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November 18, 2018

Sudbury, Derbyshire – All Saints

On Saturday afternoon (20 October) we drove across to Sudbury Hall National Trust property. Even disabled drivers have to park in the main car park and there is an electric van – but it’s not very easy to enter. We started with the Second Hand Bookshop, then did the Museum of Childhood – it’s all accessible and good fun. An interesting display about the portrayal of race – more information here. And they have a dalek. The House is not accessible for those in wheelchairs, so we went for a walk/roll through the gardens and up to the church....
Categories Derbyshire/National Trust/World War 1 Comments: 2
November 17, 2018

Longford, Derbyshire – St Chad

St Chad’s church, Longford, has a page on the Derbsyhirechurches website, but there is no mention of a church website there or on a achurchnearyou. It is at grid reference, SK 214383, and is off the road, in parkland by Longford Hall. Road access is through a gate which was opened for us as we were going to sing Evensong, but whether you would be able to drive down there (and whether you would be able to get in or not), I wouldn’t like to say. I had the opportunity of doing a quick trot round with my camera,...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 0
November 7, 2018

Egginton, Derbyshire – St Wilfrid

Chris and I drove a couple of miles down to St Wilfrid’s church in Egginton – grid reference SK 267278, website. It has a 56 page glossy guidebook. The line of the A38 is a Roman road, and “The farmstead of Ecga” may well have been settled in the C6. Wilfrid, or Wilfrith, was an Anglo-Saxon who lived from 634 to 709. A novice at Lindisfarne, he visited Rome, then received the monastery of Ripon in 661. Later he was Bishop of Hexham. There was a priest, church and mill here by the time of Domesday. The present Chancel...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 2
November 5, 2018

Etwall, Derbyshire – St Helen

On Monday 8 October I had arranged to meet Chris my predecessor for a coffee. She is currently looking after Etwall and Egginton, two churches just outside Derby. This means she has the keys for Etwall and Egginton so she can show me round. St Helen’s church Etwall is in the middle of the village at SK 269319, and has a website. The church is apparently open on Wednesday afternoons. You can imagine a small wooden church near Etta’s Well, perhaps replaced by a stone church in Saxon times. Domesday records that there was a priest and a church...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 7
November 3, 2018

Chesterfield, Derbyshire – Christ Church

On Sunday 30 September there were a couple of churches in Chesterfield doing WW1 Commemoration events. Our friend Anne had been with us for the weekend and was returning to Northumberland – so Chesterfield is en route. Christ Church is at SK 385723, and has a website shared with Holy Trinity (which we visited several years ago). The Derbyshire Churches website gives it a couple of sentences: “Christ Church on Sheffield Road is the sister church to Holy Trinity and both share the same vicar, David Horsfall. The Foundation Stone of this church was laid on 5 September 1869...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
September 29, 2018

Peartree, Derby – St Thomas

Heritage Open Days are being spread over two weekends this year, but there is not a lot happening in Derby. We did some planning, and on Saturday 8 September started with one church that is open – St Thomas, Peartree – SK 353343 – website. This is what I wrote for our magazines … Saturday 8 September was Heritage Open Day, so Julie and I went for an explore. We visited St Thomas’ church in Peartree. I cannot claim that Peartree is an area of Derby I had ever visited, but I had chatted with Simon their Vicar about...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
September 28, 2018

Quarndon, Derbyshire – St Paul

The last church of August. On Friday 31st I had a funeral to do just up the road at Quarndon as Becky the Vicar is on holiday. All straightforward, and an opportunity to blog St Paul’s – SK 335410. They have a website and we work together in Allestree Churches Together. There is an old C12 chapel, of which one chunk remains – I must walk up and photo it next time I walk through the village (which I do quite often). There is a drawing of the old church inside. Funding for this church was provided in part by...
Categories Derbyshire/World War 1 Comments: 3
September 20, 2018

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 5, Calton Lees to Rowsley

On Tuesday 14 August I had a date in Sheffield to give platelets, and decided to drive. That was a mistake – Matlock Bath was a traffic jam. I stopped at the Calton Lees car park and did the next little bit of the Heritage Way. Not a walk with stunning views, not a walk with lots of history or things to point out … but a pleasant walk none the less. Rowsley was a major railway centre – and the stations have two pages on the Disused Stations site – website (lots of excellent history and good photos...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk/Railway History Comments: 0
September 18, 2018

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 4 – Baslow to Calton Lees

On Thursday 2 August I finished my 55th year with a good walk – the next bit of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. I parked at Baslow – SK 257722, crossed the Bar Brook, walked passed the thatched cottages and into the Chatsworth Estate – there is mega kissing gate as you enter to allow wheelchairs in. A blue plaque to Joseph Paxton, and some lovely views of the house. I shouldn’t admit that we’ve been in Derbyshire now for two years and have still not visited – website. I passed Queen Mary’s Bower. Tradition has it that this was...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk Comments: 0
September 18, 2018

Dronfield, Derbyshire – St John the Baptist

The parish church of St John the Baptist, Dronfield is at SK 353783. It just above the railway line, not far from the station. The village was mentioned in Domesday, but the first Rector, Oscot, is mentioned in the Pipe Roll of Henry I, and building may have begun under him in about 1135. At that time the living was held by the Brailsford family, then it was sold to Beauchief Abbey, not far away in Sheffield (we are in the very north of Derbyshire and the Diocese). The tower was added in 1360, and it was completed in...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 3