Derbyshire
A ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England, home to the Peak District and the furthest point from the sea in the UK.
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Derbyshire is a ceremonial county in England’s East Midlands. It shares borders with Greater Manchester to the north-west, West Yorkshire to the north, South Yorkshire to the north and north-east, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south and west, and Cheshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Derby. Covering 2,625 km², the county is more heavily populated in its eastern half, where the main towns are located: Chesterfield in the north-east, Derby in the south-east, and Swadlincote in the south.
Governance
In the north-west lie the spa town of Buxton and the town of Glossop, while Matlock sits near the centre. For local government, Derbyshire is divided into a non-metropolitan county with eight districts, plus the unitary authority area of Derby. The East Midlands Combined County Authority includes both Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council.
Geography
The northern and central parts of Derbyshire are upland areas that contain most of the Peak District, a designated national park. The highest point in the county is Kinder Scout, rising to 636 metres. The longest river is the Derwent, which runs 66 miles southward until it joins the River Trent just south of Derby. At Church Flatts Farm in Coton in the Elms, near Swadlincote, is the location farthest from the sea anywhere in the UK.
History
Human presence in what is now Derbyshire dates back around 200,000 years, during the Aveley interglacial, evidenced by a Middle Paleolithic Acheulean hand axe found near Hopton. Later, during the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, Mesolithic hunter-gatherers moved across the hilly tundra. Evidence of these nomadic groups has been uncovered in limestone caves along the Nottinghamshire border, with deposits indicating occupation from roughly 12,000 to 7,000 BCE. Neolithic settlers left burial mounds across the county, including chambered tombs at Minninglow and Five Wells, built between 2000 and 2500 BCE for collective burial.
Near Youlgreave, the henge monument of Arbor Low dates to 2500 BCE. Signs of more permanent agriculture and settlement appear only in the Bronze Age, with archaeological finds of cleared land, arable fields, and hut circles in the Peak District moors, along with another settlement at Swarkestone. During the Roman conquest of Britain, the invaders were drawn to Derbyshire by its lead ore in the limestone hills.
They built forts near Brough in the Hope Valley and at Ardotalia near Glossop, later settling around Buxton for its warm springs. They also established the fort of Derventio Coritanorum near modern-day Derby, in an area now called Little Chester. Several kings of Mercia are buried in the Repton area. After the Norman Conquest, much of the county fell under forest laws.
The Forest of High Peak, in the north-west, was controlled by William Peverel and his descendants, while the rest of the county was granted to Henry de Ferrers, part of which became Duffield Frith. Eventually, the entire area passed to the Duchy of Lancaster. The Forest of East Derbyshire covered the land east of the River Derwent from the reign of Henry II until that of Edward I. Geographically, Derbyshire is mostly hilly, with uplands in the north and centre and lowlands in the south and east. The southern foothills of the Pennines extend from the north of the Trent Valley into the north of the county.
The Peak District National Park covers most of this upland area, with Kinder Scout as the highest point at 636 metres. Lower terrain is found across the lower Dove Valley, from the Trent Valley southwards, the far south of the Derwent Valley, and near the eastern borders with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. The main rivers are the Derwent and the Dove, both flowing into the Trent in the south. The Derwent, the longest at 66 miles, rises in the moorland of Bleaklow and runs through the Peak District and most of the county.
The Dove rises on Axe Edge Moor and forms much of the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Church Flatts Farm at Coton in the Elms, near Swadlincote, remains the point farthest from the sea in the UK. The county’s varied landscapes result from underlying geology and human management.
Derbyshire contains 11 distinct National Character Areas, as defined by Natural England and further detailed by Derbyshire County Council and the Peak District National Park. These are: Dark Peak, White Peak, South West Peak, Derbyshire Peak Fringe and Lower Derwent, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield, Southern Magnesian Limestone, Needwood and South Derbyshire Claylands, Trent Valley Washlands, Melbourne Parklands, Leicestershire & South Derbyshire Coalfield, and Mease/Sence Lowlands. Geologically, the county splits into two halves. The oldest rocks are in the northern, more upland part, mostly from the Carboniferous period, including limestones, gritstones, sandstones, and shales.
Lore & Background
The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited, probably briefly, by humans 200,000 years ago during the Aveley interglacial, as shown by a Middle Paleolithic Acheulean hand axe found near Hopton. Further occupation came with the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic periods of the Stone Age when Mesolithic hunter-gatherers roamed the hilly tundra. Evidence of these nomadic tribes has been found in limestone caves located on the Nottinghamshire border. Deposits left in the caves date the occupancy at around 12,000 to 7,000 BCE.
Burial mounds of Neolithic settlers are also situated throughout the county. These chambered tombs were designed for collective burial and are mostly located in the central Derbyshire region. There are tombs at Minninglow and Five Wells that date back to between 2000 and 2500 BCE. Five kilometres west of Youlgreave lies the Neolithic henge monument of Arbor Low, which has been dated to 2500 BCE.
It is not until the Bronze Age that real signs of agriculture and settlement are found in the county. In the moors of the Peak District signs of clearance, arable fields and hut circles were found after archaeological investigation. However this area and another settlement at Swarkestone are all that have been found.
During the Roman conquest of Britain, the invaders were attracted to Derbyshire for its lead ore in the limestone hills of the area. They settled throughout the county, with forts built near Brough in the Hope Valley and at Ardotalia near Glossop. Later they settled round Buxton, famed for its warm springs, and set up Derventio Coritanorum fort near modern-day Derby in an area now known as Little Chester. Following the Norman Conquest, much of the county was subject to the forest laws.
To the northwest was the Forest of High Peak under the custodianship of William Peverel and his descendants. The rest of the county was bestowed upon Henry de Ferrers, a part of it becoming Duffield Frith. In time the whole area was given to the Duchy of Lancaster. Meanwhile, the Forest of East Derbyshire covered the whole county to the east of the River Derwent from the reign of Henry II to that of Edward I.
Medieval Sheriffdoms and the Binding of Counties
From the late eleventh century through the sixteenth, English counties were not always administered as isolated units. Several pairs or groups of counties shared a single sheriff for periods stretching across centuries. These arrangements reveal that the county boundaries we take for granted today were, for generations, fluid administrative conveniences rather than fixed political borders, and that neighbouring shires could function as a single jurisdiction for most of the medieval period.
Reader's Guide
The north and centre of Derbyshire have uplands containing the majority of the Peak District, which has been designated a national park. They include Kinder Scout, at 636 m the highest point in the county. The River Derwent is the longest in the county, at 66 mile, and flows south until it meets the River Trent just south of Derby. Church Flatts Farm at Coton in the Elms, near Swadlincote, is the furthest point from the sea in the UK.
Derbyshire mostly consists of hilly terrain, with uplands to the north and centre of the county, and lowlands to the south and east. The southern foothills and uplands of the Pennines extend from the north of the Trent Valley and into the north of the county. The Peak District National Park covers the majority of this area and Kinder Scout is the county's highest point, at 636 m. The terrain is relatively low-lying across the lower Dove Valley, from the Trent Valley and southwards, the far south of the Derwent Valley and near its eastern borders with Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
The main rivers in the county are the River Derwent and the River Dove which both join the River Trent in the south. The River Derwent is the longest river in the county, at 66 mile, and rises in the moorland of Bleaklow, flowing throughout the Peak District and county for the majority of its course. The River Dove rises in Axe Edge Moor and forms a boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire for most of its length. The county also contains Church Flatts Farm at Coton in the Elms, near Swadlincote, which is the furthest point from the sea in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Derbyshire located?
It sits in the East Midlands region of England, bordered by counties including Cheshire, Staffordshire, and Nottinghamshire. The county's geography shifts noticeably from moorland high country in the north to gentler river valleys and farmland further south.
What national park is in Derbyshire?
The Peak District National Park covers a large portion of the county's northern and central areas. It is one of England's oldest designated national parks, known for its gritstone edges, deep dales, and open moorland.
What is the largest settlement in Derbyshire?
Derby is the county's principal city and its largest settlement. It functions as the main administrative, commercial, and transport hub for the wider region.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Derbyshire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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