Month: April 2022

What’s going on at Wingfield?

On By SteveIn Places2 Comments
The window of the Great Hall

The ruins of Wingfield Manor are an impressive sight, on a hill overlooking the River Amber and above the village of South Wingfield. The manor was only a mile west of the old Roman road known as Ryknield Street, from Derby to Chesterfield and Sheffield, still a major route but now the A61. This road would have been convenient for the second owners of the Manor, the Talbot family, Earls of Shrewsbury, who also owned Sheffield Castle and Sheffield Manor.

The buildings were deliberately ruined during the Civil War to prevent their use by Royalist forces, after a Parliamentary siege in 1644. Since the eighteenth century the structure has been effectively abandoned, although substantial ruins have survived. The most famous occupant was Mary Queen of Scots, imprisoned here for some years from 1569, in the care of the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife, Bess of Hardwick.

Mary Queen of Scots – all dressed up and nowhere to go

Clearly such an extensive ruin with famous associations should attract flocks of visitors. The Manor is in the ‘care’ of English Heritage (“unlimited access to hundreds of historic places” – website) but is firmly shut up, as it has been for several years. Their web page says:  ‘currently closed for the safety of visitors, and no public access is allowed’.  A meaningless statement that explains nothing.

Over a hundred years ago no such restrictions applied. DH Lawrence paid a visit at Easter 1905 with a group of friends, a visit which he fictionalised in his novel Sons and Lovers:

‘The young folk were in raptures. They went in trepidation, almost afraid that the delight of exploring this ruin might be denied them’.

Back entrance to the Manor

However, despite the best efforts of English Heritage, it is possible to get a good view of some parts of the ruin by following the public footpath around the back. Starting from the village and heading south, follow the track downhill, beside the garden wall of Wingfield Hall. Cross the stream at the bottom and bear right uphill. The ruins of the Manor can be clearly seen on the right.

Surprising Bradbourne

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All Saints churchyard with cross

Halfway between Brassington and Tissington is the small village of Bradbourne, with a population of just over a hundred. Yet the substantial church was once part of a priory, and was the centre of a network of local chapelries. The church tower, complete with elaborately carved doorway, is Romanesque. while in the churchyard is a rare Saxon cross from about 800, showing a crucifixion scene. Why would such a small settlement have such rich monuments?

Crosses of this date are quite rare in Derbyshire: Bakewell and Eyam have good examples. Clearly older than the church itself, they may have signalled the conversion of the area to Christianity, and formed a base for preaching before the church was built. It is possible that such crosses were more common, but many may have been destroyed during iconoclastic periods such as the Reformation. Wirksworth, only a few miles away, would probably be the local minster church.

Doorway to tower with a variety of carved creatures

There is little sign that Bradbourne was ever on a major route. According to the parish council website, the north eastern parish boundary was the course of the Roman road from Little Chester to Buxton, but no source is given for this claim. However, this is now good walking country; the Limestone Way runs about a mile to the north, and to the south Haven Hill (partly access land) offers a convenient circular walk.