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I visited Derby Museum and Art Gallery on the recommendation of a friend and it was just as good as she had suggested. Established in 1879, with the art gallery opening in 1882, it resides now in a wing of the main building that dates from 1964, but which is shared with Derby Central Library (a post on the exterior of that will follow – it really is an impressive looking building).
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On a sunny day last year we headed to Derbyshire and Hardwick Hall, a stunning Elizabethan house built by Elizabeth Shrewsbury, best known as Bess of Hardwick. Rather than explore the house on this visit we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go on some of the walks around the Estate and the gardens, which did however bring us close enough to admire the Hall.
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Recently we took a trip to Bolsover Castle, an English Heritage site in Derbyshire. (I won’t say when we went, as the time between me making these visits and being able to sit down and write about them seems to increase exponentially). We don’t visit nearly as many English Heritage sites as we do National Trust, though that’s not any kind of conscious decision.
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A few weekends ago I went to visit Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. Surrounded by a large and impressive park Calke Abbey is a stately home that the National Trust is leaving largely in the decaying state it was in when it first became a Trust property. So as well as magnificent rooms that echo the grandeur that once was, there are the rooms abandoned by the owners when the upkeep of the house just became too expensive.
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Last weekend we took a trip out to Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. Built in the 1760s it was designed by the architect Robert Adam as a showpiece palace for entertaining and to display Sir Nathaniel Curzon’s collections of paintings and sculpture.
One of the most impressive rooms is the Marble Hall – lit only from windows in the ceiling.
The architect loved Rome, which is evident throughout the room and in particular the statues lining the Hall.
Other highlights include the music room,
the drawing room,
and the saloon, which has a particularly stunning ceiling.
When balls were held there attendees could rest and watch the dances whilst sitting on settees and chairs that were curved to fit the wall.
The house also has an Eastern museum, housing many different artifacts, though it isn’t particularly organised. The highlight for me though is the peacock dress that was worn by Lady Curzon at a ball when her husband was Viceroy of India.
We also visited All Saints Church, in the grounds of the Hall, which has some very impressive stained glass windows.
The park surrounding the Hall is also well worth an explore, though it was too hot that day for us to fully take advantage of the walks available. We had no trouble spotting the wildlife though – sheep everywhere!
I’d definitely recommend it for an enjoyable day out – the cream tea’s in the restaurant are excellent too!
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Yesterday I was out and about in Derbyshire, visiting two different mills. The first was Masson Mills, a working textile museum, on the banks of the River Derwent. Built in 1783 it is one of Sir Richard Arkwright’s mills and was in continuous production until 1991.
The second was Caudwell’s Mill in Rowsley. Built in 1874 it is a working example of an early water turbine-driven roller mill. Much of the machinery inside dates from the turn of the century and represents the most advanced technology of the time.
Louise Jayne's Blog 
