Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/762

This page needs to be proofread.
752

HUE. and i .(list strom- ted the kin::':- army ill Swnrkest, ,no |!i-idi.'o. In 1643 ho reduced I which was commanded by tlu.' Karl of Newo-i-:!. . 'I In; royalists atti iwaids northern l> i unty. Ill 1644 a battle was fought silleuth. In his n into Yoil j , the kins? f^iiin J .sonic advantages over Sir John Gcll. The northern part ot i . which is calledthe Peak, is very elevated ; the southern part is in general flat. Tin scenery of the Peak, consisting of elevated moorlands, intersected by deep, well-wooded valleys, is very raried and beautiful. The principal heights of this district arc Blakelow Stones, 1,80(1 )i-et high ; Kindcrscout, nearly as high ; Axe Edge, at the head of the Dove, 1,758 feet high ; Lord's Seat and Slam Tor, 1,751 feet. These hills are mostly bleak and barren, affording scanty pasture to large numbers of sheep. A lateral ridge runs between the basins of the Dovo and the Derwent. A branch of the Pennine range, which leaves the main ridge in Yorkshire and runs along the boun- dary of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, crosses Derbyshire in a south-easterly direction, and forms the eastern boun- dary of the basin of the Derwent. Of this range the principal elevations are Oxstones, 1,377 feet high, and Aport or Orpit Hill, 980 feet. The principal rivers of Derbyshire are the Trent, Derwent, Dove, Erewash, Mease, Goyt, Sin at', and Rother. The Ti.nt. flowing N. for 10 miles, along the border of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, enters the former county below Burton, runs E. for 11 miles through Derbyshire, then flows N.E. for 10 miles, along the borders of Derb} Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, till it join Erewash, when it leaves Derbyshire altogether. The length of its course along and within the border of Derbyshire is 31 miles. About three-fourths of the entire county are drained by the Trent. The Trent is navi- gable as far as Burton : since 1805, however, by agree- ment with the Trent and Mersey Canal Company, the Trent has not been used for purposes of navigation above its junction with the Derwent. The Denvent rises on the borders of Derbyshire and Yorkshire, flows 8. through Chatsworth Park, by Matlock, Cromford, Belpcr, and Derby, then E. into the Trent. Its prin- cipal tributaries are the Westend river, Ashop, Noe, Wye (which rises near Axe Edge and flows S.K. by Bakewell), Ambergate, and Ecclcsburn : its entire course is about 60 miles. The scenery of the Derwent is in many parts remarkably beautiful. This river was some years ago made navigable as far as Derby, but has since been superseded by the Derby canal. The Dove rises on the slope of Axe Edge, flows S. by Longnor and Ashboume into the Trent below Burton. It forms the boundary between Derbyshire and Stafford- shire. Its chief tributaries are the Manifold and Churnet from Staffordshire : its course is about 45 miles. The scenery of the valley of the Dove, especially ol'th called "Dovo Dale," is unsurpassed by that ot any other English river. Its waters are r of a bluish tint. In spring the Dove frequently flows its banks. The Erewash rises in Nottingham enters Derbyshire 3 miles from its source, ami !' into the Trent: its course is about 20 n Mease rises in Leicestershire, and flows into ita course is about 20 miles. The Govt rises near Axe Edge, flows N.W. till it joins the Ktherow; the united streams then flow S.W. into tin .ort. The |;,, tin i riaee : m-th Park, ill, then I!.-- I N.E till il Yorkshire. in I >. 1 1 ;. -hire and joins the Dovo at Sheffield. J> is well sii]>]>lieil with canals. Tho Trent and Money canal at Wilden Fern-, iiml runs through Derbyshire, Staf- fordshire, anil Cheshire: its length i The 1'er! Mieets Derby with tie lirand Trunk ish canals. The Erewash canal eomn in the Ti. nt, inns along the vail' i ..-wash, and the Cii.ml"id canal. The Cromford ' ' T.I! 11111^ |i.i-t I '..dil'ir, V. ; a a branch to Pinxton, airing the valley of the In i , ent to Cromford Bridge. The Nutbrook canal is

i'H ot ti
ial, commencing near

Shipli lollows the valley ol' the li'i'thi-r, at. Trent i i nsborough : its h n-^tli is i only of which are in J>-rK in N T ottin-.-' the hilly character i.| 1 )erb ~hi: . it i^ in' several important lines of railway. The Jl way connects Derby with ' and tin i from which line a branch, passing through most bta- scenery in the valley ot VM , was ojn : 1863. Tho Binn rby Junction runs in i south-western direction from Derby to Egginton, when it quits the county ; tin Midland by one secti< Derby with Burton, and by another with Loughbi r, ami Iviit'l.y : tin- North Staffordshire li nccts Derby with .V i. and has u i bourne. Mention ought also to be made of th und High Peak railway, which although only iut< for the conveyance of minerals and inenliainl interesting as having been commenced as ; 1825, and opened for traffic in 1830, rising upw 990 feet in :i:t miles. It was worked b> and horses, but is now superseded by the Buxti The climate ot m varies accordini elevation of the land: in the N., where it is 1 annual rainfall is very large; in the lov about the same as in the surrounding com soil of the mountainous parts is barren, whi the lowlands is highly productive Derby! S. of Ashboume, Duffield, and Sandiacn , !- New Red sandstone or red marl formation. In the 1 sandstone near Darley Abbey, gvpsum is qi. used by the potters of Staffordshire for mould*, The new magnesian or conglomerate limesto; the eastern part of the county. Underiyinp sian limestone are the coal measures. TI. coal-mining districts are about Chester: between Ashbourno and Derby. There arc also wot coal-mines at Ashby-de-la-Xouch, on t I Leicestershire. In the coal district, ii Carboniferous limestone occupies tin county, and is quarried as marble. In this fa china-stone and fluor-s]>ar are found. Where t boniferouB limestone crops out ate t' from which about 4,600 tons of le.nl yearly. Millstone grit occupies a i Helper, and Wirksworth, anil c xti-nds to th border. There are numerous limestone Derbyshire, the most remarkable being cavern ng; Eldon Hole, 180 near Castleton ; and the Bagshaw Grottoes, ! long, (" There HIV Buxton, and ; Mb. re tin ! bath. Agric i th, is backward. A litrge p nf the land is in pasture. along 1 1 : aluni; that of 1 where great qu made. ii-ton bn:< ;ii i) are Li-.iv. n on tin oata on the poorer land, i w hen the wheat was thin in the spring to so II ; the produce of this mixture " blend," mid ground to meal, of which the poore is now sown inate s are grown in largo quai ' eds ; the In-aviest kr on the licii pasturi similar to the, Cheviot : in ti s. mill Down and Leicester are most esteei byshire has im vuiy laive woods. Coppices and ] r the mine?, rous. The jirinoipal manutactuns oi k, and lace. Derby is the chid >ae. The i ". " 1 -' 1 ', r , 1 i by the lessees.