Heritage News 19 - South Derbyshire District Council

SOUTH DERBYSHIRE
HERITAGE NEWS
The design and heritage newsletter of South Derbyshire District Council & Sharpe’s Pottery
Issue 19
Spring/Summer 2005
The District Council has produced
the first nine in a series of 22 leaflets
devoted to the history of the District’s
conservation areas. Attractively
produced on concertina-folded
cream card, they comprise
comprehensive but readable texts
illustrated with old and modern
photographs and cross-referenced to
old Ordnance Survey plans.
If conservation areas are to be truly valued,
it is important that people are able to find
out what is special about them, and how
and why they have come to look as they
do. The first nine leaflets in the series have
in some cases been written by, or with the
help of, local historians active in the areas
concerned and efforts have been made to
source attractive and appropriate
photographs. It is planned to publish the
remaining 13 leaflets by Easter, 2006.
The leaflets produced so far include Aston
on Trent, Barrow on Trent, Bretby, Etwall,
King’s Newton, Melbourne, Swarkestone
(by Barbara Foster), Ticknall (by Janet
Spavold and Sue Brown) and Woodhouses
(parish of Melbourne). They are available
for purchase at £1.50 each or any six for
£8. Retail outlets are still being arranged,
but in the case of difficulty they can be
easily obtained from the District Council
with no extra charge for postage and
packing. The address to write to is: Philip
Heath, Heritage Officer, South Derbyshire
District Council, Civic Offices, Civic Way,
Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0AH.
Cheques should be made payable to
“South Derbyshire District Council”, with
the reference 29236 366 written on the
back.
The other forthcoming leaflets will
examine the histories of Lullington,
Milton, Netherseal, Newton Solney,
Repton, Shardlow, Smisby, Stanton by
Bridge, Swadlincote, the Trent and Mersey
Canal, Trusley, Twyford and Walton on
Trent.
“ROUND
WOULDS”
SPOTTED!
In the last issue of “Heritage News”, an article was
included about a former pottery of Nadin, Parker and
Co. by Blacksmith’s Lane, Woodville. Readers were
asked if they knew the location of the “Round Woulds”
in Church Gresley where Robert Robinson (earthenware
manufacturer), a previous owner of the Nadin/Parker
pottery, had been resident in 1818. Mr. Peter Yates of
Midway has pointed out that the name is actually marked
on the early 1" Ordnance Survey of the area. It refers to
land between Burton Road and Swadlincote Road at
Woodville, in the approximate area of the former Rose
Hill Pottery.
So now we know! Thank you Peter. Could this suggest
that Robert Robinson was an early proprietor, and
perhaps even a/the founder, of the old Rose Hill Pottery?
•Ordnance Survey 1” 1 st edition, published 1836. The Round Wolds
are left of centre, at the bottom.
Erratum. As an erratum to the last issue, it should be
pointed out that the pottery described in the article was on the south-east side of Blacksmith’s Lane and not the north-west
side as stated in Issue 18.
Heritage News - 1

COME AND SEE!
Two very special items from the famous Bretby Art Pottery are now
on show at Sharpe’s.
Melbourne is to push the boat out this coming September by staging
the first “Melbourne Festival”, which it is hoped will become an
annual event.
The first is a unique painted canvas designed as a mural for the
decorative ceiling of the pottery showroom building. It is reputed to
show chief artist William Oram Trivett working at an easel, flanked
by two seated ladies who are decorating pottery. The mural has
had a lucky escape, having been stolen from the showroom and
damaged prior to its fortunate retrieval. It has since been expertly
restored, with the financial backing of the showroom owner, and
will remain at Sharpe’s pending the hoped-for repair and restoration
of the showroom building.
Planned for the weekend of 17 th and 18 th September, local
householders will be opening their homes and gardens to provide
interesting and unusual settings for the work of both local and
visiting artists. In addition, special events are being planned by the
Melbourne Photographic Society and the St. Michaels Youth
Players, and a gala evening is under consideration, involving the
Town Band, the Melbourne Male Voice Choir and the Melbourne
Operatic Society.
Kick-start donations for funding the Festival have been made by
the Melbourne Business Association and the Friends of Melbourne
Parish Church. In addition, a grant is being prepared for submission
to the National Lottery’s “Awards For All” for display materials
etc. The weekend itself will generate income from ticketed events,
sales of the festival guide (a numbered map indicating the location
of host venues), and financial contributions from visiting artists.
Festival Co-ordinator Phil Dobby says “We now have a proper
organisation and a bank account, with money in it! One important
decision made by the Festival Committee is that two or three
bursaries for local young people in the field of arts or architecture
will be made from surplus funds. Anything left over after that will
go towards 2006!”
This is an event which brings heritage and culture together and
thereby embraces the past and the present at the same time. It has
taken its cue partly from the well-established Wirksworth Festival,
and to a smaller degree from the Heritage Open Days events that
have taken place each September in Melbourne over the last five
years. As in past years, some of the participating properties will be
of historic interest, worthy of a visit in their own right.
If you would like further information, either as a spectator or as a
would-be participant, please contact the Festival Co-ordinator Phil
Dobby on 01332 863640 or by
e-mail: info@melbournefestival.co.uk
•A Sharpe’s volunteer admires the Bretby mural
The other item, scarcely less unusual than the first, is an example
of the Bretby “Gypsy Boy” or “Italian Boy”. He is a seated figure
wearing a hat, designed to sit on a pedestal, with his legs loosely
crossed. He plays a tin whistle or similar instrument, and has a
satchel slung over his shoulder. At 2’ 6" tall without his pedestal, he
is now the focal point of the Bretby showcase in the first floor gallery
of Sharpe’s. To complement him, Bretby Art Pottery also produced
a companion female figure.
NB. A feasibility study into the future of the attractive Grade II
listed showroom at the Bretby Art Pottery site is currently being
conducted by the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust, with a
view to its repair and restoration when the adjoining site of
the demolished pottery works is being redeveloped.
•Church Street, Melbourne
•The Bretby companion figures of a girl and boy.
Heritage News - 2

TICKNALL POTS AND POTTERS
A new book from Landmark Publishing, “Ticknall Pots and Potters”
by Janet Spavold and Sue Brown, has been eagerly anticipated by
local historians for some time. The book is the result of many years’
work on their part and is hailed as a definitive work on the subject.
Priced at £24.99, the book is available from either Sue (01530-412888)
or Janet (01530-415117) if readers do not come across it elsewhere.
David Barker (Stoke-on-Trent Archaeological Service) recommends
it as “essential reading for anyone with an interest in pottery or
pottery production”.
Co-author Janet Spavold writes:
“The book discusses the potting families as well as the pottery they
produced. Several significant potting families have been identified; there
was intermarriage among them, and the pottery trade was not confined
to men only. Girls were brought up to the trade, and then worked with
their husbands in family groups; some widows continued the businesses.
“Much of Ticknall’s output was utilitarian ware for the kitchen
and dairy, easily broken and discarded, which helps to explain
why so little survives today. However, we can demonstrate the
widespread distribution of Ticknall pots through documentary sources,
and we discuss how and where it was sold. It has been possible to indicate
likely values for the utilitarian wares over time, and to tabulate named
types of pots by date. There was an extensive and sophisticated
distribution network which was later adapted to serve the potteries at
Stoke-on-Trent, Derby and South Derbyshire. Sales of pottery through
markets and fairs can be shown to have been a significant method of
distribution.”
The book charts both the rise and fall of this forgotten industry, and as
well as archaeologists it will be of interest to local, family and economic
historians as well as archaeologists. The book sheds some new
light on the problem of the Melbourne pottery as part of the discussion
of the extent of the Ticknall industry.
“Ticknall pots were sold throughout central England for over 400 years.
Already well-known to archaeologists, this study will enable “Ticknall
Ware” to be interpreted more accurately when it is encountered on
archaeological sites. In its early period, we suggest, pottery from Ticknall
was probably better known than that from the Stoke-on-Trent area. The
pottery was sold from Lincolnshire to Cheshire and from Lancashire to
Shropshire.
“All the Ticknall pottery mentioned in Leicestershire probate inventories
has been mapped, to show the rise and fall of the industry. The output of
other potteries such as those at Boston, Burslem and Wednesbury is
discussed for comparison, along with imported pottery. Decorated
Cistercian wares have been found through extensive fieldwalking. Some
of these fragments are exceptional for their date, featuring small but
exquisitely-modelled animals or flowers.
•“small but exquisitely modelled”. Ticknall ware fragments
showing dogs, with 5p piece for scale.
FEELING GARRULOUS?
Come along and celebrate ‘Memories of Swad and Melbourne’ !
May is the Historical
Association’s “Local History
Month”. To mark the event,
the National Forest’s
“LANDshapes” Project has
joined forces with the
Derbyshire County Library
Service and local heritage
groups to organise two
unique events.
Everyone is invited, free of
charge, to come along to
“Memories of Swad” on May
17 th, 10am – 6pm, at
Swadlincote Library and
“Memories of Melbourne” on
May 23 rd , 2pm – 6pm at
Melbourne Library.
Both events involve seeing,
sharing and saving our local
history. See how lives and
landscapes have changed in the
area and listen to a collection of
recorded conversations with
local people, telling their life
stories.
The Swadlincote event will
feature a fascinating display of
•An old photograph of the Delph or Market Place, Swadlincote.
By courtesy of the Derby Evening Telegraph.
photographs and artefacts by the
Friends of Eureka Park and the
South Derbyshire Mining
photographs of Melbourne, taken
over the last 15 years, and
Melbourne Civic Society will
display images from their own
archives.
Preservation Group.In
Melbourne, the Melbourne
Historical Research Group will
present a local history display What you remember and can
and their new book ‘Melbourne share is important! Both events
1820-1875; A Diary by John are chances to share your
Joseph Briggs’ will be on sale. memories of how the
Local photographer Peter Clough Swadlincote and Melbourne
will be exhibiting his areas have changed in your
Heritage News - 3
lifetime. Please bring in your
own old photographs or
objects that relate to bygone
industries and ways of living.
Have a look in your attics,
sheds and wardrobes for
memorabilia of days gone by
to bring along.
Saving your knowledge,
memories and stories for
future generations is an
important part of both events.
The organisers invite you to
take part in the LANDshapes
scheme, which is creating a
collection of local history
information, contributed by
local people. Help will be on
hand to record and add your
memories to the new
LANDshapes community
archive.
For further information, contact
Lucy Ashworth at LANDshapes
01283 551211 or Kathryn Durkan
at Swadlincote Library 01283
217701
Lucy Ashworth

UNUSUAL HISTORIC DIARY
PUBLISHED
Victorian life in a South Derbyshire village seen through the eyes
of a gentleman farmer, poet, natural and local historian is revealed
in a new book published by the Melbourne Historical Research
Group, in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council and South
Derbyshire District Council. Priced at £10.99, the book is good
value with more than 240 pages including a sixteen-page colour
section.
John Joseph Briggs from King’s Newton in the parish of Melbourne
kept a diary from 1845 to 1875 covering all aspects of life from
national events to ‘everyday tales of village folk’. A few
retrospective entries record events back to 1820. Now his
thoughtful and unusual memoir spanning 55 years has been
transcribed from the original manuscript into a glossy paperback,
which was launched at Melbourne on Friday 22 April.
Nominally a farmer, Briggs himself confessed that “To employment
of an agricultural nature I had from infancy a great aversion”.
Moreover, Briggs never enjoyed good health and was the only
one of his parents eight children to achieve the age of 25. So after
his father ceased to be active on the farm, he managed the office
side of the business and left the heavy work to employees. The
farm was a prosperous one on the Melbourne Estate, and was
profitable enough to support Briggs while he did much as he liked.
He wrote extensive notes on natural and local history, composed
poetry and published three histories of Melbourne in 1839, 1852
and 1870.
As an amateur historian, it’s not surprising that Briggs wrote his
diary with posterity in mind. He probably never dreamt that it would
ever be published, but he certainly wanted future generations to
read it.
“Many of the notes I am fully aware may seem uninteresting and
unworthy of record and yet I cannot but imagine that even the
most trivial in distant years must be found useful - for oftentimes a
small well authenticated fact tends most materially to forward a
great end. Improvements are in progress and we like to see the
state of objects before such were effected. Times & manners change
and man loves to contemplate how men lived & acted before him.
We live in a changing age and I conceive that half a century hence
we shall view the present time with as much amusement as we
now look back upon that which is past.”
The content of the diary is wide-ranging. Briggs describes events
of national significance like the
Crimean War down to the latest
fashions of home life, such as the
introduction of Christmas trees or
the new trend for growing a
beard. One of the diary entries
describes how plans for a new
railway line linking Rugby and
Manchester were opposed at
Swarkestone by Sir John Harpur
Crewe of Calke who hired fifty
people to prevent surveyors
entering his land. Briggs
•J.J. Briggs as a young man.
By courtesy of Mr G.R. Heath.
describes how “The company
procured about eighty others
from Melbourne and
Heritage News - 4
elsewhere…when Sir John’s men saw the opposite party were not
to be lightly frustrated they quietly and very prudently withdrew.”
The diary also reveals that the Victorians experienced some of the
same problems that we encounter today such as erratic, unseasonal
weather and “cattle plague”, which swept the country in 1866.
“Melbourne 1820 – 1875: A Diary by John Joseph Briggs”, edited
by Philip Heath, is available from local bookshops. It is also
available to order at £13.00 (to cover postage and packing), from
Derbyshire Libraries Service, County Hall, Matlock, DE4 3AG.
Cheques should be made payable to Derbyshire County Council.
LISTENING AND LEARNING
Roger Kitchen, who has recently been working for the National Forest’s
LANDshapes project, tells us what he’s been up to:
For the last 3 months I’ve had a dream job. I’ve been recording the
memories of 36 people who live within the National Forest area, as
part of the National Forest Company’s “LANDshapes Heritage in the
Making” Project.
The idea behind LANDshapes is to work with local people to capture,
record and celebrate the landscape and cultural heritage of The National
Forest by creating an on-line archive that can hold a variety of types of
historical information - written documents, photographs, maps and oral
histories. (Visit the website at www.landshapes.org)
The site already included historic maps, documents and photos, but
was lacking that very important historical source - the evidence of local
eyewitnesses. My work has done a little to rectify that and the first
extracts from my interviews are now starting to appear on the website
(they can be found by going into the “archive” section and typing “roger
kitchen” into the simple text search box, Ed.)
“The recordings do not just capture the stories, they
also capture a dialect which is fast disappearing.”
There was no science in the choice of the interviewees; they were just
people whose lives had interacted in different ways with the landscape
and who also had a good story to tell. They included miners, farmers
and farmworkers, brewers, an archaeologist, a tree surgeon, a drystone
waller, a female railway platelayer, and a bird watcher. All of them
gave me wonderful, unique insights into life in this area in the last 80
years or so.
The recordings do not just capture the stories, they also capture a dialect
which is fast disappearing. Although I’m sure that if these recordings
had been made twenty or thirty years ago many more of the interviewees
would have spoken in a broad dialect, I have still been lucky enough to
hear and capture some examples of this. As a stranger to the area
sometimes the answers seemed mystifying and confusing. A miner
talked about a ‘tile box’, which threw me until he went on to say that it
contained a pick and shovel and I realised he was talking about a
‘toolbox’. Likewise I realised that the ‘kills’ at the pottery were the
kilns!
I have been only able to scratch the surface in collecting the oral history
of the area. I hope that more local people who are interested in
discovering the history of their place will become enthused to collect
memories as well as documents. The technology is there to capture
and preserve the memories to a high standard and the funding is there
through such schemes as the Local Heritage Initiative to get training
and support and pay for equipment. I firmly believe that everybody
has a story to tell. If we listen to people we’ll not only get unique
insights into our local past but we will make new friends and, as a
bonus, we’ll hear stories that will amuse us, astound us and even move
us to tears.
Roger Kitchen

NEWS AND VIEWS
FROM THE CHAIR
John Oake reports:
It is wonderful to be able to report that, with only one month of
the membership year elapsed, over 80% of last year’s members
have renewed their subscriptions. We base our business plan on
being able to retain at least 85% of our previous year’s members,
so a massive thank you is owed to all who have shown support
for Sharpe’s in this way.
We try to make supporting the Friends of Sharpe’s a two way
benefit and are still offering a free limited edition print to all new
members. In addition, every member enjoys a 10% discount in
the Sharpe’s cafe and 10% off concert tickets, as well as a £1.50
reduction off the price of our limited edition Cornishware mugs.
That is on top of the three issues a year of Heritage News, keeping
you in touch not just with Sharpe’s but with a broad range of
heritage activities, facts and issues relating to South Derbyshire.
If you haven’t yet joined yourself, or can think of someone else
who might be interested, please give it some consideration.
Our independent Volunteers Group is now very much up and
running. So far this year, they have already provided funds for
some new display cabinets, besides making a massive contribution
to the success of the Spring Fair by organising the cake stands
and a recruitment stand. The Volunteers Recruitment Day produced
some additional active volunteers and the presence of volunteer
stewards at Sharpe’s is making a constantly enhanced contribution
to smooth running and visitor enjoyment.
Meanwhile, in the café, our catering business has been so
successful that we have had to increase staffing and have provided
extra seating on the balcony of the kiln. The new balcony seating
enables visitors to enjoy a drink or a snack in a truly novel
environment.
The first event in the Sharpe’s Lecture series (Dr. Glyn Coppack
of English Heritage on “The Archaeology of Monasteries”) was
very successful, both in the numbers attending and in the interest
and enjoyment generated. All agreed that starting the evening
with a reception accompanied by a piano and violin recital and
wine sales added hugely to the enjoyment of the evening and the
focus of the lecture on the lifestyle of monastic occupants made
for an interesting and enjoyable presentation.
The 2005/6 concert and theatre season could hardly have got off
to a busier or more popular start. Carl Harper has a deservedly
large following and he and his ‘Friends’ kicked off the season
with a truly memorable concert of music from the theatre,
performed to a full house. Within a week, he was followed by a
one-person theatrical tribute to Vivien Leigh and a return of the
hugely popular Maggie Chaplin and the ‘Sounds Like Jazz’
ensemble. The 2005/6 season is still evolving, so do keep in touch
with changes through the pages of Heritage News, the Sharpe’s
web site (www.sharpes.org.uk ) or
the handbills and programmes available on the counter at Sharpe’s.
ETWALL AND BURNASTON LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The Etwall and Burnaston Local History Society was founded in
2001 and has a membership of about 30. Meetings are held monthly
and the Society’s area of interest is the townships, now civil
parishes, of Etwall, Burnaston and Bearwardcote which historically
looked to St Helen’s Church in Etwall for spiritual guidance. The
programme includes talks by invited speakers, including a public
lecture in November, but our main purpose is investigative and
most meetings are workshops to further the Society’s defined
projects. So far these have focused on nineteenth and twentieth
century material, which is comparatively easy to access.
The first such projects initiated by the Society have been the
transcription and analysis of the census returns for the period 1841
to 1901 and the bringing together of all the Directory entries for the
three parishes which are locally available. The present focus of
activity is the ‘Etwall and Burnaston Heritage Project’ which is
funded by grant from the Local Heritage Initiative. The outcomes,
planned for completion in the spring of 2006, will be a series of
four pamphlets/trails designed to provide information about the
villages and the surrounding countryside, an oral history record
and a compilation of material covering the development of our area
during the Twentieth Century. This material will be incorporated
into the Society’s existing archive currently located in Etwall Church.
To date the archive has been the basis of three exhibitions and a
fourth is planned in both the Church and Chapel in Etwall during
the Etwall Well Dressing Festival 2005 taking place on the weekend
of May 21st and 22nd to which all are welcome.
A visit to Etwall should include the interior of St Helen’s Church,
normally open on Wednesday afternoons between 2 and 4 pm,
where there are memorials to the Port family (originally of Chester)
who purchased land in Etwall in 1495. Both John Ports, father and
son, were distinguished barristers and judges who held high office
nationally and in Derbyshire. They acquired considerable estates
in the county and elsewhere including the manor of Etwall in 1540
following the Dissolution. Sir John Port II died in 1557 without male
issue and in his will made provision for the foundation of a Grammar
School, now Repton School, and the endowment of almshouses
or a hospital for the poor in Etwall, which are an important local
architectural feature. The present buildings to the north of the
Church, although modernised, are the rebuild of 12 houses
constructed round a courtyard in 1681 with the addition of a wing
of four additional houses in about 1690. This arrangement is shown
in the engraving dating from 1854.
Roger Dalton, Chairman.
•An engraving of the Etwall almshouses, 1854.
Heritage News - 5

HISTORIC BUILDINGS - NEW LISTINGS
Four new buildings have been added to the register
of listed buildings within South Derbyshire in the
last nine months. A request for a building to be listed
can be made by any member of the public, or by a
body such as the District Council, which in practice
currently submits most of the requests that are made
from South Derbyshire.
The responsibility for listing buildings lies with the
Department for Culture, Media and Sport in London,
which takes the advice of English Heritage officers
as to whether a building should be listed or not.
The newly-listed buildings comprise:
Sealwood Cottage, Sealwood Lane, Linton
(listed 25 th August, 2004).
This is an intriguing, folly-like, “gothick” cottage of the
late 18 th century which stood on the edge of Seal Wood,
commanding a wide view towards Overseal. The
woodland around the cottage has long since been felled.
The cottage, built by the Gresleys of Netherseal
apparently for their own use, is of a highly unusual cavity
wall construction, with re-used oak timber framing to the
outer leaf of the walls, and solid brickwork to the inner
leaf.
The Woodville War Memorial, of Cornish granite with a
bronze plaque, dates from 1925-26. Many war
memorials are not listed buildings, but one of the reasons
for listing this one was its unusual inscription: “Erected
to the memory of the late Mr. W. Cousens who for 30
years was the much esteemed head master of the
Wesleyan School of the village, and his scholars who
paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great War 1914-1918”.
Below is the list of 130 men, including 77 scholars, who
were killed in action. On the reverse are the names of
those who fell in the Second World War 1939-1945.
Escolme Pottery, Woodville
(listed 21 st February, 2005).
Originally, the house had just a single room downstairs
and a single room upstairs, reached by a pretty, winding
staircase. The upstairs room was evidently a “prospect
room”, featuring a fine fireplace, large window, pyramidal
ceiling ... and an original bedframe which slides out of
the dado from a void in the roof space! A modest
extension was made to the house in the Victorian period.
Woodville War Memorial
(listed 30 th March, 2005).
•The Escolme Pottery, Woodville
By a coincidence, this building is only a few yards away
from the one previously mentioned. The new listing
comprises the one remaining bottle kiln of the pottery,
dated “1833” in blue headers on the top courses,
together with the workshops to the south west of the
kiln. This was the only bottle kiln within the area of the
former Swadlincote potteries that was not already listed.
There are now nine listed examples in the area
altogether. The others comprise a group of four kilns at
the T. G. Green pottery, plus single examples at the
former “top bank” of T. G. Green’s, Sharpe’s Pottery
(Swadlincote), Rawdon Pottery (behind the Clock
Garage at Woodville) and at Bretby Brick and Stoneware
Co.
Phone Box, Main Street, Milton
(listed 10 th January, 2005).
Not all listed buildings are built of bricks, stone or mortar.
Cast iron mileposts and, yes, cast iron phoneboxes, are
equally eligible. In practice, telephone boxes are more
likely to be deemed “listable” where they form part of
the streetscene in a “good heritage location” such as a
conservation area, as the Milton one does. This red
telephone box, of the friendly and familiar type that was
once ubiquitous, was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
and made by various manufacturers.
•The Woodville War Memorial.
Heritage News - 6

WHO KNOWS?
Telling Shardlows story..
...
Sheila Cooke, who lives in Shardlow, maintains the Shardlow Heritage Trust’s extensive collection
of historic documentation, assembled from a wide a variety of sources. Her work underpins the
exhibits and explanatory texts on show at the Shardlow Heritage Centre, which is open from
12noon to 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays until the end of October.
The Centre is on the canal bank by the car park of the well-known Clock Warehouse and is well
worth a visit while you are in the area. In this piece, Sheila tells us how she came to be involved....
“Shardlow Heritage Centre is ten years
old this year. Thousands of visitors have
enjoyed the displays, and all the
volunteers have gained great pleasure
and satisfaction from setting up
exhibitions, guiding walks around the
village and meeting people from all over
the world. For me, however, it has meant
much more, as it helped to save me
during one of the most difficult periods
of my life.
“After many years as the Local Studies
Librarian for Nottinghamshire I had to
give up work, as a chronic condition
meant years of operations,
physiotherapy and enforced inactivity.
The plan had been to do craft and
needlework, but this soon drove me to distraction
accompanied by a growing lack of self worth. The climb
out of depression began with a gift of research material on
Shardlow from a friend who was moving out of the area;
but what really brought my brain back to life was the offer
from Mansfield Brewery to the village of space in a building
next to their new pub and restaurant, for use as a museum.
“The Brewery put in new walls, heating and lighting.
Volunteers built a replica of a narrow boat cabin, set up a
•“The ‘Clock Warehouse’ prior to conversion.
(Brighouse Collection / www.picturethepast.org.uk)
‘forge’ and blacksmiths tools, and with very little money
and photocopies of documents and photographs mounted
on coloured card, we made our first small exhibition. By
visiting Libraries, Record Offices and Museums and talking
to local people (who at first declared that nothing had
survived) the collection has kept growing year by year
including deeds, maps and photograph albums.
“As I slowly gained strength, but little mobility, we began
to offer guided walks around the inland port area of the
village. I soon realized that the route was suitable for me
on my electric scooter - I just had to learn how to slow
down so the group didn’t arrive at each vantage point at a
run and out of breath!
“The final big challenge was to brave new technology and
set up a website. I have to own up, however, that although
I did the planning and content, my husband did the technical
bit. We have received thousands of hits from all over the
world, even including some that are not from family
historians!
•Sheila by the canal with her scooter
Heritage News - 7
“Last, but not least, I would like to say a huge thankyou to
the people of Shardlow and all the visitors to the Heritage
Centre.”

WEST STREET METHODIST CHURCH
RETURNS TO CHARACTER
The Victorian Methodist
Church on West Street,
Swadlincote, has been open
for the Civic Trust’s Heritage
Open Days for several years
now and many local people
have become aware of its
beauty and historical
significance. Sadly it has
fallen into a state of disrepair,
although there is still a small
Sunday congregation and the
schoolroom is in great
demand for community use.
The property also includes
the impressive row of shops
alongside, with their striking
terracotta façade.
Interested local people have
recently been working hard
with the congregation to find
a way of redeveloping the
buildings for community use,
including performance space
for local choirs etc. This has
led to the formation of the
West Street Partnership. Last
year the Partnership was
successful in attracting a
package of funding to
renovate the outside of the
buildings, which is Phase I of
the project.
New upper windows have
been fitted in the church to
match the original Victorian
windows, removed about a
century ago. With their
slender, curved glazing bars,
they have greatly enhanced
the appearance of the
building. Metal grilles are
being made to fit all the
windows on the Market Street
elevation at the back. Ground
floor windows have been
repaired where necessary,
pending the major scheme
ahead. The window arches
and sills will eventually be
painted and new lead
flashings have been installed
on the West Street elevation.
The roof of the shops at Nos.
10 - 14 West Street has been
retiled and at the time of
writing scaffolding has been
erected in West Street to
facilitate repair and
refurbishment of the external
façade. So pleased are we
with the transformation that
we have applied for a
Derbyshire County Council
Greenwatch award. This
project certainly fits the
criteria of conserving,
restoring and enhancing the
character of the townscape.
The main funding came from
Derby and Derbyshire
Economic Partnership, South
Derbyshire District Council’s
“Heritage Economic
Regeneration Scheme” run
jointly with English Heritage,
the District Council’s
“Community Partnership
Scheme” and the Methodist
Church. We received great
help and support from both
our architect, Annie
Duquemin of the Allan Joyce
Partnership, and South
Derbyshire Conservation
Officer Marilyn Hallard. A
specialist building firm,
Bartrams, was given the
contract to carry out the work
to the value of £119,330
including VAT.
Rev. Angela Singleton, April
2005
REPTON VILLAGE HISTORY
GROUP GOES SOLO
On 3 rd March, the Repton
Village History Group formally
split with the Repton Village
Society and became an
independent body. A
constitution for the new Group
has been drawn up and the
Group will have its first AGM
in 2006, when officers and a
committee will be elected. In
the meantime, the Group is
being run by a steering
committee.
The Annual subscription rates
for membership of the Group
are £3.00 for single membership
and £6.00 for Family
membership. The membership
year commences on 1 st April
and runs to 31 st March the
following year. The support of
any interested readers would be
most welcome. The
membership secretary is David
Guest who can be contacted at
Tudor Lodge, High Street,
Repton, Derbyshire DE65 6GD
tel. 01283 703650.
•The front of the Methodist Chapel, with its smart
new windows.
Heritage News - 8
The entry fee to the Group’s
meetings is £1.00 for members
and £2.00 for visitors. This fee,
together with the income from
the raffle, is designed to offset
the cost of room hire, any fees
paid to speakers and any
equipment we might need to
hire for meetings. It also helps
towards the very high cost of
Public Liability Insurance
which we feel is necessary.
Group member Alan Kimber
says: “Our main aim is to create
a social club for those interested
in the history of the area and to
collect, display and save items
of interest. We also aim to
encourage participation through
talks, lectures, projects and
research.
“Forthcoming events include a
talk by Keith Foster of the
Magic Attic, on the Attic’s
painstaking compilation of
thousands of newspaper items
telling of the deaths and injuries
sustained by local members of
the armed forces in both World
Wars. It is a comprehensive
record and a most useful tool for
local people who are tracing
their family history.
“On June 18 th and 19 th , Repton
will be staging its popular Open
Gardens weekend. The History
Group will be contributing to
the activities with a
photographic display in St
Wystan’s Church and our
publications will also be on sale
there. Make a note in your
Diary and come along to visit
us!”
For further information, Alan
can be contacted on 01283
704042 or log on to the
websiteat
reptonhistory@aol.com

REJECTED!
Some would-be listed
buildings that didn’t
make it...
head is an individual structure and is not of sufficient
architectural or historic interest to merit listing.”
Beehive Kiln, Hepworth’s, Swadlincote
Requests to have buildings “listed” are sometimes
rejected even when the District Council has
considered that there have been good grounds for
listing them. Examples include:
65, Main Street, King’s Newton.
•A Cruck Truss at 65, Main Street
An unspoilt cruckframed
cottage
between two
h e a v i l y
modernised
properties. The two
cruck frames, wellpreserved
and
p o s s i b l y
mediaeval, are
good examples.
This is the only
known example of
a cruck-framed
building in South
Derbyshire which is not a listed building. Nevertheless,
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined
to list this building in 1999, saying it was part of a terrace
of cottages, disqualified for listing by the heavy
alterations to the other properties in the row.
Wellhead, Top Farm, Ticknall.
•The well head near Top Farm,
Ticknall, built in 1871.
This wellhead, restored a
few years ago by the
Ticknall Preservation and
Historical Society, was
built in 1871, preceding
the well-known, greenpainted,
cast iron “taps”
of 1914 that are so much
a feature of the village.
English Heritage, via the
Department for Culture,
Media and Sport, has
been approached twice
with a request to list this
building, but has declined
to list it on both
occasions. They say “It does not contain a pump and
was not part of the installation of the listed pump system
in 1914. English Heritage have concluded that the well-
This is the last remaining downdraught or “beehive” kiln
in the Swadlincote area, which once had score upon
score of them. Used for firing bricks and pipes etc.,
modern technology and the decline of the local clay
industry has accounted for their destruction. This final
example, albeit in a very poor condition, had therefore
become valuable.
Nevertheless, English Heritage via the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport considered that it was unworthy
of listing on its own. They said: “The kiln is of
indeterminate date, since the nature of the industrial
process results in a continuous rebuilding programme
as kiln linings deteriorate. Much of the surviving fabric
is probably of the late 20 th century, while its design is
representative of the technology of the late 19 th century.
Its associated chimney is listed, but the kiln is now an
isolated component in a much altered surrounding area.
English Heritage have concluded that the building is not
of sufficient architectural or historic interest to merit
listing.”
Consent has been given for the demolition of the kiln,
subject to detailed prior recording for posterity, as part
of the scheme for the new Morrison’s Supermarket.
Steam Mill, Smisby
This building is completely unremarkable on the outside,
but the interior contains conventional mill machinery for
grinding oats, barley and wheat, powered by steam
instead of wind or water. The machinery was apparently
installed within the shell of an earlier farm building at
some point in the 19 th century. The machinery is crudely
put together and assembled using a jumble of materials,
including an old wooden two-holer privy seat!
Unfortunately, English Heritage deemed it to be too
rustic, makeshift and crude for listing.
Heritage News - 9
•Firing a beehive kiln, from the Donisthorpe
Colliery Co’s brochure 1951.

NEW GLOR
ORY IN PROSPECT FOR
ELVAST
ASTON CASTLE
A Derbyshire-based team led by
Highgate Sanctuary Ltd. has been
appointed as Derbyshire County
Council’s preferred partner to restore
the Elvaston Castle Estate, four miles
to the south-east of Derby and in the
north-eastern corner of the South
Derbyshire district. Highgate Sanctuary
hopes to create a luxury hotel and
College of Estate Management, she
gained her PhD from Nottingham
University on “The Sustainable Re-Use
of Listed Buildings in the Context of
Urban Regeneration.” As a result of the
experience gained through her studies,
Tanya founded Highgate Sanctuary,
which develops new uses for derelict
listed buildings. Tanya says:
Under Highgate Sanctuary’s proposals,
the formidable Castle’s grounds will
continue to be open for public
enjoyment. They will be restored to
their former grandeur under a £10
million bid by the County Council,
supported by Highgate Sanctuary, for
Heritage Lottery Funding. Plans also
include a new visitor centre for the
•A wintry view of Elvaston Castle
championship golf course that will
provide local jobs and boost tourism in
the area.
Bob Janes, cabinet member for
community services at Derbyshire
Country Council says “We want to see
the Castle and Estate returned to its
former glory so that local people and
visitors can enjoy it for many years to
come. We are working with Highgate
Sanctuary because we feel they share
our objectives and will respond to the
sensitive conservation needs of the
Estate, whilst finding a sustainable
solution for its re-use.”
Tanya Spilsbury, managing director of
Highgate Sanctuary, was born and
brought up in Derby. Dr. Spilsbury is
also a board member of “Maintain our
Heritage” - a not-for-profit company that
campaigns for the better maintenance
of historic buildings. A chartered
surveyor, Tanya specialises both in the
conservation and sustainable re-use of
historic buildings. Having studied for a
Diploma in Building Conservation at the
“To survive in the long term, an historic
building must have a sustainable use
to generate sufficient income to cover
its maintenance costs. The opportunity
to be involved with the conservation of
Elvaston Castle and its estate brings
together my enthusiasm and
experience in the fields of development,
conservation and Derbyshire’s heritage.
If all goes well, the £18 million
restoration and extension project for the
Grade II* listed building could be
completed as early as summer 2007.
“We are well aware of the local
attachment to Elvaston and the strength
of feeling about it, and the next stage
of the proposals will include a public
consultation. The results will be
included in the proposals submitted with
the Lottery grant application. We, in
partnership with the County Council,
shall continue to work closely with the
planning authority and English Heritage
to prepare sensitive planning
applications for the restoration of the
Castle and Estate.”
Heritage News - 10
•The gardens at Elvaston, as seen from the house
enjoyment of visitors, and especially
educational groups. They will also be
able to visit a proposed craft centre,
cafeteria and shop with products linked
to the plants and topiary of the gardens.
Elvaston Cricket Club will continue to
play on the cricket ground and the
showground will still be used for public
events and shows.
The existing castle was substantially
re-built in the early 19 th century during
the Gothic Revival era by Charles,
Third Earl of Harrington. He
commissioned James Wyatt, a leading
architect of the day, and later Robert
Walker, to create a castle with
battlements and turrets, linked to a
large courtyard and two gatehouses
either side of a Gothic archway.
Landscaping of the surrounding
parkland and gardens took place from
1830 under the direction of William
Barron, who had trained at the
Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. Barron,
with his particular enthusiasm for
conifers and topiary, gradually
transformed the dull, flat landscape of
Elvaston into a garden paradise

JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
For
orthcoming events
ents
at
Sharpe’
pe’s Pottery
MAY Saturday 21 st , 7.30pm Concert in the Kiln: Melbourne Male Voice Choir. Tickets
£6.
Saturday 28 th , 10am – 3.30pm Local Mining Heritage display in Conference Room.
Admission Free.
Wednesday 1 st to Thursday 30 th Ceramics exhibition by Susan Olumides in the Upper
Gallery. Admission Free.
Wednesday 1 st to Thursday 30 th Paintings and Prints by John Straw in the Upper Gallery.
Admission Free.
Wednesday 1 st , 2.30pm – 4pm Valuation of antiques and collectables by James Lewis
of Bamfords. Free,with discretionary donation of £1 per
item to support Sharpe’s.
Saturday 4 th , 10am – 4pm Flower Arranging Masterclass with Carolyn Bates £12
per person including buffet lunch
Saturday 18 th , 7.30pm
Concert in the Kiln: Stan Schofield & the Burton
Accordion Band. Tickets £6.
Friday 1 st to Saturday 30 th Paintings by Rowena Rowley in the Upper Gallery.
Admission Free.
Saturday 2 nd , 10am – 4pm Flower Arranging Masterclass with Carolyn Bates £12
per person including buffet lunch
Wednesday 6 th , 2.30pm – 4pm Valuation of antiques and collectables by James Lewis
of Bamfords. Free,with discretionary donation of £1 per
item to support Sharpe’s.
Saturday 23 rd , 10am – 4pm Summer Fair. Admission Free.
Saturday 30 th , 7.30pm
Concert in the Kiln: Melbourne & District Amateur Operatic
Society. Tickets £6.
Wednesday 3 rd , 2.30pm – 4pm Valuation of antiques and collectables by James Lewis
of Bamfords. Free, with discretionary donation of £1 per
item to support Sharpe’s.
Saturday 6 th , 10am – 4pm Flower Arranging Masterclass with Carolyn Bates £12
per person including buffet lunch
NB A Farmers’ Market is planned for June or July, and school holiday activities for children are also being
arranged. The events list is continually updated and can be found on the Sharpe’s website at
www.sharpes.org.uk.
SHARPER IMAGE FOR SHARPE’S.
Further improvements are afoot at Sharpe’s Pottery which will make a significant improvement to the appearance of the buildings.
On the Alexandra Road frontage, the 1920s steel-framed building which until recently housed an anodising and plating business has
been demolished and its site is being cleared up. Completion of this work will both remove an eyesore and expose the original
pottery buildings to full view once more.
Meanwhile, one of the former pottery buildings overlooking the car park is in the course of conversion to an office suite. This
building, run-down for many years, has until now been the main detracting feature in the view of Sharpe’s from the main entrance
on West Street. Its repair and restoration, under the Swadlincote Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme, perfectly complements
the repair and restoration of the Grade II listed pottery buildings occupied by the museum.
Heritage News - 11

The library at Repton School is one of the oldest
libraries in the county. Paul Stevens, the new
librarian there, is very enthusiastic about the books
and documents that have come under his care,
and is keen to share some of his findings.
The room that houses the library was the main
room of the school from the mid 16 th to mid 19 th
centuries. It is said to have served as a ‘travel lodge’
for Edward I for several nights in 1291 and,
according to a report in the “Derby Mercury” in
1805, was used for plays and dancing: “The ball
was opened about midnight … and the merry dance
kept up with unabated spirit till four o’ clock.”
•Repton School, seen through the old priory gateway.
- Curiosity Corner -
THE “MARRIAGE ELMS” AT ASH.
At Ash, near Etwall, three
stately elm trees on the main
road near Ash Hall were
known as the “Marriage
Elms”. Their name is
explained as follows:
“It is said that their curious name arises from the fact
that a magistrate who lived at the Hall resented being
called at inconvenient times by couples wishing to be
married. The journey to the church was avoided by
the marriage ceremony being performed on the road
side beneath these three stately elms.”
Another version of the explanation is less polite:
Paul says “I’m very interested in the history of
Repton. Being the librarian gives me a wonderful
opportunity to read contemporary accounts and
documents, and the many books and documents
that the School has amassed over the last 450
years. There is so much to absorb and I’ve been
taking notes since I joined the School, in the hope
that eventually I will be able to publish a miscellany
devoted to the library.”
“The library at Repton is its greatest glory. It is a
Bodleian in miniature, indeed, among the great
libraries of the world, only the Bodleian has ever
given me a similar sensation” (Between the Dog
Kennel and the Appletree by Richard N. Coe, 1992)
WE CAN HELP YOU WITH PUBLICITY
“Heritage News” is published three times a year around April/May (Spring/
Summer issue), August (Autumn issue) and December (Winter issue). It
is circulated to all parish councils / meetings, amenity societies and
historical groups within South Derbyshire, and is also distributed to
libraries and to local press contacts. We are always pleased to advertise
the work of local groups where possible, so please call us with any news
for our next issue. The deadline for inclusion in No. 20 (Autumn 2005) is
Friday 12 th August.
Contacts:
Philip Heath Heritage Officer / tel:01283 595936
Editor of “Heritage News” fax:01283 595850
e-mail: philip.heath@south-derbys.gov.uk
“The magistrates married couples under these trees as
they did not wish to invite them into their homes
because they stank!”
(From “A Brief History of the Manor of Ash” by E. R.
Robinson, July 1970)
Heritage News - 12
Marilyn Hallard Design & Conservation tel: 01283 595747
Officer fax: 01283 595850
e-mail: marilyn.hallard@south-derbys.gov.uk
The postal address is: South Derbyshire District Council,
Civic Offices, Civic Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 OAH.
The District Council has a website at www.south-derbys.gov.uk