January in Derbyshire

Old Granary

Hotel | "The Old Granary"

Quote:

The Old GranaryWhile cruising the internet I came across a site called peakdistrictonline.com. It was here that I first read about the Old Granary. Okay, I’ll admit it, the fact that it had a four season hot tub did influence our decision but it really was the picture of the kitchen that convinced us that this was the house for us. We needed three bedrooms and not only does the Old Granary have three bedrooms it also has three bathrooms. What could be more perfect?I followed the link to the Old Granary website and after looking at all the photos we knew we had found the place we wanted to stay. I emailed the owner and after several e...Read More

The Old Granary

While cruising the internet I came across a site called peakdistrictonline.com. It was here that I first read about the Old Granary. Okay, I’ll admit it, the fact that it had a four season hot tub did influence our decision but it really was the picture of the kitchen that convinced us that this was the house for us. We needed three bedrooms and not only does the Old Granary have three bedrooms it also has three bathrooms. What could be more perfect?

I followed the link to the Old Granary website and after looking at all the photos we knew we had found the place we wanted to stay. I emailed the owner and after several emails we had a bank draft drawn for the full amount done in British Pounds and sent off to Amanda Brown.

The Old Granary is just that, an old granary conversion. Martin, Amanda’s husband, did the conversion himself and is justifiably proud. The house is lovely, way beyond our expectations. The kitchen has every modern convenience, a five burner stove with two ovens and a grill, a microwave, hot pot, washer and separate dryer, dish washer, refrigerator and freezer. The center of the room is dominated by a farm table and six chairs. There are plenty of dishes and everything else you might need including dish soap and washer soap.

The living room is very comfortable with a couch, love seat and wing back chair. There is a wood burning stove, satellite TV (also in all the bedrooms and the kitchen) and a stereo that allows you to play your DVD or CDs in any room you want, there is even a PDA –MP3 docking station. There is a powder room as you come in the front door so you don’t need to run upstairs when you need the facilities.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms. We choose the king room with the half tester bed. It was a wonderful light and bright look with white bedding. We have a vanity with a three part mirror, an armoire that holds the safe, blow dryer and plenty of hangers. The window looks out to the back of the house and has stunning views. In the distance you can see the towers of Hardwick Hall and Bolsover castle. Our bathroom has a shower and is ensuite.

Cubby took the twin room which has blue toile bedspreads and has a large bathroom with a humongous tube but it is located in the hallway. Joe took the other king room which has a French style bed with red toile spread, embroidered pillow cases and an ensuite bathroom with shower.

Everything about this house is 5 *, the floors are tile and are heated. It was a wonderful treat to feel really warm and cozy. Not only are all you physical needs cared for but the house is esthetically beautiful.

The house a has plenty of information about what to see and do in the area and of course the hot tub is just as beautiful as it looks on the web. Yes we did bring our swim suits and yes we did use the hot tub and it was amazing looking across this beautiful landscape while sitting in the steamy water.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 29, 2008

Old Granary
Beech Farm, Wheatcroft lane Wheatcroft
Matlock, England DE4 5GU
+44 (560) 2931292

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Bear Inn

Restaurant | "The Bear Inn"

Quote:

Having arrived in Wheatcroft at the Old Granary we decided that since it was Sunday we would like to get a pub carvery dinner. We talk to Martin and Amanda and they had a few suggestions. The first one we called was only serving until three thirty and it was 2:45 so they suggested the Bear Inn. Martin started to give me the directions; they were so detailed and lengthy that I decided I had better right them down. It is a very good thing I did. It was one of our real adventures; we had to go through several one lane roads, up hills so steep the wheels spun, down hills so steep it took our breath away. It took us about 45 minutes to ride less than 10 miles. Was the ride worth it? Oh my y...Read More

Having arrived in Wheatcroft at the Old Granary we decided that since it was Sunday we would like to get a pub carvery dinner. We talk to Martin and Amanda and they had a few suggestions. The first one we called was only serving until three thirty and it was 2:45 so they suggested the Bear Inn. Martin started to give me the directions; they were so detailed and lengthy that I decided I had better right them down. It is a very good thing I did. It was one of our real adventures; we had to go through several one lane roads, up hills so steep the wheels spun, down hills so steep it took our breath away. It took us about 45 minutes to ride less than 10 miles. Was the ride worth it? Oh my yes.

We knew as soon as we pulled into the huge parking lot that was very close to filled with capacity at 4:00pm when service ended at 5:00pm. Entrance is at the rear of the building and you walk up the hall to the front right of the building. This is where the carvery is set up. It is very popular, we made reservations, I suggest that you do the same. You will be assigned a table number. You take your seat and then you go to the bar and order your drinks. You can pay for them right away or put them on your tab. You then get in line to get your food.

The first thing you do is to choose which one of the joints you would like sliced for you. There was a large beautiful but for Al a little too well done roast beef (Paul the cook told us that the meat is rarer earlier in the day so if you want rare come at noon); a juicy pork roast, perfectly cooked lamb and turkey breast. You can have one or all and the portions are as generous as you want.

You then move on to the accoutrements. There are three types of potatoes, boiled, roasted and mashed. You will also see a pan full of Yorkshire puddings, the individual sort. There were serving dishes filled to the brim with sliced carrots and parsnips, cauliflower au gratin, stuffing and green peas. Proceed to load your plate. Next you will find the appropriate condiments. Delicious beef gravy for the roast beef, mint sauce for the lamb, cranberry sauce for the turkey and applesauce for the roast pork.

Lastly pick up your silver-wear and head back to your table to have a feast. You may return to the buffet as many times as you like. Not only was the quantity of food astounding but the quality was excellent. Everything was homemade and tasted of fresh local products. Dessert is not included but if you are so inclined there is a board by the bar listing at least ten choices among which I noticed profiteroles and ice cream.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 29, 2008

Bear Inn
Alderwasley - Belper
Derbyshire, England DE56 2RD
+44 (1629) 822585

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Cromford Mill

Attraction | "Cromford Mills"

Quote:

Richard Arkwright was born in Preston Lancashire in 1732. The son of a tailor he was undoubtedly familiar with cotton thread. At this time in England the thread was imported from Egypt or Brazil. Spinning was a cottage industry and very work intensive. There were 14 steps between raw cotton and a bobbin. The youngest members of the family were the ones who carded the cotton and it took many hours to clean and card, the older girls would spin it (thus the term spinster) the men of the house would weave the thread on the upper floor of the house. With an entrepreneurial spirit Arkwright saw an opportunity and went about finding people who could help him develop a machine to spin the thread. The machine...Read More

Richard Arkwright was born in Preston Lancashire in 1732. The son of a tailor he was undoubtedly familiar with cotton thread. At this time in England the thread was imported from Egypt or Brazil. Spinning was a cottage industry and very work intensive. There were 14 steps between raw cotton and a bobbin. The youngest members of the family were the ones who carded the cotton and it took many hours to clean and card, the older girls would spin it (thus the term spinster) the men of the house would weave the thread on the upper floor of the house. With an entrepreneurial spirit Arkwright saw an opportunity and went about finding people who could help him develop a machine to spin the thread. The machine that he patented would revolutionize the cotton spinning industry in England.

He built his mill at Cromford in Derbyshire. It was like nothing anyone had seen before in size and scope. He began using horses to power his machine but this was not efficient since every time the horses had to be changed the engines stopped. He decided that water power was the way to go. He used the Derwent River, Bonsall Brook and also water that was trapped under ground in the former lead mines in the area. This meant he had power everyday of the year. Workers worked from 6am to 7pm Monday through Saturday. They got an hour break for lunch and Christmas day off. Once a year they were checked by a doctor so for the times they were well cared for. This wasn’t altruism, a healthy worker produces more work and so is a better investment. Times were tough for the workers, the gate closed at 6am and if you were late you were allowed in at 6:15 but worked for free that day. If you opened a window in the factory you lost a week’s wages, the atmosphere would be affected by the fresh air.

We arrived at 10:45am and the next tour was scheduled for 11am. Paul Halksworth was our guide and his enthusiasm for the history of this mill and the area is contagious. You need to be able to climb stairs to take the tour; it begins on the second floor of the building. We sat while Paul gave us a wonderful explanation of the development of this process by Arkwright. He also had many detailed stories about the family. Arkwright senior was knighted and when he appeared at court inappropriately dressed, the nobs there laughed at him. After his knighting he turned to them and said I can pay the national debt three times over, can any of you say the same? The laughter stopped. At the time of his death he was the richest man in England. When his son Richard died he was the wealthiest commoner in Europe.

Entrance fee: 3pds; seniors 2.50pds. Several interesting shops, a restaurant and free parking.

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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 29, 2008

Cromford Mill

Derbyshire, England

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Masson Mills

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Rt A6Cromford, DerbyshireMasson Mills was Richard Arkwright’s ideal mill. It is built of red brick which was much more impressive. He had already made the greater part of his wealth and he wanted to show it off and still make more money of course. Today you can take another factory tour here or do what we did go shopping. Now granted I can’t tell you how good the deals are any other time but in this first full week of January there were plenty of bargains to be had. Edinburgh Woolen Mills has a large shop here. All the things they sell aren’t wool, they have cashmere as well. Now I am allergic to wool and I can’t wear cashmere either but neither of these things ...Read More

Rt A6
Cromford, Derbyshire

Masson Mills was Richard Arkwright’s ideal mill. It is built of red brick which was much more impressive. He had already made the greater part of his wealth and he wanted to show it off and still make more money of course.

Today you can take another factory tour here or do what we did go shopping. Now granted I can’t tell you how good the deals are any other time but in this first full week of January there were plenty of bargains to be had.

Edinburgh Woolen Mills has a large shop here. All the things they sell aren’t wool, they have cashmere as well. Now I am allergic to wool and I can’t wear cashmere either but neither of these things applies to Joe. He was looking for cashmere, he really wanted a red sweater with a crew neck, and unfortunately red was only vee neck. He settled for a beautiful blue sweater. In American dollars about $150, not cheap but for the quality of the garment a decent buy.

While he and Al were poking around the men’s department and trying on hats and belts I headed for the food department, big surprise there. They had an excellent collection of Walker Shortbread products as well as mince pies (left over from Christmas) and other sweet treats. They also had a wall full of jellies, jams and chutneys. There were plenty of choices with or without good scotch whiskey. Speaking of Scotch Whiskey they had a very nice liquor department including some ale.

On the lower floor there was the woman’s section of Edinburgh Mills and the shoe department. I did some serious looking but I wasn’t quite up for trying to figure out what size shoe I would wear in England, it is totally different than in the states. Mean while Al had decided he wanted to get two belts for 8pd which is a bargain on wither side of the pond. Joe also bought a Sherlock Holmes type hat which actually looked rather good on him, Al however had no luck finding a hat. Cubby decided to get some argyle socks and sweaters for her sons and then fell for a fleece vest for herself.

Least you think I bought nothing I did buy a really cute magnet for my friend Jackie.

On the upper floor there are a lot of designer clothes and actually a designer by the name of Iz, not me of course but I was almost tempted.

At the River level there are more shops and a restaurant. I was amazed to see that they sell Yankee Candles here. Good old new England ingenuity has made it to England.

The Mill has it’s own parking lot but it isn’t free, you pay when you park and if you spend a certain amount of money you get a refund on your ticket. We had an excellent time here and I would allow anywhere from an hour to two hours just for shopping.
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Willersley Castle Cromford

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Willersley Castle Photo - Derbyshire, England

Quote:

By 1782 Sir Richard Arkwright was ready to own a mansion. He chose the manor of Willersley. What he purchased for over 8,000 pounds was two or three farms and a house located at the bottom of the present driveway. He decided to build his castle at a high point on the property facing south to get the most sunlight. This area was made of limestone and in order to create a place to build his castle they had to blast the rock away.Cellars were built and it wasn’t until 1789 that construction began on the building designed by William Thomas. The design in neo-classic and two and a half stories high. The front of the house has two turrets which are as high as the house and the front has 8 bays ...Read More

By 1782 Sir Richard Arkwright was ready to own a mansion. He chose the manor of Willersley. What he purchased for over 8,000 pounds was two or three farms and a house located at the bottom of the present driveway. He decided to build his castle at a high point on the property facing south to get the most sunlight. This area was made of limestone and in order to create a place to build his castle they had to blast the rock away.

Cellars were built and it wasn’t until 1789 that construction began on the building designed by William Thomas. The design in neo-classic and two and a half stories high. The front of the house has two turrets which are as high as the house and the front has 8 bays one of which is between the upper floors. At the time it was not admired by the local nobility who thought it reflected his total lack of good taste. It seems that Sir Richard would always smell of the factory to the gentry.

Unfortunately he never got to live in the house he planned. In 1791 when he was ready to move in the house was gutted by a fire. He died in 1792 before the restoration could be completed. His son Richard however did live here with his wife and eleven children and it passed down through the Arkwright family until the 1920’s. It was sold and eventually purchased by The Christian Guild as a holiday center for young Methodists. It is a hotel with a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. You may also walk around and enjoy the beautiful features that are still visible.

We wanted to view the interior and since it was just after lunch time we stopped in to have ours. If you don’t see anything else be sure to look for the Well Gallery. Stand at the bottom of the gallery and look up to the glass domed ceiling, the balconies are built on a cantilever system and the sight of all of them spiraling above you is quite amazing.

We had our lunch in the Drawing Room which has an Adams fireplace and a French plate mirror above. It is thought that this one along with others in the house had to have been smuggled in since there was no trade with France during this period. The molding is also outstanding in this room.

You ask for the menu at the desk, pay and then sit in one of several rooms. We went to the drawing room. Your food will be brought to you.

I ordered a coronation chicken melt with chips, Al had a tuna melt and chips, Joe had a cheddar sandwich and Cubby had a tuna melt. We all had tea. The food was surprisingly good, generous portions and friendly service. It is not fancy or fussy but it is a bargain and was well worth spending an hour enjoying the atmosphere of the house.
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Derbyshire Journals

January in Derbyshire

Old Granary

Bear Inn

Cromford Mill

Masson Mills

Willersley Castle Cromford

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