The A52 Derby to Ashbourne road passes through some of the gentlest rural countryside in Derbyshire.  Tiny villages little changed in centuries sit around junctions of minor roads that wander pleasantly between both ploughed fields and pasture. This walk skirts three of them, one barely bigger than a hamlet; starting at Osmaston, the largest, it […]

I am indebted to Amber Valley Group of the Ramblers Association, as it is they who first planned this interesting walk.  Despite their good work, especially in producing the excellent leaflet I picked up way back in 2005, regrettably the leaflet is now out of print, but luckily I came across a rather dog-eared copy […]

This short walk skirts the rapidly expanding western boundary of Derby enjoying some of the fine surrounding countryside, and returns by way of the Bonnie Prince Charlie Walk. The Great Northern Railway was once a cross country line from Grantham to Stafford by way of Nottingham, effectively linking both east and west coast mainlines.  It […]

This winter’s walk is one of my favourites, both in summer as well as winter.  I can see Riber Castle quite easily from our bedroom window, in fact most of the walk is visible from where we live, high above the Derwent Valley.  I followed the walk on a wintery day last February, when the […]

Izaak Walton, seventeenth century author of ‘The Campleat (sic) Angler – The Contemplative Man’s Recreation’ would have been familiar with at least half of this walk. The Dove was one of his favourite places to cast a fly, along with his younger friend, the impecunious Hartington landowner, Charles Cotton. They regularly fished the river’s clear […]

The name Alsop (with multitudinous variations of spelling) is by no means uncommon in Derbyshire, if only because it derives from an unique place name, Alsop-en-le-Dale, next to Parwich, just north of Ashbourne. The Alsops had a Norman or Norse ancestor, called Gamel (probably derived from the Latin for ‘twin’- gemellus), who took his name […]

The Wardwick is, even today, one of Derby’s most elegant streets; in Georgian times it was the bees’ knees as a place to live, despite having Markeaton Brook flowing along the back gardens of the houses on the north side and the Odd Brook as a meandering feature in the pleasure grounds of those on […]

Ashover is a most interesting, beautiful and large parish in central Derbyshire, situated just south east of the main road from Matlock to Chesterfield (A632). The parish is home to several minor country houses – Eddlestow, Goss, Marsh Green and Stubben Edge Halls, not to mention Eastwood Grange – but also includes a lost house, […]

The estate at Foremark, where once the invading Vikings over-wintered in 783-784, was granted to Nigel de Stafford,a (genuine) comrade-in-arms of the Conqueror and ancestor in the male line of the Stafford, Longford and Gresley families. His family’s later sub-tenant was a junior member of the powerful de Ferrers family, whence it passed through an […]

Thornbridge was once part of the estate of the Longsdon family of Little Longstone, who claim a descent (never securely sorted out, but nevertheless highly likely) from Serlo de Longstone living around 1100 and, although the estate was held by that family (latterly spelling their name Longsdon) from the twelfth century until 1790, there seems […]

Simply answer the question below to be in with a chance of winning one of 2 pairs of tickets to a Derbyshire County Cricket game of your choice during the 2022 season.

Brian Spencer investigates the worst military disaster to occur on British Soil. The Ordnance Survey map for Derby and Burton on Trent shows a strange feature in the countryside near the village of Hanbury, a little to the west of Tutbury, in Staffordshire. It is oval in shape and obviously deep, but too small for […]

Derbyshire has done more than any county in England to convert its disused railways into traffic-free greenways for cycling and walking. This route is a variation on the classic ‘trails triangle’ that combines two of the most popular Peak District cycle trails — the High Peak Trail and the Tissington Trail — with the traffic-free […]

Bonsall is tucked away in an upland bowl, high above the Derwent Valley and seems a place where time has passed it by.  Nevertheless it has been home to a proud group of villagers since long before William the Conqueror’s scribes listed it as Bonteshall in the Domesday Survey. Its early prosperity was based on […]

In late 1914 the world was threatened by war. Shackleton volunteered to cancel his plans for an expedition and placed his ship at the disposal of the UK Government. The First Sea Lord, Winston Churchill, instructed him, however, to proceed. Shackleton accordingly headed south, but chose to avoid the Falkland Islands, which he reckoned might […]

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On our travels Susan and myself  have eaten breakfast in some very memorable places: an ‘all American’ diner on I50, somewhere near Williamsburg, Maryland, overlooking one of  the many picturesque creeks that litter the shores of  the Chesapeake Bay. In the roof  top restaurant of  the Hotel Bristol, Sorrento, Italy, with its magnificent view of  […]

There’s no better way to start the summer than with a sizzling BBQ. Eating Al Fresco, or even under the cover of a garden gazebo outside is a delight especially after enduring a grey and dull winter that seemed to last forever. To make it a truly enjoyable experience, throw away the skinny, dubious cheap […]

Times change and so that means businesses have to adapt with them. Golf clubs traditionally have been a pretty no go area for members of the public but all that has changed at Chevin Golf Club, and their latest development reflects that refreshing approach. Light, airy and up to date with the emphasise on  friendliness, […]

Myself and Susan had been invited to sample the Sunday carvery at The Fishpond.  It had been a pleasant mid-day drive through the quieter country lanes to our destination: Matlock Bath. It was a warm Sunday and although the main roads were busy the car parks were a long way from being full. The day […]

It was a mid-week evening and Susan and myself were out to sample the new menu at the Denby lodge. There’s something homely and relaxed about the Denby Lodge that I can’t quite put my finger on. It feels familiar. The decor helps with its modern, soft palette and mix and match furniture. The staff […]