wildlife. Many are based on disused railway lines, including the Five Pits, Rowthorne and Sett Valley Trails.

On the High Peak Trail, which runs 17-and-a-half miles from Cromford to Dowlow near Buxton, visitors can call in at the Middleton Top Engine House, with its fully restored beam winding engine.

Various old canals in the county - such as those at Chesterfield and Cromford - are being transformed into leisure waterways. Whaley Bridge is the terminus for the Peak Forest Canal, where you can hire pleasure craft. Cruising can also be enjoyed on the Trent and Mersey Canal, south of Derby.

Derbyshire’s reservoirs also act as powerful tourist magnets. Carsington Water reservoir supplies water to the Severn Trent region and is attracts more than 1 million visitors a year.

In its glorious setting near Wirksworth, the 300-hectare reservoir and its surroundings provide opportunities for watersports, walking, cycling and birdwatching. The visitor centre on the west bank includes exhibitions, unusual water sculptures, restaurants and speciality shops.

High in the Peak District lie the Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs, with their huge dams and ’drowned’ villages, which eerily reappear during times of drought. This was the setting where the daring Dambusters tested the ’Bouncing Bomb’ before going into action during World War II.

Rare wildfowl are among the many visitors to another Peakland water attraction, Upper Longdendale. The chain of five reservoirs is surrounded by high, exposed moors and woodland plantations rich in wildlife habitats. Walks in the area provide panoramic views.

Whenever you choose to visit Derbyshire, you should look out for the many special events which take place all year. The line-up includes everything from medieval markets to well dressing celebrations, steam rallies to pancake races, agricultural shows to Christmas illuminations.

Principal towns:

Ashbourne
Buxton
Chapel en le frith
Chesterfield
Derby
Dronfield
Glossop
Matlock
Staveley