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Chesterfield
Racecourse The origins of Chesterfield Races date back to the late 1600’s when they were set up by the first Duke of Devonshire. The two-mile course encompassed the whole of Whittington Moor and Newbold Moor, the area being divided in two by the Chesterfield to Sheffield main road. A replacement Grandstand was erected in 1830 in the triangle formed by the roads adjacent to the Cricketers pub on Stand Road. From there the course ran adjacent to the road as far as the Racecourse Tavern, crossing Sheffield Road and following Pottery Lane until curving to the left along the line of the railway embankment and Brimington Road. It then crossed Station Lane close to the Railway Inn, before crossing Sheffield Road for a second time and passed the New Inn, which itself had a grandstand view. The course then curved left enclosing Albert Street, Edmund Street and Mountcastle Street before crossing St Johns Road to complete the circuit at the winning post opposite the grandstand. During race days there was a carnival atmosphere, with fairgrounds providing additional entertainment. In addition to the numerous pubs close to the course, temporary licences were granted for booths to sell beer. Many of these were from licensees of town centre pubs wishing to cash in on the crowds present. The races became less frequent by the late 1800’s, and finally died out, the last race being run in July 1924. The land was then purchased by Chesterfield Borough for Council housing. The racecourse encompassed a total of 17 pubs, three of these at Newbold Moor, of which two survive – the Steelmelters and Devonshire Arms (both ex. Wards pubs). A few doors away from the Devonshire was the County Hotel a Scarsdale Brewery beerhouse that closed around 1913. Until 1873 it had been known as the Horse & Jockey, one of two pub names in the area that may have been inspired by the racecourse. Of the remaining 14 pubs, only 4 survive, the Red Lion, Travellers Rest, Derby Tup and Victoria. The Red Lion opened as a beerhouse in the late 1860s and has been tied to a number of breweries including Greaves & Co, Gilmours (both of Sheffield) and Tetleys. The latter sold the pub in 1990 to the current owners, Old Mill. It is the only outlet for Old Mill beers in this area and usually has three real ales on offer. The Travellers’ Rest (Brampton, now Mansfield) is one of the oldest pubs on Whittington Moor, having been first licensed as a beerhouse in the 1850s when the landlord was one William Longden. The Derby Tup was originally known as the Brunswick Hotel (Scarsdale Brewery), and re-opened as Chesterfield’s first truly independent real ale outlet in December 1983. A winner of several Chesterfield CAMRA ‘Pub of the Year’ awards, the ‘Tup’ is now owned by East Midlands pub group Tynemill. It is situated on the corner of Shaw Street where you can also find the Victoria (Brampton), still open today. The area’s layout was permanently altered in the early 1980s when the Chesterfield by-pass was built. The new road, which initially followed the course of the old Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire railway (MSLR) line, required the demolition of properties in the area now covered by Whittington Moor roundabout. Five pubs were amongst the buildings demolished. They were the New Inn (pictured left); Prince of Wales; Black Horse; Fountain Inn (all ex. Brampton Brewery) and Railway Inn (Stones). The latter was near the old Sheepbridge & Whittington Moor railway station, and was rebuilt in 1875/6. Five further pubs on Sheffield Road, or streets leading off it, closed during the 20th century. The Queens Hotel (Chesterfield, later Mansfield Brewery) stood just down from the Red Lion on Sheffield Road and was closed and demolished in the middle 1980’s for the building of a Kwik Save supermarket. An 1871 advert promised ‘Good accommodation for commercial gentlemen.’ This pub also has the distinction of being the place where billiard and snooker champions Joe and Fred Davis learned their trade, on the pub table, when their father kept the Queens. The last pub to close was the Star Inn (Gilmours) which closed in 1989 and is now the Star of Sall Indian Restaurant. This was on the corner of Foundry street, where on the opposite corner Bradley & Fernie’s mower shop was originally the Sir Colin Campbell Inn (Brampton) which was ordered to close for compensation in June 1958. Sir Colin Campbell (1792-1863) was a British Field Marshal, who led the relief of Lucknow, India in 1857. The first landlord may possibly have been a soldier who served under Sir Colin. The Angel Inn, Duke Street (Truswells) also closed in the 1950’s. Finally the Royal Oak, a beerhouse at the end of Shaw Street, closed in 1908 when leased to John Smiths Tadcaster Brewery. There were three pubs on the outer edge of the racecourse, the closest being the Racecourse Tavern. Alterations to the Racecourse premises were approved in 1923 and in 1991 it was part of a package of 36 pubs sold by Stones to Hardys & Hansons for £6.5m. The pub’s colourful signboard still acknowledges the link with the racecourse. The Cricketers (Wards) was originally 150 yards away along Dark Lane and the current premises were not built until 1929, after the racecourse had closed. The Junction Inn on Pottery Lane completes a cluster of four Ward’s pubs on the southern side of the course. John Hirst & Jim McIntosh Lea & Holloway Not many people perhaps realise that Florence Nightingale ‘the lady of the lamp’ had strong links with Lea and Holloway in Derbyshire. Florence Nightingale, (1820-1910), English nurse and hospital reformer was born in Florence, Italy, daughter of William Edward Shore, and Francis Smith who came from a fabulously wealthy family. Shore later changed his name to Nightingale to claim his inheritance. On their return from Florence, the family had a new house built for them at Lea in Derbyshire, called Lea Hurst, where they lived until 1823. In 1825 the family moved to Embley Park in Wellow, Hampshire with Lea Hurst serving as a summer residence for the rest of Florence's life. Nightingale developed an interest in the social issues of the time, but in 1845 her family was firmly against the suggestion of Nightingale gaining any hospital experience. Until then the only nursing that she had done was looking after sick friends and relatives. However, Florence Nightingale later trained as a nurse at Kaiserwerth on the Rhine in 1851 and also in Paris. In 1853 she became a superintendent of a hospital in London for invalid women. March of 1854 brought the start of the Crimean War, with Britain, France and Turkey declaring war on Russia. Although the Russians were defeated at the battle of the Alma River, on 20 September 1854, The Times newspaper criticised the British medical facilities. In response to this Nightingale was asked in a letter from her friend Sidney Herbert, the British Secretary for War, to become a nursing administrator to oversee the introduction of nurses to military hospitals. Her official title was Superintendent of the Female Nursing Establishment of the English General Hospitals in Turkey. Nightingale arrived in Scutari, an Asian suburb of Constantinople, (now Istanbul), with 38 nurses on 4 November 1854. There she established a military hospital, imposing strict discipline and standards of sanitation, which reduced the mortality rate amongst the wounded drastically. She became known as the 'Lady with the Lamp' because of her lamp lit tours of inspection. She returned to England and with a fund of £50,000 founded nursing homes in London's hospitals. Florence Nightingale died in 1910 and is buried in the family grave at East Wellow. One of the great heroines of the 19th century, she was on the £10 note circulated for many years, and Derby has 3 statues of her, one outside the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, one in St Peter's Street and one above the Nightingale-Macmillan Continuing Care Unit opposite the DRI. We decided to take a walk through Lea and Holloway to see the villages where Florence Nightingale lived and to find the village pubs that are the centre of these communities. We start at Lea, four miles South east of Matlock off the A615, at row of houses, which include the 'Jug and Glass’. These cottages were built in 1782 by Peter Nightingale (Florence Nightingale’s uncle) who was Lord of the Manor, for use as a hospital for the general welfare of his estate workers. It was much later before it changed use into a pub. The pub was also used for rent collection on ‘Nightingale Rent Days’, which were held annually. On such days apart from the agent collecting the dues of rent and tithe he would listen to complaints and suggestions from tenants. The days transactions would be completed by drinks and refreshments all round at the expense of the landlord. This stone built row of houses is on the main
road and is situated opposite the village playground. The Jug and Glass is a
refurbished three-roomed wood panelled building with an adjoining
restaurant. Initials over the doors were inscribed S.S.E.1782 and 1781 these
have yet to be identified. It has a tiled and carpeted floor with
traditional pew style comfortable seating. The walls are bare stone and the
ceiling is dark wooden beamed. It has benches outside to enjoy the summer
sunshine. On entering we were ‘Cock A Hoop’ to find the guest beer was On the 22nd of December this year there was a fire at the premises in the taproom, which is still closed and undergoing renovation. The whole pub was closed from December to March but no signs of the fire in the room’s open inside remain. On our visit in August the front of the pub had scaffolding where the builders were finishing repairing the roof following the fire. Having been suitably refreshed the next port of call was in Holloway the next village almost seamless from Lea. Go down the hill away from the Jug & Glass turn left and follow the road into the village of Holloway. This small village includes the 'Yew Tree Inn', on the old turnpike route 'The Hollow', which is an ancient trackway (leading to Upper Holloway). The Yew Tree is situated on the steep Yew Tree Hill to the left and the entrance is through the car park at the rear. This is also the site of the beer garden with benches and a well used large floodlit wooden skittles game. The Yew Tree is a traditional two roomed pub with a lounge with a central bar and pool table in a separate bar. Food is available to supplement the three real ales on offer. The regular beers Mansfield Cask and Pedigree were complemented on our visit with the guest beer Barnsley Bitter. Off to the right and down the hill is the road called 'Bracken Lane' leading to Whatstandwell. Off this road, looking over the fields to the right you will get the best views of the former 'Nightingale' family home a 17th century gabled farmhouse called 'Lea Hurst'. Still privately owned as a home for the elderly, Lea Hurst is occasionally opened to the public. Neil Parkin Birchover -
Village Feature Birchover is a captivating gritstone village six miles north west of Matlock, mentioned in the Doomsday Book. It is below Stanton Moor with the curiously carved Row Tor Rocks and the prehistoric ‘Nine Ladies’ stone circle a short walk away. Birchover and the surrounding countryside is an area where men are known to have lived for over 3000 years and many discoveries have been made to substantiate their existence. Stanton Moor is a Bronze Age graveyard with approximately 70 barrows (burial mounds) hidden amongst the heather. More visible is the Earl Grey Tower built to commemorate the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832. The prehistoric ‘Nine Ladies’ stone circle on Stanton Moor has a number of stories attached to it. It is by local lore alleged to come to life at midnight on Mid Summer’s Eve. The Nine Ladies dance to the music played by the fiddler, who for the rest of the year is the upright stone several yards to the south of the circle. It is claimed the Nine Ladies went onto the moor with a fiddler to dance a fertility dance and were turned to stone at the stroke of midnight as they danced! The house at the top of Winster Lane, now Uppertown Farm is thought by locals to have been a public house. Inside is an oak cupboard built into a wall with the date AD 1571 carved inside. By the side of the house still stand the village stocks, which have been renovated. The open area where the roads meet was said to be the Bull Ring, which tends to suggest that at one time this was the centre of the village. Licensing records and trade directory records indicate that a pub called the Thorn Tree existed in the Parish, it was first mentioned in 1846 when James Fryer was the landlord. It then passed into the hands of Daniel Holmes by 1848 and stayed with him until 1864 when the licensing records show the licence wasn’t applied for. Unfortunately we are unable to confirm that Uppertown Farm was the Thorn Tree, however all available evidence would tend to suggest that this was the case. The Druid Inn nestles at the foot of ‘Row Tor’ Rocks, which with Robin Hood Stride (the distance between the pinnacles of rock was believed to measure the length of his stride) and Cratcliff Tor are vast assemblies of gritstone blocks that time and weather have eaten away. The rocks at ‘Row Tor’ are angular gritstone rocks 80 yards in length and 50’ in height with a subterranean passage 90’ long. There is a shallow cave, which is said to have had a 4’ crucifix carved into the wall although we were unable to locate it. Also fonts and chairs are carved out of the natural rocks, which indeed were more obvious. This is believed to have been commissioned by The Rev. Thomas Eyre who lived at Rowtor Hall. Tradition suggests that he sat up there to compose his sermons, which he delivered in the small Anglican Church he had built in the shadow of Row Tor rocks. It certainly is a peaceful and beautiful place to be. These stones can be reached by a path on the far left-hand side of the Druid Inn. The narrow overgrown path leads around the back of the Druid Inn and then above it to the cave on the left. Don’t leave without climbing a little further up to the right, which affords an excellent vantage point over Birchover. The shadow of Rowter Rocks provides a
beautiful setting for this very old creeper-clad Druid Inn. Despite its
unpretentious exterior it is comfortable inside with a tap room, garden room
and two storey restaurant with real fires in winter. The first trade
directory record of the Druid Inn is in 1848 when John Kemp was landlord.
Then in 1855 records show the start of George Marsden’s long service at the
Druid’s right up until 1904 when James Prince is The building we know today as the Red Lion
was erected in 1680 on the site of a farm. The tenant farmer at that time
was called Thomas Gregory and it is likely that the farm already served as
an alehouse. The first licensing records and Trade directories show George
Gregory being the landlord between 1822 and 1848. When the writer James
Croston wrote about The Red Lion in 1848, he sat ‘on the settle in the
chimney neukin’ and chatted to the hostess, ‘a cheerful, motherly looking
dame, with a spice of quiet humour about her.’ The For further information on Birchover please visit their excellent web site. Neil Parkin A Historic Walk Through
Bonsall A walk through Bonsall provides both good exercise – 400 feet separate the top of the village and the starting point of this walk - and the opportunity to sample decent real ale (at the Barley Mow and Kings Head). A further bonus is an insight into the history of public houses, past and present. In the 1820s Bonsall, prosperous from lead mining, framework-knitting and local cotton mills, could support seven licensed victuallers. Four former pubs are still standing and we pass by them all on our historic trip. Starting where ‘Clatterway’ leaves the A5012 (better known as Via Gellia), immediately on the left hand side is an imposing three story building which used to be the Pig o’ Lead, also known as the Via Gellia Inn during the period 1876-1912. Once owned by Home Brewery, the pub closed in 1995. The name was inspired by the local lead mining industry, 'Pig' being a term for an oblong mass of unpurified metal, obtained in the smelting process. The next pub we pass is situated at the junction of Clatterway/Yeoman Street and the road to Bonsall Dale. The house at 1 Yeoman Street was formerly the Fountain Inn (pictured). The pub, originally known as the New Inn and first recorded as being open under that name in 1846, closed in the 1980s. The Fountain Inn’s name is inspired by the Victorian-Gothic drinking fountain that still stands nearby. Taking the road on the left to Bonsall Dale
brings us to our first stop for refreshment, the Barley Mow (pictured in
1983), and the chance to sample one of their permanent beers, Whim
Hartington Bitter. The premises were converted into a pub in the early 19th
C. when Thomas Millward bought a miner’s cottage for £140 in 1819. It is
famous for once having a ‘Rock Cellar’ at ground level, literally hewn out
of the rock. Robert Hanson of Kimberley (one half of the business that later
became Hardys & Hansons Brewery) bought the pub in 1898 for £1250, a
significant amount in those days. The Barley Mow was the first ever
Chesterfield CAMRA branch pub of the year in 1983 when run by Dennis and
Barbara Bark and owned by Hardys & Hansons. Having been closed during the
period 1986- Re-tracing our steps to Yeoman Street, we continue up the hill until we reach the old market cross and the King’s Head (pictured left). Generally accepted as being the oldest inn in Bonsall and said to date back to 1649 (when King Charles lost his head), the current premises were built in 1677 according to an engraving on a wooden beam above the entrance. The first landlord was one John Abell and indeed many generations of Abells have been landlords. It has been owned by a number of breweries - Strettons (taken over 1927), Ind Coope, Allsop and Ansells (in the 1980s). The pub was acquired by Bateman's Brewery in 1999 and their beers (which normally include the excellent Dark Mild) are available to refresh thirsty walkers. Next door to the Kings Head is a private residence that now houses a violin business. Owned by Alton & Co., brewers of Derby, it was formerly the Queen’s Head (pictured top of next page) before it closed (under the Compensation Act) in 1917. The premises were initially converted into a fish and chip shop. Continue walking along Yeoman Street; after merging with Church Street it becomes High Street and 50 yards up on the left at 17-19 High Street are buildings that were formerly the Miners’ Standard (pictured next page). This pub closed in the early 1900s and the name again reflects the historical importance of lead mining to Bonsall. The final former pub in Bonsall, the Britannia was situated on Yeoman Street, very near to the Fountain Inn (a Methodist Chapel occupies the site today). The last landlord, William Spencer, was also a butcher and the pub closed in the early 1870’s. A DETOUR TO SLALEY & IBLE. Going back to the start of the walk at the bottom of Clatterway, a detour up the first road to the left (Black Tor Road) would lead us to Slaley where the Gate used to be found. The pub was listed in Trade Directories for 1864 & 1876 but its closure date is not known. A footpath from Slaley then leads past the disused Bonsall lead mines and eventually brings us out at the hamlet of Ible. Leaving Ible, rejoin the A5012, which by this time has passed through the Grange Valley. Continue along this road and before Grangemill stands a house that was formerly the Lillies Inn, sometimes referred to as ‘Lilies of the Valley’. The name was inspired by lilies, which were once abundant in the Grange Valley. The pub closed when the licence was not renewed in 1956 because it was considered uneconomic to carry out improvements. HOW TO GET TO BONSALL ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT. Hourly 158 service (operator G & J Holmes) from Matlock. No Sunday service. Matlock can be reached using Stagecoach service 17 from Chesterfield or by train. Jim McIntosh Pubs Near The
Chesterfield Canal The history of the Chesterfield Canal has
been influenced by the existence of local people with the vision to see the
benefit that such a waterway could bring – both in the 18th and 20th
centuries. The 46-mile canal, which runs from Chesterfield to West Stockwith
on the River Trent, was built over the period 1771-7. The celebrated
Derbyshire-born engineer, James Brindley carried out the original survey,
and for its time the canal was a magnificent engineering achievement. In
particular, the 2880-yard Norwood Tunnel, near Killamarsh was the longest
tunnel in the country when it opened in May 1775. Jim McIntosh Old Whittington Having previously considered the history of
New Whittington pubs (InnSpire 35), we now turn our attention to Old
Whittington where nine inns and alehouses are known to have existed, five of
these still being open today. Until the mid-19th century the whole of this
area was just plain ‘Whittington’, the ‘Old’ being added to give the
original community a separate identity from ‘New’ Whittington, which
appeared in the 1850s. Jim McIntosh New Whittington Originally a farming community and part of
Whittington, the area now known as New Whittington developed following the
opening in 1857 of Messrs Thomas Firth & Sons Ironworks. At one time it
could support eleven pubs; six of these remain open today and two of the
ex-pubs now earn their keep as residential properties. The pubs that are no
longer open are considered first. Jim McIntosh Out and about in
Cromford & The Matlocks... A recent pub survey trip found a bus load of us heading south along the A632 one Thursday night in November with a busy schedule of eight pubs to be visited. Our first port of call was Cromford. A bit of history now, did you know that Cromford was the home of the first mechanised textile factory in the world? You can have an extra mark if you know that Richard Arkwright built the factory in 1771. All of the people we found in the Boat Inn were very much younger than this, and they were enjoying the four real ales on offer (and in nice condition too). On the night of our visit these included Pedigree and beers from Springhead Brewery of Newark. The pub itself consists of a bar area and plenty of seating on the ground floor, with a lower level function room. The pub is now in the hands of Kevin White who is very keen on offering customers a good choice of real ales. Look out for a beer festival proposed for summer 2002. Whilst in Cromford, some of our party also visited the Bell Inn where they enjoyed Kimberley Best Bitter in this unpretentious stone built pub that is deservedly popular with the locals. Back on the bus to Matlock Bath where we were faced with some difficult choices. The more adventurous of us firstly chose a steep climb (and excellent views) on a path up the hill to the Temple Hotel. Two real ales were on offer in the public bar; Jennings Cumberland and Black Sheep Bitter. We then returned down the hill where some had found the Fishpond Hotel on a live music night offering Speckled Hen and Draught Bass. The Fishpond is a noted live music venue where you can enjoy live music with real ale. The group reconvened in the Grade II listed Princess Victoria, an old favourite for many. The pub’s external appearance - large windows mean you can see easily inside - is well worth protection as the style is generally not seen often in Derbyshire. The pub has recently been bought by Batemans and three of their beers XB, XXXB plus the seasonal beer were available. It was noted that the prices here were generally higher than other pubs visited during the evening. At this point the party divided again, some of us checked out the Boat House, a Hardys & Hansons outlet on the main A6. The pub has recently changed hands and two real ales, Kimberley Best Bitter and Classic were being served. This is a two-roomed Dales pub of character and we will follow its progress with interest. Others headed into the centre of Matlock, and specifically the Crown, a purpose-built JD Wetherspoons outlet. As well as the usual competitively priced Wetherspoons range of beers, our drinkers tried a guest beer from Hydes’ Brewery (sorry, forgot the name!) which was well kept. Our eighth and final pub for the night was the Thorn Tree Inn on Jackson Road, north of the town on Matlock Bank (behind County Hall). Draught Bass and Black Sheep Bitter are the usual beers and we were also fortunate enough to find Timothy Taylor Landlord as the guest beer. Whilst enjoying the beers, recollections were of the two summer beer festivals held here earlier in the year where we stood on the front patio and enjoyed the spectacular views across the valley to Riber Castle. Pleasant thoughts on which to end the evening as we loaded back into Ian’s minibus for the trip back to Chesterfield. Jim McIntosh This webpage was last updated on Sunday, 02 September 2007 |
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Inn, Bridge Street, Killamarsh
References:
The
Cock & Magpie was built to replace the historic Cock & Pynot inn that still
stands in front of it ('Pynot' being an old Derbyshire word for magpie). The
old alehouse played a key role in English history. In 1688 a group of local
Protestant noblemen, seeking to avoid a rainstorm, ended up here to plan
their part in the 'Glorious Revolution'. As a result of the plans they made,
James II (a Catholic) was deposed and replaced by the Protestant William of
Orange and his queen, Mary. The alehouse was open for another 100 years
after the Revolution, until the Cock & Magpie was built in 1790. Mansfield
Brewery owned the new pub over the period 1935-2000, prior to that it
belonged to Chesterfield Brewery.
The
Poplar Inn (pictured) can be found hidden away in quiet surroundings on
Church Street North. The premises were originally a private house built
during the period 1700-50. About 1870 the house was bought by a
Nottinghamshire miner named John Bamford who converted part of the building
for use as a beerhouse. Subsequently, Chesterfield Brewery bought the
beerhouse and a full licence was granted in 1951. The pub takes its name
from a large house that stood opposite the pub, which was known as the
‘Poplars’ on account of the poplar trees in its garden. This pub has now
closed.
Our
final pub, the Sheepbridge Hotel (pictured), was the third source of
alcoholic refreshment in The Brushes area. The premises, which still stand,
were situated just off the original Sheffield Road, very close to the A61
bypass that is the main route into Sheffield for 21st century travellers.
Records indicate that it opened in the 1820’s and was probably built as a
coaching inn for 19th century travellers on the Sheffield to Chesterfield
road. However, this source of business dried up when the railway link
arrived in the late 1860’s. The pub, which was owned by Richdales Brewery of
Sheffield for many years, closed in January 1978. The premises are now used
as offices, although etched windows from its time as a pub are still
visible. 
The
Bull’s Head, on South Street North (pictured), was converted into a
beerhouse around 1868. Richdale’s and Hammond’s Breweries were owners until
the pub closed in the late 1960s. The property, now converted into flats,
stands just down the road from the Angel.
The
photograph shows the ‘Dusty Miller Yard’ in the 1930’s. The Dusty Miller
beerhouse is on the left, although only part of it can be seen. The building
in the middle (with outside steps to the first floor) is thought to have
been the old malt house. The long building on the right is the rear of a
terrace of four houses (numbers 104-110) which fronted onto High Street.