Dining at Shirland Golf & Country Club
On Sunday March 5th we took the opportunity to go along to Shirland Golf Club for a carvery lunch. It’s years since I was there and was quite shocked and very pleasantly surprised to see how much work and effort has been put into what was a bit of a tired building. The quality of what has been done really is a credit to owner Colin Hancock who has a firm determination to put Shirland Golf Club firmly on the map for golf, weddings, parties, musical events and much, much more. The setting is absolutely beautiful for all of the aforementioned. We were greeted by Colin who is a most genial host and along with his partner Sarah made us really feel at home in the spacious dining area now called Fairways. Colin has a passion for sport in all its forms and he knows that having the correct facilities are paramount to an enjoyable game of whatever sport you choose. Football is his main interest, you can tell that by the way he talks about his local team Notts County whose games he goes to regularly. There is a good following of fellow fans at the golf club too as I found out as people came to chat to him about the game. It came therefore as no surprise to me that when he talked about the aspirations he has for Shirland Golf Club it encompasses more than just golf. The wedding side is well under way with a superb marquee situated just next to the trees a short walk from the main clubhouse. Named The Pines, it has already hosted many weddings and musical functions. Music and entertainment are also Colin’s passion and events are already planned for this summer with a number of tribute bands lined up (dates to be announced). We sat chatting to Colin and Sarah over a lunch of soup starter and main course, which is a traditional Sunday carvery reintroduced by popular demand after lockdown. We enjoyed a generous portion of beef and turkey, with all the trimmings; pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and crispy Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes. The chef Chris, has 45 years experience in catering and was hard at work in the kitchen for this 12 noon to 4 pm Sunday roast lunch which is a firm favourite. I had the opportunity to visit the kitchen and have a brief word with Chris who you can see has got things firmly under control. There are traditional puddings such as apple crumble and custard, and home-made cakes to finish on a sweet note. Dining in the large clubhouse, it was intriguing to see both families and couples, all there enjoying their Sunday together, looking out over the golf course, the golfers joining after they had finished their rounds. As summer comes, the large balcony with extensive views stretching over to Ashover and beyond will be a delightful place to sit, drink and dine. When I asked Colin ‘Why buy a golf club?’ He said ‘Why not?” He’s already spent a lot of money on rebuilding and renovating the clubhouse since taking over just before the pandemic and, as I mentioned at the beginning, it’s a very different place. Colin took me on a tour of every room including the new entrance area which is very plush and comes complete with a separate room where the registrar will be situated on wedding days. There’s a room for private functions and a separate spike bar area for golfers along with the revamped locker room, shower and toilets. Attracting future members shouldn’t be a problem as extensive work has, and is frequently carried out on the course without upsetting the regular golfers weekly routine. That’s a skill in itself as golfers like a nice course but don’t want anything to disrupt their regular playing days. But, the golf club is aware of that and works to keep things on an even keel. Finishing our meal with a helping of apple crumble, I felt we had covered every aspect of life including Colins’ background in dentistry, working in Harley Street and travelling the country setting up dental practices. Dentistry is something that he is still passionate about and keenly involved with. We even found we had a mutual love of certain areas of the country and their cosy pubs, as well as spending a little time with George Best, he even has a George Best corner in one of the rooms! Every room seems to be adorned with his footballing past including his involvement with the 1966 World Cup. What of the future? Well we’ve touched on most of it but there are plans afoot to look at putting residential units on site and why not? It’s the perfect situation to do it. He’s right to be proud of what has been accomplished up to now and he still has the drive to push on further which can only be good for Shirland Golf Club. There’s a good team spirit and plenty of support to go even further including family members. Colin’s daughter Honor lives on site and sees to it that everything goes to plan. The Sunday carvery is from 12noon to 4pm and it’s best to book in. You’ll enjoy the mix of company and hear the golfers regaling their successes too, but don’t believe all that you hear! Our thanks to Colin, Sarah and Chris, for welcoming us so warmly. 00
Walk Derbyshire – A Walk Above Matlock
by Rambler I don’t think I have ever written about a walk where the instructions needed to mention street names, but as this walk involves the use of streets dating back to Matlock’s origins as a spa town, it will be helpful if I name the handful of them necessary, in order to reach the forests surrounding the eastern side of the town. Fortunately street walking will be at the minimum once the height gained by climbing Bank Road from the town centre is accomplished. The reason for all this climbing on pavements and a narrow side alley, or jitty, is due to long term parking currently being difficult around the town centre while the extensive flood prevention works are carried out on the river bank, beyond the road bridge near Crown Square. In the hey-day of Smedley’s Hydro (now Derbyshire County Council headquarters), trams hauled by an underground cable ran up and down Bank Road from Crown Square. Unfortunately present day traffic has made it impossible to have trams cluttering up the town centre, struggling for space with the never ending convoys of heavy vehicles carrying Derbyshire’s limestone to markets far and wide. Until Smedley had his brainwave, the great and good seemed to have managed quite well without the need for the likes of high pressure water sprayed all over their quaking bodies, but they did and flocked to Matlock in their droves, that was until the fashion died out around the mid 1940s. Fortunately the white elephant the building had become soon fulfilled a need for new county council headquarters away from overcrowded Derby. While the fashion for the water cure was at its height, Smedley became very rich and encouraged his senior employees to open smaller versions of his hydropathic establishment, rather like chickens around a mother hen. He also built Riber Castle that still dominates the townscape, despite its history of failure. The eastern hillside above Matlock and as far as the joining of Derwent and lower Wye Valleys was once renowned for plant nurseries, specialising in shrubs and the kind of plants that prefer acid soils, such as that found to the east of the Derwent Valley, especially above Darley Dale. There is even a rich ruby-flowered heather called Erica darleyensise that was developed by one of the hillside nurseries. Regrettably only one of those nurseries survived. Beyond County Offices, the walk has one last climb, directly up to the attractive housing estate accessed by Cavendish Road. Further on, the way is through established pine forested plantations along with mature mixed woodland which is soon left in order to drop down to the Sydnope section of Two Dales and where a woodland track winds its way towards the stone cottages and small farms bordering Boam Lane. A pleasant high level road walk with many views later descend, leading towards the need to cross a busy main road, the A6. Luckily this is brief and a short field track is joined, going under Peak Rail’s track and then onwards towards the river which together with the railway is followed all the way back into Matlock town Centre. THE WALK STEP BY STEP From Crown Square walk up steep Bank Road until you reach County Offices and the site of Smedley’s Hydropathic Institute as it was known in the days of the ‘water cure’. Turn left at the corner of the main building and follow Smedley Street, past the entrance to County Offices. Cross over the junction with Wellington Street corner marked by the attractive tower and residential property on the site of ‘Tinker’ Wright’s hardware store where you could buy such things as nails and screws in any quantity rather than coming away with the unwanted contents of whole packets. Cross over to the other side of the junction and walk on for about a hundred yards to reach a side turning to the right into Smith Street. Follow Smith Street uphill to its junction with Jackson Road. Cross the double junction and go to the left along Jackson Tor Road, following it to its end and then turn right on to a steeply inclined jitty – the local word for an alley. Leave the narrow jitty at the top where it passes a children’s play area in order to join Cavendish Road. Turn left along this road, walking past houses on your right and the local sports ground on your left. Where the road turns sharply to the right, continue forwards along a narrow tree lined track winding steadily uphill and into mature woodland. When the track begins to bear right, continue along it, climbing steadily right, uphill and beginning to bear left, scrambling upwards as far as the remains of an old stone boundary wall. Turn left at the wall and walk on, joining a level grassy path running between mature mixed woodland on your left and a plantation of pines on the right. At the end of the path turn right and then go diagonally left to cross a grassy fire break. Currently work is in progress to remove fully grown trees destined to be converted into woodchip used for building purposes. Look out for notices advising current operations and listen out for machinery and loaded trucks. Continue into pinewood and follow a path through the dense woodland. Where the woodland path reaches a forestry track, turn left and follow it for about a quarter of a mile, turning right and then left at a track junction after another quarter of a mile. Follow this section of track for around half a mile, past open fields grazed by sheep on your left. Continue until the track bears right opposite the boundary of a private garden developed in an abandoned gritstone quarry. From the middle of May, the wild garden is filled with the pinks and reds of rhododendrons. About a hundred yards beyond the turning, go to the left following the garden boundary, along a rough path winding between
Mickleover couple set a new World Record!
By Steve Orme Being knocked off their bike in Malaysia, cycling in sub-zero temperatures in Canada where they had to be on the lookout for bears and suffering sickness in India: some of the challenges that faced a Derbyshire couple as they attempted to set a new world record. Laura Massey-Pugh and Stevie Massey from Mickleover cycled an incredible 18,000 miles and achieved their target of completing their tandem ride in just under 180 days. Now they’ve had their feat ratified by Guinness World Records. There was no record for how long it took a mixed couple to cycle around the world – there was only the fastest time for a female team. Laura and Stevie smashed that time by no fewer than 83 days. Cycling an average of 100 miles a day had “inevitable” problems and being knocked off their tandem in Malaysia forced them to consider whether they wanted to carry on, as Laura explains. “Stevie said he noticed two young men on motorcycles who were racing each other. One of them came round a car and just ploughed into the back of us. The next thing we knew we were in the verge. “There was nothing we could have done about it. That was the scary thing really. It was just the nature of the driving in those areas of the world. No safety or respect.” Fortunately neither needed hospital treatment. Laura had badly bruised ribs and both had a few nasty cuts and scrapes. But they managed to get back on their bike and continue their journey. Laura who is 36 and 46-year-old Stevie have been long-distance cyclists for some time. They thought riding around the world would be the ultimate challenge – and so it proved. It took them 18 months to plan the trip which started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. From Germany they went through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia. They’d planned to go through Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan – but the land borders to Azerbaijan were closed, so they took a flight from Tbilisi in Georgia to India and rode for extra miles there. Then they went through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, both islands of New Zealand, across Canada and then back to Portugal, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Different climates caused Laura and Stevie all sorts of problems. “When we hit the heat in Germany it was a bit of a shock to the system,” says Laura. “We had monsoon weather in India and when we went through Mumbai the whole state was on red warnings for monsoons. We were trying to cycle through that and then had extreme heat there as well. South east Asia was of course very hot too. “When we got to Australia it was a very late spring there so it was unexpectedly cold to begin with. In New Zealand we had torrential rain. In Canada it got down to -10 degrees. I think that was the coldest we were cycling in. Europe was typically rainy on the way back.” Laura admits the trip was tougher than she imagined it would be. “We always knew it would be hard. We didn’t think we were going on a trip of a lifetime where we were sunning ourselves on a beach every other day. “But it was extremely tough. Stevie had problems with saddle sores. He got a parasite in India which affected him quite badly so he really suffered towards the end of the trip. “By the time we got back we were both absolutely exhausted. We’d given everything we could to make the target we set.” Another challenge was arranging for somewhere to stay each night of the trip. “We did carry a tent with us and we were able to use that in Europe and Australia. In Asia it wasn’t really possible to camp, so we had to find hotels and they varied in quality. “In Canada we weren’t able to camp because of the temperature and the bears, so we were in quite a lot of grotty motels a lot of the time. We ended up roughing it a bit for a few nights, not getting enough sleep which wasn’t ideal for our recovery.” As for the bears, Laura says they didn’t see any but were aware of the risks: “We’d been told that if we stuck to the main highways we should be okay. It was something that was in the back of our minds.” Laura admits that the most frightening thing on the journey was the traffic. “We were on the road for ten hours a day and by the law of averages that made us more at risk than normal. Being on a bike you’re vulnerable. That was the biggest concern and it was a massive relief to get back safely. “The place that surprised us was New Zealand, particularly in the north island. We got quite a lot of road rage there for no particular reason, sometimes just for being on a bicycle on the road and that wasn’t very nice. “It was quite surprising because otherwise it was a lovely country and everybody was really friendly. But they seem to have a very low tolerance for sharing the roads with bicycles. That was a bit odd.” Laura says she and Stevie are “massively proud” of what they achieved which meant not seeing family and friends for six months. “It was strange because I was able to keep people updated through blogs and social media. There’d be people watching and following every day and making comments. But because it was all virtual, it didn’t quite seem real. “We had people who came out to Berlin to meet us. That was just amazing. We had a big welcome in Mickleover as well. It was fantastic to see people in the flesh again, people who’d been supporting us on the way.” So the big question: did they have any arguments during the trip? “I’d
The Lost Houses of Derbyshire – Nevill Old Hall, Ashford in the Water
By Maxwell Craven The history of Ashford-in-the-Water is both in places obscure and also generally complex; there are unhelpful gaps in our knowledge, too. It is also one of the few places in Derbyshire once lived in by a reigning sovereign prince, Melbourne Castle excepted. In reality, we are looking at two successive manor houses here, and the unlikely manifestation of the very grand Norman house of Nevill in this corner of England certainly demands explanation. Domesday Book accords Ashford considerable importance as, like Hope, it came with lots of berewicks (outliers) attached to it (no less than twelve in all), making it a prosperous entity. Whilst the church then fails to appear on the record (not always a guarantee that a church did not exist, just that it had no value to the crown), there was a mill and a lead mine – presumably a fore-runner of the Magpie Mine – and the whole lot was part of the King’s extensive holdings in Derbyshire. The crown retained control of the manorial estate until 1199, when it was granted by King John to no less a person than Gwenwynwyn, ruling prince of Powis, in Wales. From here in, however, it all gets a trifle complicated, for Gwenwynwyn was not, however, Prince of all Powis (central Wales), but of Powis Wenwynwyn, for the principality had been divided between him and his cousin Madoc (ruling Powis Fadog) by 1187. This had all come about because of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn, the first of his dynasty to rule Powis, which had once been reckoned as a kingdom and whose rulers claimed (on the testimony of the 8th century Pillar of Eliseg at Llangollen) descent from Vortigern via a daughter of the emperor Magnus Maximus. Bleddyn had fought alongside King Harold against William the Conqueror, with the result that the victorious conqueror, in revenge, let his land-hungry knights loose upon the Powis borders, breaking it up. Fortunately, Bleddyn’s sons spent the next three decades fighting back and, by 1096 had recovered most of it. Inevitably, however, internecine strife amongst the ruling princes of Wales eventually drove Gwenwynwyn to exile England in 1199, hence the grant of the manor of Ashford to him by King John. Whilst it seems quite possible that Gwenwynwyn did actually live in Ashford before his death in 1216, his son, Gruffydd (who came of age in 1232), certainly did. One or other of them built a moated manor house just north of the church. The moat was still visible in the mid-19th century but was barely by the early 20th century and only a crop mark in dry weather today. Moated manor houses began to become fashionable in the 12th century, elite nobles preferring them to the Normans’ motte-and-bailey castles and hence I rather think that Gruffydd was the builder here. Needless to say, in the early 19th century the site was called Ashford Castle. Gruffydd was only about five when his father died, but he continued in exile at Ashford until 1240, by which time he had married Hawise, the daughter of a marcher lord, John le Strange of Knockyn (Welsh Cnwcyn) in Shropshire, by whom he had an eldest son, Owain. He was granted the right of free warren at Ashford by the king in 1250. Having returned to Powis, he ruled successfully until 1274 when he fell out with Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd and was obliged to return to exile once again, but this time only for a few years, for his son Owain led the forces of Powis with Edward I against Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, ending Welsh independence. The following year Owain surrendered the principality of Powis to Edward I in 1283, received it back as an English barony, becoming Owain de la Pole – ‘Pool’ being the English name of the princely capital (now Welshpool). Ashford was surrendered to the Crown as part of the deal, for Gwenwynwyn had finally left there in 1282 and died in his native land about four years later. Ashford’s manorial estate was retained by the Crown and was leased to William de Birchall. In 1319, however, it was settled by Edward II on his younger brother Edmund, Earl of Kent when he came of age. It passed from his son, John, 3rd Earl, to Joan ‘the Fair Maid of Kent’ whom married Hon. Sir Thomas Holand, created Earl of Kent in 1360, at which date and for some time before, Ashford manor had been occupied by Otho de Holand a close kinsman. Later it was tenanted by a branch of the Dales of Chelmorton under the Earls of Kent until the death of Henry Holand, 4th Earl of Kent in 1408. The heiress was his fourth sister, Elizabeth, married to John Lord Nevill, son and heir of the 1st Earl of Westmorland, and it descended from them to Henry Nevill, 5th Earl, who died in 1563. At some time before this, however, the old 12th century house in the moat must have been abandoned as decayed, and probably because there was no room to expand it, as the moated area was by no means large. The family built a new mansion in the village called Nevill Hall (later Old Hall). The house they built, where Fennell street meets Church Street, is known only from a couple of old photographs and from a drawing by George Marsden, all done in the early 20th century. Built of stone, it was of three storeys in height, the surviving range gabled end-on to the road, with two and four-light mullioned windows, and a two-storey service range parallel to the street. It is reasonable to suppose that originally the house boasted two such wings, parallel, enclosing a courtyard (which would have included the small green which now graces the front of the site) with a main range between them containing the great hall. The probable size of the house rather suggests that at times it was inhabited by one or other of
Walk Derbyshire – A Walk Along the Monsal Trail
During the height of the railway mania tracks were being laid often with little or no purpose, throughout the land. While there were already lines running up the east and west coasts, linking London to Edinburgh and Glasgow, with cross country connections to Birmingham and other major industrial areas across industrial Midlands, Manchester and the burgeoning cotton towns of east Lancashire had no direct link to the south of England. As a result, a line was planned, running directly up the middle of the country, with off shoots east and west linking it to both the engineering giants of Birmingham and the ‘pot banks’ of Stoke on Trent. It would start at the ‘cathedral’ station of St Pancras in London and finish as befitted Manchester’s status at the business-like Central Station right in the heart of Cottonopolis. George Stephenson being the leading railway engineer of the time, was invited to build the line that became known, for obvious reasons, as the Midland Railway. Running the track directly up the country, he encountered no major problems in driving it more or less due north, through Leicester and Derby. It was when the line began to cut its way to the north of Derby, where Stephenson was so confident in the line’s potential that he made the then small market town the manufacturing centre of his operations. He also laid the foundations of lines running east and west, east to Nottingham and Lincoln and southwest to Birmingham and west to Liverpool by way of a hub of Crewe, eventually the manufacturing and traffic control of lines reaching north and west. It was while Stephenson was carving his Midland Line north of Derby that he hit the first of many problems. South of Derby all had been plain sailing so to say. Unlike today with HS2, there had been no serious objections, in fact landowners were falling over backwards in co-operation, hoping to fill their pockets with the wealth offered by both selling the land allowing the line to cross their land, and more importantly, lining their pockets with dividends from the business created by this, the most profitable way of carrying goods up and down the country. His troubles began once his line made its way beyond the hitherto easy-going flat countryside in the south, with no serious hills to cross or tunnel through. It was at Whatstandwell, whose tiny station became Florence Nightingale’s link with the rest of England, where the hard work began. Also, it aroused political in-fighting by two dukes. Beyond this tiny village, the route had to carve its way through the massive limestone bulk of High Tor and similar outcrops further north. It was when the line reached Rowsley that Stephenson’s troubles really began; it was here incidentally, that an important marshalling yard for goods trains running north and south eventually developed, probably one of the few advantages that came his way. Stephenson’s original plan, and one that amazingly had the blessing of the then Duke of Devonshire, was to run the line along the Derwent Valley, joining it with the planned Sheffield to Manchester Railway at Hathersage. His planed route would not spoil Capability Brown’s masterpiece of Chatsworth Park with its view from the Palace of the Peak. Here his line would travel between the green fields of Beeley and Baslow, running beneath the park, by way of a tunnel created by a method known as ‘cut and cover’. Trains would effectively disappear beyond Rowsley and reappear at Baslow where a station was planned for the Duke’s convenience. Unfortunately, this suggestion failed, mainly because the Duke of Rutland successfully lobbied in Parliament for the line to take a route that was more convenient to him, together with his own semi-private station at Bakewell, close to Haddon Hall. In retrospect this seems a rather petty idea, as Haddon Hall is more or less equidistant between Rowsley and Bakewell. Not only did the plan remove the possibility of a convenient station to Chatsworth at Baslow, but it forced the Duke of Devonshire to make alternative plans for his journeys to and from London and forcing Stephenson to build an alternative station near Hassop, far from any other passengers. From Stephenson’s point of view, re-routing the line was a potential disaster. While his original plan took the line through the fairly open and almost level countryside of the upper Derwent Valley, the new route forced the line to climb high above Bakewell, in order to gain the height needed for the climb through almost alpine terrain in the Upper Wye Valley of Monsal and Miller’s Dales. What became one of the most scenic railways in Britain was only built after the input of large amounts of cash and manpower. Another un-budgeted cost was the need for locomotives with the extra power needed to haul trains over this ‘alpine’ route. These became the beautiful maroon Pacific locomotives once used to haul trains from London St Pancras to Manchester’s Central Station. With the demise of the line following the Beeching report, the Midland was closed beyond Matlock and stripped of its track. Fortunately, this allowed the Peak District National Park to take over large sections of it together with its tunnels and scenic viaducts in order to create the Monsal Trail, an all-weather route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The route of the trail runs from Bakewell to a little way beyond the old Miller’s Dale Station, passing through several tunnels illuminated by solar-powered lights. It crosses the famous viaduct below Monsal Head, a popular viewpoint before taking a high-level route above the aptly named Water-cum-Jolly Dale, making this walk one of the easiest, yet most attractive walks in the Peak District. There are several pubs and two cafes along the trail, as well as in Bakewell, the Peak District’s ever popular visitor destination. One of its main attractions is the local delicacy called the Bakewell Pudding. An old cottage close to the town centre is well
Abandoned Villages
by Brian Spencer A quick look at the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 scale map of the White Peak shows that the region has a history going back thousands of years. Gothic lettered map symbols indicating tumuli, stone circles, field systems or cairns tell us that our forefathers lived and farmed on what are now the high moors of the White Peak, but for some unknown reason abandoned their handiwork for pastures new. There are many reasons why habitations became lost features in the landscape. There are still farms here and there whose early owners would have slaved for their Roman overlords, or worked as lay employees on monastic granges. Later farms, the source of this monastic wealth as huge sheep walks, were split into the comparatively smaller units that became modern farms. Ethnic cleansing and medieval pestilence like the Black Death did far more damage than the Covid 19 pandemic is ever likely to do. Clearances have gone on right up to comparatively modern times, be it flooding pretty villages to create reservoirs or open cast coal mining. Major landowners a couple of hundred years ago moved whole villages simply to improve the look of ducal landscapes. And, of course the most up to date subject of climate change has been around for millenniums in one form or another. Armed with that wonderful aid for exploration, the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map of the White Peak, we can start to look at our countryside with enquiring eyes. The best way to do this is to try and follow change under a number of headings, i.e. Mythical Accounts. Prehistoric settlements Climate change. Roman influence. Ethnic cleansing. Pestilence. Monastic clearances and later changes in farming patterns. Improvements to ducal estates – the NIMBY syndrome. Inundation during reservoir construction. Urban expansion. MYHICAL ACCOUNTS AND FOLKLORE Children attending Ashover Junior School were reminded of their ancestry when the modern version of an Iron Age roundhouse was built on the site of its prehistoric predecessor. Accurate in many details it told the children that this was just one memory of a bygone era. Some villages have celebrations based on past events, but probably the one that provokes the greater response is one where there is no longer any hint of past habitation. This is Leash Fen, an area of damp moorland on the Chesterfield side of the A621 Baslow/Sheffield road. Apart from a much later preaching cross in Shillito Wood to the north-east, there is nothing left of Leach Fen, but local children do remember it when they sing: “When Chesterfield was heath and broom, Leash Fen was amarket town. Now Leash Fen is all heath and broom, And Chesterfield a market town.” Dunsley near Bonsall no longer exists, but it is mentioned in the Domesday Book and Bonsall folk still accept there is a lost village above Marl Cottage in the via Gellia. Dunsley Spring water has been bottled and sold in the past. CLIMATE CHANGE IN PREHISTORIC TIMES When Neolithic people lost interest in hunting and gathering, preferring instead to lead a more settled life, they opted to farm on high ground, such as Big Moor and around the Upper Padley Gorge, no doubt in places where marauding carnivores could be avoided. The map of Big Moor has many indications of simple farming techniques – words like ‘enclosure’ or ‘field systems’, tell us that farms once dotted the moor. Remembering that the earliest settlers must have arrived not all that long after the comparatively rapid dispersal of ice that once covered the land, it is possible that this form of climate change continued, eventually making the land less suitable for agriculture. THE ROMAN INFLUENCE The abundance of lead and copper first attracted Imperial Rome to invade England in AD43. Between then and when they left around AD476, they left their indelible mark across the land, mostly by their road network and well laid out cities and forts. Place names with ‘Chester’ in their title, such as Chesterfield, are still with us, but only a few of their settlements can be traced to this day, if only by name. Modern Derby has shifted a mile or so to the south of DERVENTIO, Little Chester, a fortress which stood at the junction of Rykneild Street (Leicester to York) and their road from Derventio (Derby) to Mamucium (Manchester), known in later times as ‘The Street’. This road also reached AQVAE ARNEAMETIA, a place now known as Buxton and where naturally warm water still draws devotees. An administrative and lead smelting district known as LUTUDARUM is thought to have existed, and now lies beneath the waters of Carsington Reservoir. Pigs (ingots) of lead stamped LVT ex ARG found as far away as Italy, tell us that the silver had been removed when the ingot was cast at Lutudaron. In order to consolidate their search for lead, often aided by captured slaves, and control movement through the district, forts were built at strategic sites such as Bradwell where only traces of the fort remain, the village or ‘Vicus’ that once sheltered in its protection is long gone. When a Roman soldier completed his service, he was allowed to remain in England where they often married local girls. One of them took on Roystone Farm below Minninglow and the High Peak Trail. The present farm buildings are well away from the foundations of the Romano/Celtic farm’s footings, but they are still there lost in the mists of time. THE NORMAN CONQUEST & ETHNIC CLEANSING When King William, the ‘Conqueror’s’ scribes toured his new kingdom in 1086, collecting data for what became the Domesday Book they found that tax income was a fraction of what it had been under King Edward III, the Confessor. Time after time the comment ‘Wasta Est’ appears after a once wealthy place. Wasta Est indicated the ‘all is waste’, in other words, the place was deserted, all the crops ruined, the stock slaughtered and the inhabitants either murdered or fled. This had come about by the systematic
Celebrity Interview – Mark Benton
He’s one of the most recognisable faces on television, appearing in the comedies Shakespeare and Hathaway and Early Doors as well as strutting his stuff on Strictly Come Dancing. Now Mark Benton is returning to Nottingham in a new play which he describes as “one of the maddest things I’ve ever done”. He says some of the things he has to do in Village Idiot, which will have its première at the Playhouse, are “bonkers”. And he’s hoping audiences find it as funny as the cast have during rehearsals. The play is set in a village in north Northamptonshire which is about to be transformed by the high-speed railway HS2. “That’s the basic plot but it’s much more than that,” says Mark during a break in rehearsals. It’s a completely mad night out at the theatre.” Village Idiot, written by Samson Hawkins, is the first original play staged by Ramps on the Moon, an organisation which puts deaf and disabled artists at the centre of their work. The cast features Faye Wiggan who has Down’s syndrome and Maximillian Fairley who has autism and is hard of hearing. Mark thinks it’s “wonderful” that Ramps on the Moon employs deaf and disabled people. “It adds a whole different layer to the rehearsal period. There’s a whole different atmosphere. As an actor it makes you look at yourself and go ‘am I taking care of my fellow actors? Am I looking after everybody?’ I’ve really enjoyed the experience.” Mark describes his role in Village Idiot: “I play Kevin. My character has sold up to HS2 and wants to go to Thailand with his Thai bride. He wants to take his daughter but she wants to stay with her boyfriend. There’s a bit of a Romeo and Juliet thing going on. “There’s some nice stuff about parents letting go. It’s hard to describe the play because it’s almost two plays within a play. You’ve got the linear story of what happens to them but you’ve got this kind of village fete too. It’s a very odd and interesting play. “The stuff I have to do is bonkers. The most important thing hopefully is that it’s going to be hilarious. We’ve been laughing from day one.” Mark will be reunited with director Nadia Fall. They worked together on Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice at the open-air theatre in London’s Regent’s Park in 2014. “She’s just wonderful. I read Village Idiot and I thought ‘what is this?’ I love the fact that you’re doing a play and you’ve no idea what it’s going to end up like. It’s one of the maddest things I’ve ever done, that’s for sure.” Mark initially came to Nottingham in the early 1990s to play Charlie Hardiman in nine episodes of the ITV drama Boon which featured Michael Elphick. He appeared at the Playhouse in 2010 in Peter Nichols’ A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and has been in touring productions at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal including Hairspray in 2013 and Glengarry Glen Ross six years later. “I like to do theatre. I’d do a show every year if I could. It’s where most of us started as actors and you keep going back to it. Sometimes I find myself going ‘why on earth have I put myself through this hell?’ But I think it’s a muscle that as an actor it’s important to exercise.” Mark Benton was born on 16 November 1965 in Guisborough, Yorkshire. He trained at RADA and since then has hardly been out of work. That’s probably because he’s one of the most amiable people I’ve ever come across who’s warm, accessible and clearly wants to help others. Does the fact that he has a recognisable face help? Mark isn’t sure and says that’s not for him to answer. “I’ve been an actor for 32 years. I’ve made some really dear friends over that period of time, directors and people I work with again and again. “I’ve always maintained it’s as much about getting on with people and having a good time.” Why does he think he’s had such a varied career? “I think you hit the nail on the head when you said varied. I’ve always tried to do different things, maybe surprising things or things to stretch myself. “I’m proud to be a character actor. For me, that’s what acting is. I’ve done comedy, drama, theatre, reality telly with Strictly. I’ve tried to keep things going and be nice to people.” A story that Mark tells is that his stint on Strictly Come Dancing came about following discussions in Nottingham. “I’d always said I didn’t want to do any reality telly. I was on tour in Nottingham with Hairspray. They (people from Strictly) said they wanted to meet me so they came up on the train and I met them in the Pumpkin café on the platform at Nottingham station for a cup of tea and a chat. “I like to do theatre. I’d do a show every year if I could. It’s where most of us started as actors and you keep going back to it. Sometimes I find myself going ‘why on earth have I put myself through this hell?’ But I think it’s a muscle that as an actor it’s important to exercise.” “Then I went back to work and they went back on the train to London. So Nottingham is where it all happened.” As usual, Mark just wanted to have fun while on Strictly. He was partnered with world dancing champion Iveta Lukosiute and got to week 10 before being eliminated. “I’d hurt my knees so it was a bit of a struggle physically. But it was a wonderful experience and I really had a sense of achievement.” For the past five years Mark has played Frank Hathaway in four series of the daytime television series Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators alongside Jo Joyner who plays Luella Shakespeare. Will there be a fifth series? “Who knows? We want to
Lost Houses of Derbyshire – Bretby Castle
By Maxwell Craven Like its Domesday Book twin, Newton Solney, Bretby is a total delight to visit, although much smaller and more sequestered, despite its closeness to the sprawling outer suburbs of Burton. Taking Bretby Lane out of Winshill one rises up onto the undulating higher ground south of the Trent and turns right into Mount Road, past the substantial walls of William Martin’s Bretby Farm and then left into the village. A few yards along on one’s left is a grassy triangle, at the apex of which stands the delightful St. Wystan’s Church, designed as a replacement for an ancient predecessor by T H. Wyatt for the Earl of Carnarvon of Bretby Hall and completed in 1877. This preceding church, always a chapel-of-ease to the Priory Church at Repton, had started off as the domestic chapel of the original great house at Bretby, now usually referred to as Bretby Castle. The origin of this house however, is far from straightforward. The land had come into the hands of William I from those of Earl Algar of Mercia as a result of the Conquest, but Domesday fails to tell us who his tenant was at Bretby. However, there is a moated site surviving higher up nearby which may represent the timber motte and bailey castle of whomsoever it was. By the later 12th century Bretby was held by the de Kyme family, of whom Philip de Kyme, in around 1210, granted it to Ranulph, 4th Earl of Chester, who was already lord of a major portion of Repton. Chester’s presence may, however suggest that the earlier moated site, if in fact a former small castle, was an adulterine one (that is, built without Royal Authority like the castles at Repton, Derby and Gresley) put up in a hurry when Ranulph’s grandfather, 2nd Earl of Chester, was trying to take advantage of the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda to pursue his separatist ambitions. Either way, the Earl did not hold on to Bretby for long, but at some date prior to 1228 granted it to Stephen de Segrave of Seagrave (sic), in Leicestershire, the manorial estate consisting of two manors, Bretby Collet and Bretby Preposita. The Segraves had a perfectly good house already, so probably used the estate at Bretby for hunting and indeed, husbandry, for Nicholas de Segrave was granted a right of free warren (for harvesting rabbits for the table) by Edward I in 1291. There must have been a change of heart by the time his son John succeeded for, in 1301, he was granted a licence to crenellate a house there – that is, to build defensive walls – and it is a reasonable inference that this marked the beginning of Bretby Castle. The site lay on rising ground between Mount Road to the west and Knight’s Lane on the ridge to the north: an ideal, well drained south facing slope. Indeed if, having gone to visit the church, all you need to do is to stand at its NE angle and look across the considerable field, appropriately called Castlefields, and observe the large number of bumps, undulations and irregularities in the grass. It is unfortunate that we have no picture of the old house, but fortunately, when the present Bretby Hall was being built to the designs of Sir Jeffry Wyatville in 1813, Charles Burton, the agent to the then owner, the 5th Earl of Chesterfield, was sent to dig out the foundations, which were extensive and substantial enough to be worth getting out and re-using in the foundations of the new house, itself a replacement for the great Classical house, allegedly by Inigo Jones, which the 1st Earl had built from 1610 and which I described in these pages in January 2017. Stephen Glover quotes Mr. Burton that, ‘on taking up the foundation of the castle walls’ found that it was ‘a building of great strength and consisted of two large courts’ – in other words it was a typical two courtyard defended house, undoubtedly of local Keuper Sandstone (there are two nearby quarries) of the sort that survives, in much grander form, at Haddon. For a knightly family, a two-courtyard house was de rigueur. Indeed, it probably had a close affinity with Norbury Manor as built, being contemporary and, as we discovered when I manged to persuade the National Trust to do a ground-penetrating radar archaeological survey in 2009, also built round two courtyards, although the original building (also once physically attached to the impressive church) has mostly gone, only the eastern range of the upper courtyard surviving. Archaeology seems to confirm that the house was moated (traces of the moat remain and the fourteenth century was the prime period for moat building for domestic purposes) and its lower court was without doubt entered via a stout defended gatehouse on the south side, like that which survives as Barton Blount (and later incorporated by Thomas Gardner into the Cromptons’ new house there). Indeed, one might well have expected such a house from John de Segrave, for he had been summoned to Parliament as 1st Lord Segrave in 1295 and later been appointed King’s Lieutenant in Scotland, being in 1314 taken prisoner at the Battle of Bannockburn for his pains. And although the church had been vested by Lord Chester in Repton Priory, it almost certainly was physically attached to Segrave’s new house as a chapel. John, Lord Segrave left only a daughter and sole heiress, Elizabeth, who married John Mowbray, who succeeded as 3rd Lord Mowbray in 1361. As Mowbray, whose son rose to be created Duke of Norfolk, was well fitted out with large houses, it would seem that the Segraves’ great mansion at Bretby ceased to be lived in permanently from this time and was perhaps used only in the winter for the hunting. John Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, certainly signed various legal documents from Bretby so the house was still in occasional use. This
The Beauty Report – Pixi
FortifEYE Hydrogel Eye Patches £22 These luxurious eye patches in a hydrogel format adheres to skin easily to deliver essential nutrients to the delicate eye area. The FortifEYE Hydrogel patch instantly firms and lifts while infusing the delicate eye area with hydration. DetoxifEYE water-based gel-form patch depuffs and revives skin with maximum hydration. Glow Tonic Serum £26 Designed to hydrate and nourish your skin. This lightweight serum infuses your skin with beneficial nutrients while setting the stage for the final phase of your daily routine. A little serum goes a long way, with only a few drops of the powerful formula needed to achieve a balanced and radiant complexion. Glow MudCleanser £26 A deep pore cleansing mud, enriched with glycolic and soothing botanicals. Formulated to provide effective cleansing, yet is mild enough for all skin. Complexion is cleansed and gently exfoliated to reveal radiant and healthy skin. Can be used AM and PM. Softens and refines skin while restoring radiance. Features an ultra-lightweight formula. Includes exfoliating Glycolic Acid to purify skin and enhance your natural glow. Energises skin and improves circulation with Ginseng. Soothing hydration is provided with added Aloe Extract. Suitable for all skin types Not tested on animals For more information and to buy online visit www.pixibeauty.co.uk FortifEYE This was a new experience for me, the patches were so beautifully cooling and relaxing. I found them just a little slippery to use, but after a week my skin felt much improved and dry lines were disappearing. I’ll definitely continue with these. JP Glow Tonic Serum You only need one drop of this serum to gently massage into your face. It is quite thick but quickly melts into the skin revealing a lovely glow. VP Glow Mud Cleanser Gentle enough to use everyday. From the first use it gently ex-foliates your skin and leaves skin feeling clean and looking fresh. One of the best cleansers I’ve used. CB 00
Dining Out – Yassou Greek Kitchen, Little Eaton
We are huge fans of shared eating so Yassou suited us down to the ground and evoked memories of dining at restaurants over in the Dodecanese, especially the historical ‘capital island’ Rhodes. The huge contrast was that we set off on a freezing cold evening with coats and scarves on, rather than in the gentle balmy evening heat decked in T-shirt and shorts. But, as they say, you can’t have everything! Situated on Alfreton Road (B6179) running through Little Eaton, Yassou is an easy place to access from the A38 Little Eaton roundabout. Having parked outside on the main road we entered the warm inviting entrance and were soon immersed in the gentle strains of the traditional Greek folk music, which set the scene for the evening. In the short time Yassou has been open it was clear to see that they have built up a nice reputation based on presenting traditional Greek dishes prepared and cooked from scratch. Zoe welcomed us and after supplying us with drinks, chatted about the restaurant and how it was very much a family affair with David the Greek chef cooking healthy Mediterranean dishes in a simple traditional oven. David and Zoe are business partners and own the restaurant. Family members each play their part. A lot of the inspiration for the menu comes from Dave’s mum Zafiro – or Rula as she’s called in this country. Zoe’s sister works in the kitchen, the chefs son washes pots and the waiting staff are sisters/cousins. It’s a real family and team effort. It’s been quite a while since we were in Greece, and apart from thinking Moussaka and dips we had to dig deep to remember our nights in the Greek Tavernas. Zoe however was there to recommend some of the most popular dishes, encouraging us to order a few from the menu which she would bring to the table as they came out of the oven. You have to remember that you’re not just ordering your dish, but dishes that can be shared by the rest of your friends similar to Spanish Tapas. Pitta is a staple diet in Greece so its not a surprising that this came to the table first when we ordered it with our selection of dips, from which we chose Sweet Chilli Hummus (mildly spicy with chilli flakes and feta), Melitzanosaltava (rustic Greek aubergine with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil) and our third dip Hummus (Chickpeas blended with Tahini, lemon and garlic). The menu made me smile as it said clearly at the top…“All our Mezze plates come out of the kitchen as and when they are ready”. Good, we like that too, no rushing just a very relaxed evening, with plenty of opportunity for good conversation and gentle humour in true Greek style in between. With pitta bread, dips, a bowl of olives and some Halloumi fries served with a sweet Chilli sauce, we were on our way. Closely followed by Kalamari, Cajun fried crispy squid served with garlic mayo. Zoe recommended the Moussaka; layers of finely minced meat, aubergine and potato layered with Bechemel sauce, a pleasant contrast to the squid. Arriving with a generous number of chicken pieces on the skewer was the Souvlaki chicken. Tender marinated chicken char-grilled and interspersed with peppers and red onion, served with Tzatziki. The best choice for both of us! As you can imagine the evening was moving on and we were pretty full by now, so decided to share a dessert which we tucked into ….and then remembered we should have taken a photograph, oops sorry! However the Lemon tart which was homemade with a rich buttery pastry, a tangy filling and came with Greek Yoghurt and honey, was delicious. The thing is we have left ourselves plenty of choice for our next visit, Stifado, Soutzoukka, Pikilia or Chicken Gyros to name but four or maybe try the evening special. Next time we will take along a couple of friends as this is the place to chat, drink and graze. Booking really is important as it isn’t a large restaurant and when we left there wasn’t a spare table to be had. Open Wed – Friday: 17:00 – 22:30, Saturday: 16:00 – 22:30 Telephone 07368 483725 yassou-greek-kitchen@hotmail.com 00
