Heritage News Issue 26 - South Derbyshire District Council
Transcription
Heritage News Issue 26 - South Derbyshire District Council
SOUTH DERBYSHIRE HERITAGE NEWS A newsletter of South Derbyshire District Council, Sharpe’s Pottery & Swadlincote T.I.C. Issue 26 TRAVEL PIONEER: February 2008 Melbourne honours Thomas Cook Quick Close, Melbourne, had never seen a crowd like it. On September 8th, the cast bronze plaque commemorating the birthplace of Thomas Cook, Travel Pioneer, was at last unveiled by Kate Adie OBE, who has relatives in Melbourne. She was joined by Mr. Tom Cook of Gateley, Norfolk, a direct descendant of Thomas Cook, and both of them gave short addresses to the large audience. As if to honour the occasion, a Thomas Cook plane flew overhead from East Midlands Airport while the speeches were in progress. The unveiling event was complemented by a display on the site in a small marquee, exploring the background of Thomas Cook’s life in Melbourne and an outline of his life story. After the unveiling there was a private reception for invited guests at the Thomas Cook Memorial Cottages, followed by a evening talk in the church by Kate on her life and times. The church was full, and all the copies of Kate’s three books provided for the evening by Waterstones were signed and sold. A trail produced for the event, called “In the Footsteps of Thomas Cook”, takes visitors around the west end of Melbourne describing the features that would have been familiar to Cook, and giving an insight into his life at Melbourne. Copies are available from the editor priced 80p including postage (see panel on back page for • Kate Adie at Melbourne, 8th September 2007. contact details). “WINTER WARMER” LECTURE LUNCHES 2008 During February and March this coming winter, Sharpe’s Pottery Museum is hosting a selection of five lecture lunches to brighten those damp, dark days. A fascinating series of talks is on offer, followed by a hearty winter lunch of homemade soup, filled baguette and a hot pudding with optional custard, followed by tea and coffee. Each lecture starts at 11am. • As with previous lectures, which hitherto have been evening events, the overarching theme is heritage, but the subjects are diverse and we hope they will appeal to a wide audience. Details are set out in the ‘forthcoming events’ section of this newsletter. Those of you with a person-centred interest in history might like to hear about the fourtimes-married Bess of Hardwick, spitting, snuffing or hairdressing. Others might be more drawn to pottery heritage, represented by talks on ceramic tile history and local pottery. Snuff taking, a cartoon by James Gillray - just one of the historic practices you can learn about at the At £9.95 including lunch, we hope that this new venture will appeal to our readers, and we look forward to welcoming visitors from among you. To book your place call Sharpe’s Sharpe’s Pottery lecture lunches! Pottery Museum on 01283 222600. Price for lectures only, £5. Heritage News - 1 HRH THE DUKE OF KENT PAYS A VISIT At Halloween, most historic visitor attractions were resurrecting their resident ghosts and preparing for an onslaught of little witches, wizards, ghouls and gremlins. Staff and volunteers at Sharpe’s, in contrast, were preparing to welcome a visitor of an altogether different kind to the former toilet factory. Curator Emma Ward explains: On 31st October we were privileged to welcome HRH The Duke of Kent to our museum. His Royal Highness met a diverse range of South Derbyshire people that have played a significant role in the history of the Sharpe’s Pottery Museum and who continue to work towards its developing future. He showed great interest in the importance of Victorian potteries like Sharpe Bros. in the development of improved sanitation and public health, not to mention World Trade. HRH was shown the historic Bottle Kiln at the heart of the museum, where some idea of the working conditions within the Victorian Pot Banks can still be appreciated. • Belmont Primary School children return to the Victorian Age. The Duke was also able to see the pilot of our new education day “The Victorian Potter”. Class 4s/c from Belmont Primary School acted as our guinea pigs. The day is a mix of recreated history, craft and handling sessions designed to utilise all of the children’s senses and encourage learning through tasks that are crosscurricular and linked to the children’s personal heritage. This full day programme has been made possible by an MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives) East Midlands Strategic Commissioning grant that provides money to a variety of small independent museums. The grants enable small museums to develop accessible and enjoyable education activities. Most importantly the programme also provides support from an MLA education worker and funding to pay for a teacher placement) to help develop and deliver the resulting activities. When they arrived each child was assigned to a group based on a real job carried out in a Victorian pottery like Sharpe’s: saggar maker’s bottom knockers, clay blungers, jigger turners and mould runners. Each child was issued their uniform of a flat cap and apron and signed a contract, based on an original Sharpe’s employment contract of 1866, at the beginning of their day. A group photo was taken at the end of the day as a memento, which parents could buy. The day was a great success thanks to the hard work of Lucy Charlton form Belmont School, Becky Hudson from MLA and our own volunteers Sheila Cato, Catherine Roth, Monica Hudson and Gillian Swindell. After this successful start, with a royal mark of approval, the programme will be offered to all local primary schools in 2008. ETWALL AND BURNASTON: Roger Dalton reflects on a three-year heritage project newly completed. During the summer of 2007 the Etwall and Burnaston Local History Society completed its three-year investigation of aspects of local heritage, funded through the Local Heritage Initiative. The “Etwall and Burnaston Project” aimed to raise awareness of heritage within the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Etwall which comprises Etwall, Burnaston and Bearwardcote. Etwall and Burnaston have undergone profound change since the mid twentieth century through housing developments and consequent population expansion. Etwall parish currently has a population of about 2,500 and historic Burnaston perhaps about 350. However, Burnaston parish also includes Mickleover Park at the site of the former Pastures Hospital, taking the overall population of Burnaston to about 1,100. Our area is therefore a large one with a diverse history. The Society’s objectives were focused by the Local Heritage Initiative’s expectation of well-defined outcomes. The outcomes have been fourfold and reflect both the tangible and less tangible aspects of heritage. Firstly, an oral history record has been compiled which has involved interviewing some forty members of the local communities. Secondly, an archive of changes in the twentieth century has been assembled including a large photograph collection. Thirdly, three leaflets have been published as trails or guides to key elements of local heritage as revealed in village and farmscape. Finally, displays of material gathered have been mounted at various events, most notably at the Etwall Well Dressing Festival. One of the leaflets was devised in collaboration with Etwall Primary School where, although the basic concern has been to guide children around the village, the key idea was to help them make an imaginative leap back one hundred years so that they could envisage what they might have experienced on a village walk around 1900. We also investigated the history of the people remembered on the War Memorial in the church grounds in Etwall where 25 names are listed, 19 from the First World War and 6 from the Second. The circumstances surrounding the death of each named person were researched and a wide range of resources were consulted. These included Commonwealth War Graves and regimental web sites, regimental museums, census returns and electoral registers and local newspapers. Members of the families concerned provided photographs and other material. As a result a local Book of Remembrance has been compiled. Where do we go next? Among the possibilities is the making of a diary or log of major and minor changes in our area which, if retrospective, will provide a definitive record of what happened when. The Project we have just completed already has the potential to be as much a beginning for new work than simply an end in itself! Heritage News - 2 HARTSHORNE UPPER HALL The Upper Hall at Hartshorne, with its eyecatching timber framing, is a landmark of the district, prominently sited at a sharp bend on the A514. It is also one of the handful of buildings that give Hartshorne’s “upper town” a distinct character. It has long since been concluded through documentary research that this building was Mr. Benskin’s “new house”, referred to as such in 1629 when 8 shillings church rate was paid for it. But was the house all built at once, and could we be sure that it was the same house referred to in the 1629 document? An interesting feature of the house is the fact that the timber frames of its various components are structurally independent and not jointed into each other. In this regard it differs from Wakelyn Hall at Hilton where the frames of all three sections of the house are joined together in a piece. Did this suggest that the different sections of the Hartshorne house were of different dates, or did it simply reflect the method and practice of the carpenter that built it? The Heywood family of Broadstone near Ticknall, carpenters and joiners, were possibly the carpenters involved, as one of their number (Edward Heywood) made some fittings for Hartshorne church in 1634-5, including a font cover and communion rail. In the absence of hard evidence this is pure guesswork, and the identity of the builders of the Upper Hall will probably never be proven. • In an attempt to answer these questions, the house has recently been the subject of a tree-ring dating exercise by the Nottingham Tree Ring Dating Laboratory. Sapwood was incomplete, so a precise felling date could not be established, but measurement of 16 samples produced a consistent range of rings dating from 1448 to1611. Careful consideration of the results by Alison Arnold and Robert Howard of the Tree Ring Laboratory led them to conclude that the main range of the house was constructed of timber felled between 1618 and 1622, with the two storey front porch added almost immediately, if not at the same time. The outshot at the north end, sheltering the ovens, is possibly a year or two later. It is very unlikely that any part of building is later than 1630. Hartshorne Upper Hall from the churchyard. Unfortunately it was not possible to take samples from the cross wing at the south end, which contained the parlours of the house and is now in separate occupation. However, given that it shares the same chimneystack as the main range of the house, it appears likely that the whole building is of a single date. It remains remarkably unchanged, having being “saved” from later improvement and rebuilding by adaptation as a tenanted property, in multiple occupation for many years. There have been some minor alterations, additions and areas of rebuilding, but in its essentials the house remains intact. URNING A PLACE IN HISTORY The collection of items on loan to Sharpe’s Pottery includes two, very large, Victorian saltglazed garden urns made at the James Woodward site, now occupied by the Morrisons Supermarket. They are said to have beenmade for the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851, although no confirmation of this has yet been found. Until recently, the urns stood on a garden terrace at the Dower House in Bretby Park and they have been loaned to Sharpe’s by kind courtesy of Mr. Richard Perkins. They are a fine example of salt-glazing being used decoratively, in contrast to its normal use hereabouts in the production of indestructible sewage pipes! Display space at the museum is short, and at first there was nowhere to display the urns. Now, thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of the Volunteers for Sharpe’s Pottery led by David Ash, the two urns are on show in the main stairwell. The volunteers successfully raised the £1,250 required for the project, including barrier wires, display accessories and lighting. The urns are accompanied by photographs also loaned by Mr. Perkins, who attended a special opening event. Heritage News - 3 WHAT’S WHA T’S IN A NAME? MERE POND, CALKE PARK. The chain of ponds in Calke Park is well-known, and in most cases past research has thrown light on their dates of origin and the meaning behind their names. Curiously, the name of the latest of them all, Mere Pond, is the hardest to explain. Created by the reclusive Sir Henry Harpur in the opening years of the 19th century, it finally linked the upper and lower ponds in a continuous chain. It appears that a “coup de theatre” was to have been provided by a bridge across Mere Pond with a single arch spanning 119 feet, but the bridge either failed or was short-lived. Nonetheless, it illustrates that in some respects Sir Henry was ambitious and fashionable, despite his reclusivity. Why “Mere Pond”? A mere can be another name for a pond, but a mere is usually quite broad in relation to its length. This is certainly not the case at Calke, where Mere Pond is perhaps the most canal-like piece of water of them all. Furthermore, “mere” is no more descriptive than “pond”, so the name would be superfluous. • north bank of Mere Pond. Directly in front of it are the remains of a boathouse and fishing temple, shown complete in a Victorian photograph and labelled “Piscatoribus Sacrum” on an old plan. Other local fishing temples bearing the same inscription survive at Calwich (Staffs.), Cromford and Beresford Dale. Next to the remains at Calke is a large piece of fallen stone, apparently part of a column (but cylindrical, not square), next to the rotting remains of a long-fallen yew. A mere can of course be a boundary or boundary marker. Sometimes such markers might be low stones, more or less regular (“merestones”), and sometimes they might take the form of a cross or pillar. It seems quite likely that the pillar described in 1882 was such a marker, as it is difficult to imagine what other purpose it could have served. It would need to be high to be visible above the bracken or other undergrowth. We know from documentary evidence that jurisdiction over the wooded pastureland along the northern side of the chain of ponds (including tracts of land formerly known “Castle Close” and “Bowley Wood”) was sometimes challenged. The presence of former boundary markers in the vicinity is also known, and there are indeed still some unrelated Victorian examples engraved “L.M.” (Lord Melbourne) along the former The ponds in Calke Park, from the Ordnance Survey 1901 edition. The editor was recently re-reading an account of the gardens and park at Calke in the “Derby Mercury” of July 12th 1882, and was reminded of the following passage: “Passing through the charming scenery of the park, we enter a beautiful glen in which is an ancient monk’s cave, surrounded by some very old, small-leaved golden yews. A remarkable example is here seen of the great strength and grasping power of the roots of the yew tree. A stone pillar, 9ft. high and one ft. square, has the lower end embedded in, and firmly held, “as in a vice”, by the roots of the yew tree – the roots encircling the pillar for about 18 inches up, and holding it securely in an oblique position.” The “ancient monk’s cave” is probably a little brickvaulted cell, early 19th century in its current form, that still survives on the boundary between Derby Hills and Ticknall. In the early 17th century there was a boundary marker called the “Judge’s Cross” somewhere in this area (which could conceivably be the marker at Mere Pond), and it was possibly another such cross that gave its name to Shinglecross Close, also in the vicinity of Calke Park and recorded back into the mediaeval period. For the time being, this suggestion for the origin of the name “Mere Pond” remains hypothetical. Are these crosses or meerstones usually plain, or could retrieval and archaeological assessment of the fallen column provide further clues? Does anyone have any knowledge of ancient meerstones and crosses, and distinctive features (if any) of them? Heritage News - 4 MEDIEVAL PARKS IN SOUTH DERBYSHIRE. Sue Woore and Mary Wiltshire, with others, recently published a history of the medieval forest known as Duffield Frith, including its eight hunting parks. With their appetitites whetted and a wealth of background knowledge under their belts, Sue and Mary were inspired to research mediaeval parks elsewhere in Derbyshire, including those of South Derbyshire. The editor invited them to tell us more… We were convinced that the list of around 94 parks, published as an appendix in Gladwin Turbutt’s “A History of Derbyshire” (1999) was not exhaustive and that there were in all probability many more as yet unrecorded. Using Kenneth Cameron’s “Place Names of Derbyshire” as a starting point, we recorded anything indicative of parkland, e.g. words such as park, parroc, pale, lawn, wood, hay, cockshut, coneygree, references to deer, etc., and then followed up all the references to compile a list of possible parks. At the moment the probable total stands at well over 120 and we are in the process of field walking every one to find evidence on the ground.” It must be said that the parks in Duffield Frith all started life as deer parks and retained deer at least until the late 15th century, some until the early 17th . Even then, these parks were multifunctional, each developing a different emphasis and having an economic as well as a recreational purpose. We are finding that parks elsewhere in Derbyshire had many other different reasons for their existence, or changed direction over time; parks sometimes developed from early ‘hays’ or enclosures, sometimes from woodland: conversely parks occasionally reverted back to woodland. Fashions changed the emphasis from the hunting of deer to the protection of valuable timber: sometimes the enclosure of demesne land to protect assets was the reason behind emparkment at the outset, and deer were never part of the equation. South Derbyshire was initially somewhat outside our familiar territory, but having spent most of 2007 ‘down south’ with maps, macs, wellies and fortifying picnics, we are getting a feel for the landscape. It is known from the ‘Quo Warranto’ (i.e. ‘what right’) of 1330, when people staked their claims to holdings by stating ‘by what right’ they held their property, that John de Shepey de Smethesby, (Smisby), had held a park there from ‘time immemorial’. Boundary changes and detached portions of parishes have made the indentification of this park on the ground difficult, as there is no continuation in written records over time. Happily in Melbourne there is a wealth of evidence in the muniments at Melbourne Hall proving the existence of a park from 1200 to the 17th century and beyond. Moreover the imprint of this park is wonderfully preserved today. A remnant broad earthen bank marks the line of the park pale, which was originally topped with closely driven wooden stakes or similar, and can still be traced around much of the perimeter of the park. This, together with an internal ditch would provide a formidable deer- • The impressive earthwork ditch and bank of Coton Park, by Potter’s Wood. proof barrier. A similar impressive remnant pale can be seen at Coton Park where a bank snakes down the western side of Potters Wood (SK 272146) flanked by a right of way, following a familiar pattern observed elsewhere. Coton Park and Potters Wood are drawn in detail on the wonderful 17th century map held at the Derbyshire Record Office,(D77/46/1), showing the route of the ‘procession waye’ through six parishes. The settlements of Lullington, Rosliston, Overseal, Netherseal, Clifton Campville and Linton, with their houses and churches bounded by gated enclosures standing like islands within open ground, give a vivid picture of the landscape. Old maps and documents crop up in a variety of places and help to piece together a fascinating jigsaw of information. Field work is rewarding in both consolidating and proving some of these facts, predicting emerging theories and always throwing something totally unexpected into the melting pot. We are currently working our way in a general anti-clockwise direction around Derbyshire, having ‘peaked’ just south of Sheffield and so are now on the downhill slope. THE SHRUBBERY, STANTON. Further to the piece in the last issue of “Heritage News”, English Heritage has advised the District Council that the Shrubbery was made a listed building on 6th December, 2007, in Grade II. The listings inspector commented that “The grouping and detailing of the component elements of the building group to resemble a miniature Palladian ensemble is an unusual and rare manifestation of display architecture of the period”. The property is now being sold, so a brighter future appears to be in prospect for it. Heritage News - 5 WISE MEN? THE THREE SHEPPERDS. Good quality church architecture from the 17th century is rare in our region. Morale in the Church of England was low, and Nonconformity was in the ascendance, its attendant buildings being usually of a domestic character. Many churches had suffered damage as a result of the Reformation in the 16th century, including whiting over of wall paintings and damage to ‘idolatrous’ statuary and glass. Moreover the monastic houses, to which many churches had been appropriated, were dissolved and the financial support for the churches in their care was therefore discontinued. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that 17th century work in churches more often consists of fixtures and fittings such as pulpits, pews, bells or monuments than substantial structural fabric. At Foremark, the little Grade I listed church of St. Saviour is a rare and complete church of the period, consecrated in 1662 to replace earlier chapels at both at Foremark and Ingleby. It is in a simple gothic style, although classical influences can be seen in some of the mouldings and in the symmetrical north and south elevations of the body of the church. This article seeks to demonstrate that its architect and builder was almost certainly Richard Shepperd, the same stonemason that built the beautiful church at Staunton Harold (Leicestershire) between 1653 and 1662. To make sure that posterity knew his name, he carved the inscription “Richard Shepheard Artifex “ (artifex = author, artisan, artist, maker) into the back of a parapet wall there. Who was this Richard Shepheard? Unfortunately, his identity is not entirely clear. The extensive list of local wills kept at Lichfield helpfully includes that of Richard Shepperd, stonemason, who died at Ingleby in 1673. But therein lies an example of the wariness that researchers should always exercise: another Richard Shepperd died at Hartshorne nearby, also in 1673, and he was a stonemason as well. Which did what? Building clearly ran in the family’s blood. Thomas Sheppard of Hartshorne, freemason, is mentioned in 1668, and yet another Richard Sheppard, this time of Milton, mason, is mentioned in 1676. Richard Shepperd was also the name of the mason who built a bowl alley house at Swarkestone in 1632, which is probably the twin-towered “pavilion” still to be seen there. He appears again in the accounts for rebuilding part of Melbourne Hall 1629-31, and it was one of his team, William Bolton, that raised one of the aisles on Melbourne church in 1638-9. So South Derbyshire had at least three separate masons called Richard Shepperd, and possibly more. Over at Melbourne, the various alterations to the original Norman fabric have hitherto been thought to have taken place over hundreds of years, on stylistic grounds. Recent research, however, is revealing that almost all of the significant changes took place within a few decades between the 1630s and 1680s. Work had become urgently necessary, as by 1630 the church was said to be great decay and ruin. In 2007, tree-ring dating showed that the chancel roof at Melbourne, which looks 16th century, in fact dates only from about 167090. The roof appears to be contemporary with the reduction in height and squaring off of the east end of the church. • A little beauty! Foremark’s small but perfectly formed church of 1662. Again the vocabulary of the stonework mouldings suggests a piece of work by Richard Shepperd. The junction with the original Norman work is undeniably clumsy and untidy, but the work itself is competent and neatly detailed. The parapet copings, window jambs and mullions appear identical to those at Foremark, with the jamb mouldings similarly well hollowed out and concave in profile. The cornice beneath the parapet is like those of both Foremark and Staunton, and the buttress offsets are like those at Staunton. The work at all three places, and at Swarkestone pavilion, suggests a skilled and artistic hand, and in the mid 17th century it was still usual for master masons to design the buildings that they constructed. The east end of Melbourne Church therefore groups with Foremark and Staunton to start a new little corpus of late gothic church work in our area, and raises the question of whether there are other local examples, currently dated too early, which truly belong on the same short list. Can any reader think of other possible candidates? Gothic never completely died out as an English style before its 18th century revival, but by the 1660s it had ceased to be fashionable except as a political statement. It harked back to the architecture of High Church, pre-Reformation England, and was therefore used by the Royalist Sir Robert Shirley at Staunton Harold as a silent protest against the Puritanical, anti-Royalist climate of England in the 1650s. Whether such sentiments can be read into the work at Foremark and Melbourne, both postdating the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, is another matter. Heritage News - 6 Information Centre has now been accredited with Visit Britain Official Partner status; this means that it has been recognised as among the very best in England and we now join a partnership that aims to promote excellence and world class service. We also • Helen (left), with colleagues Julia and Kathy from other TICs have a new in the National Forest, at the National Forest Wood Fair, exciting addition to August 2007. the Tourist Information Centre for all to enjoy in the form of a see different places, so why not book a place on a coach day trip? If you haven’t already visited rolling slide show of images of both well-known us then please come and see what we have to favourites and hidden gems within the Peak offer. District and Derbyshire. We are keen to extend the already comprehensive range of services Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre at available to visitors and local people alike. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote is open Monday to Saturday 10am We can take the hassle out of finding that perfect until 4.30pm. Tel. 01283 222848. e-mail: accommodation and book it for you. If you are looking for that special gift for a loved one abroad [email protected] to remind them of home then pop in to see our range of souvenirs. Maybe you would prefer to travel further afield to find that perfect gift and HELEN AT THE HELM Helen Roth took up her post as Visitor Manager at the Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre back in May. “Heritage News” invited her to say a few words about herself: Although a Burtonian, I grew up with a wonderful view overlooking South Derbyshire’s hills and have been enjoying its scenery for many years. My association with South Derbyshire has more recently involved promotion of the ever-growing tourism destination of the National Forest through working in my previous positions at Burton upon Trent and Lichfield Tourist Information Centres and volunteering at Derby Tourist Information Centre. I have, many a time, ended up sending visitors in this direction to visit the wonderful variety of attractions that South Derbyshire has to offer at the heart of the National Forest. I am also no stranger to museums, having volunteered at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, where I made use of my Geology degree by applying it to the wonderful scenery of Derbyshire. It is a pleasure to finally be working within such a beautiful location. How time has flown since I started here in May and already so much has happened! The Tourist M KEVIN’S WOMEN living and historical. I’m having a lovely time working on it although, in truth, it is at times very emotional. It’s not the first time I’ve worked on a project for women. My drama serial, “The Furys” (adapted from the novels by James Hanley), was commissioned for BBC Radio 4’s “Woman’s Hour” as their daily drama serial for 3 weeks and starred Oscar winner Brenda Fricker. Acclaimed poet and playwright Kevin Fegan has been commissioned to produce a book for community arts organisation “People Express”, celebrating the women of South Derbyshire. The book is not due to appear in print until September 2008, but in the meantime Kevin was invited by Heritage News to tell us more: I am interviewing women of all ages and from different backgrounds in my search for interesting characters. Unlike similar books I’ve written previously, this one is not a commission for me to write their life stories, but for me to help people find ways to tell their own. I’m looking for personalities, not just women who have done extraordinary things, but also ordinary women who are the unsung heroines of the region. I believe that everyone has stories to tell and the extraordinary is often hidden in the ordinariness of people’s lives. For example, one lady told me about a baby she looked after during the war, until he was five years old, and then she had to give him back. She still thinks about him all the time. • Min Larbey paints silk at a People Express “Celebrating Women” event at Following the interviews, some individuals are writing their own stories while others work with me to put them down on paper. Each piece is quite short, so it’s not an attempt to tell someone’s entire life story, but to try and capture the essence of their character. I want it to be the sort of book that both women and men will enjoy dipping into and experiencing a window onto many other lives. Some lives will be similar to their own, others radically different. I am working with several local volunteers who are helping me identify individuals, both Heritage News - 7 I’ve worked professionally as a writer for the last twenty years. I’ve written over forty plays for the theatre and several plays for BBC Radio 4. I’ve also published seven collections of poetry and edited several anthologies nationwide. And I’ve worked as a storyline writer for Granada TV’s “Coronation Street”. I was born in Shirebrook in North Derbyshire so I have an affinity with this region. If you have a story to tell or want to nominate an interesting character in your area, then please write to me at People Express, Sharpe’s Pottery, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 9DG or e-mail me directly at [email protected]. The invitation is open to women of all ages who live, work or were born in South Derbyshire. UPSIDE DOWN ARCHES – AGAIN. Upside down arches have been discussed in previous issues of Heritage News. At the risk of overkill on the subject, the following is a last word on the matter by courtesy of Keith Reedman. Keith came up trumps with the following clear and simple extract from “Rivington’s Notes on Building Construction Part 1" (1915) page 129, which appears to tell us all we need to know. The purpose of the arches is to spread the weight of a building as evenly as possible over the foundations, to lessen the risk of compressing the ground underneath heavily loaded areas: “Inverted Arches – Where the natural foundation is of a compressible nature, inverted arches are used for the purpose of uniformly distributing over the foundations the concentrated weights imposed by heavily loaded piers, as shown in figure 186. Inverted arches should have good abutments on each side, otherwise they are liable to thrust out the weaker portions of walling, as shown in dotted lines”. AN APPEAL Sharpe’s is fortunate to have a band of dedicated and loyal supporters who make return visits to enjoy the shop and café, visit the “Magic Attic” and soak up the ambiance of the building and its exhibits. It is heartening to observe that some of these people are not from the immediate locality, and make a point of visiting while in the area. Some repeat visitors come on the recommendation of friends and are clearly pleased to have made the “discovery”. Sharpe’s is appreciative of all its visitors, but if you are one of these key people, then we need more of you! Sharpe’s is generously supported by the District Council, but it is vital to appreciate that this support only partly cushions Sharpe’s from the commercial pressures of the world. The Trust is an independent organisation and its Board (including the District Council representatives) are all volunteers. It is expected that Sharpe’s should and will strive to be financially sustainable, and minimise the amount of subsidies required to maintain it. This is a tall order for any small museum, and one of the ways to achieve it is to continually retune ourselves to our public. For instance, evening events at Sharpe’s have usually been enthusiastically received by their audiences, but those audiences have often been too small. We need to understand why. Is it the product that’s missing the target, or the publicity? What sources of information do you turn to when you want to find out “what’s on” in your area? Or do you find out just casually? Do you take much notice of posters? If you’re a regular supporter of Sharpe’s and live beyond the Swadlincote area, where do you come from? Does Sharpe’s publicise itself in your area? What sort of events and activities would you like to see provided at Sharpe’s? Could Sharpe’s provide activities that are inadequately catered for elsewhere? What’s your idea of a good evening out? Would Sharpe’s be a suitable venue for it? What aspect of local heritage or the modern environment most intrigues you? Can you think of friends and relations that would appreciate being told about Sharpe’s? We appreciate that questions like these are easy to ask and sometimes less easy to answer, but we would really like to hear from you and all suggestions will be carefully considered. Although Sharpe’s is a museum, all community uses can validly be considered. We are not going to invite you to fill in a questionnaire, but Emma Ward will gratefully receive your comments either in writing, by email, or just in an informal telephone call. Emma’s contact details are at the end of the newsletter. If you can take a minute or two to make contact and help direct Sharpe’s future development, it will not be time wasted. E-MAIL OR SNAIL MAIL? Where possible, we would like both to cut down costs and be more “green” in the production of “Heritage News”. If you have access to the internet, we invite you to consider whether it would be convenient for you to download Heritage News from the District Council website: www.south-derbys.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/LocalHistoryHeritage/heritage_news.htm Issue 19 and subsequent issues are already posted on the site in .pdf format. If you would like to access future issues in this way, we can send you an e-mail advising you whenever a new issue is added. To subscribe to the e-mail list, please email the editor:[email protected] Heritage News - 8 CORNISH BLUES Tuesday 3rd July 2007 proved to be a significant date in South Derbyshire history. Without fanfare or ceremony, Church Gresley’s renowned pottery industry reaching back nearly a quarter of a millennium finally came to an end with the sudden closure of the Mason Cash factory. Mason Cash, perhaps best known for their mixing bowls and pet food dishes, had taken over the manufacture of Cornish Blue in 2004 when the T. G. Green pottery next door closed. The survival of Cornish Blue manufacture had been precarious for some years. Given that it had survived against the odds while all other local potteries had closed, perhaps its demise should not surprise us, but there was • This special Cornish blue mug, produced always a hope that its for Heritage Open Days in September 2006, very uniqueness proved to be one of the last such “specials” would give it a future. that the pottery produced. This time, however, there seems to be no chance of a reprieve. The workforce, having been laid off, is effectively split up and scattered, and the site and assets are being sold separately. The site and buildings are being offered for sale through A. R. Argyle of Burton on Trent, while the stock, goodwill and intellectual property rights are being offered for sale through Charterfields (International Asset Consultants) of Sheffield. Much is written in guidance to planning departments about the importance of preserving local distinctiveness, but this can be a difficult call in places like Burton, Woodville and Swadlincote, where local distinctiveness has been so closely related to local industry and its particular building types. Particularly in urban areas, small industries and businesses are the kingpin of local distinctiveness, but they struggle to survive. With the disappearance of local industry from the familiar scene, usually replaced by anonymous steel framed sheds in segregated industrial areas, local distinctiveness is an imperilled quality. Often, the best that a planning authority can do is to try and preserve the “skeleton”, i.e. the townscape created by past industries, such as the warehouses at Shardlow, bottle kilns in Swadlincote and brewery buildings in Burton. Although their original functions have gone, the character and spirit that they impart to an area may linger on indefinitely. NEW FRONTAGE FOR SHARPE’S POTTERY S harpe’s Pottery has frontages to two roads. Its principal frontage is to West Street, but it also has a frontage to Alexandra Road, dominated by the last surviving bottle kiln. The Alexandra Road frontage of Sharpe’s Pottery has gradually undergone a transformation. Until 2005, most of the frontage was taken up by an unattractive, steelframed building of 1928, in poor repair. Following its demolition, the original brick and tile pottery buildings were exposed to full view once more. As an added bonus, the ground levels have also been re-graded, enabling water to run off the site more effectively than before. This was a very worthwhile improvement, as the Sharpe’s pottery buildings occasionally get invaded by excess surface water during heavy rains. The steel-framed building was known to occupy the site of earlier pottery buildings, so archaeological supervision was arranged while the ground levels were reduced. Foundations of the earlier buildings, not wholly explicable, were revealed, along with a quantity of broken yellow ware and broken Rockingham-glazed teapots. Once the archaeological work was complete, the area was resurfaced with gravel. • Much improved: the Sharpe’s Pottery frontage to Alexandra Road. Attention then turned to the making good of the outside wall of the historic pottery buildings. This wall had been defaced over time by alterations and coatings of paint, but during recent months the eaves have been rebuilt, the brickwork repaired and most of the paint lightly cleaned off by a specialist cleaning company. It is neither to be expected, nor desirable, that the building should look new after this work, and it doesn’t. It still has the time-worn look befitting its 200 years of life, but the net result is a building whose historic character can once again be appreciated, and which is an asset to the town. Heritage News - 9 SCENE THROUGH A KEENE EYE Photographic exhibitions and other news from the Attic. Keith Foster writes: The latest two exhibitions by The Magic Attic were a roaring success and were seen by over 1,000 visitors. During the first ten days of October the Magic Attic mounted a major exhibition of local photographs in the library at Burton; the same exhibition was also displayed over the weekend of the 17th November in the Attic. The photographs were taken by the renowned Burton photographer – Richard Keene (1852-1899) and the exhibitions were sponsored by the National Forest Company. The photographs were printed from original 10 by 8 inch glass plate negatives donated to the Magic Attic by The Burton Mail. Keene of Burton was the son of the famous Derby photographer Richard Keene. Richard junior had four brothers and four sisters, three of the brothers being renowned photographers or artists. Compared to his father, not a great deal is known about Richard. He was born in Derby and was living in London in 1861. In 1871 he was working as an accountant in St Marylebone, London. By 1877 he had moved back to Derby and also became a photographer, starting off in Siddals Road and Derwent Street (1877) in Derby. In about 1878 he opened a studio at 52 High Street, Burton-upon-Trent. In 1879 he married Eleanor and by 1881 he was living at 138 High Street. He claimed to have assisted in the development “of the New Dry Process - the forerunner of the Polaroid.” Richard died on 3rd January 1899, leaving Eleanor to run the High Street photographic business. She carried on until the business was declared bankrupt on 29th March 1906, and died in Burton in 1911. The couple left no children. Further details of the Magic Attic can be obtained from our new internet website – www.magicattic.org.uk. • The location of this cottage is thought to be The Hollow at Winshill, formerly in South Derbyshire but long since transferred to Staffordshire. WALKING FESTIVAL, MAY 2008 Marion Horton explains a new initiative in the National Forest: 17th-26th May 2008 sees the first ever “Footsteps in the Forest” – The National Forest Walking Festival. This offers the opportunity to join in with a variety of guided walks of varying lengths, mostly within the forest boundary but also including a few outside. Join us to discover the canals, towns, rural villages, reservoirs and woodlands of this very varied landscape. There is something for almost all walkers, whatever your interest and abilities. Walks will include fascinating facts about wildlife and the local heritage of this beautiful area, all led by local enthusiasts who are keen to share their knowledge with you. The programme of walks is still in the course of preparation, but fixtures so far include walks around Ashby, Calke Park, Swadlincote, Melbourne Park, the Ticknall Limeyards and Grace Dieu Priory. Walks with a natural history bias include bird walks at Branston Water Park and Drakelow Nature Reserve, and a “Creatures of the Night” walk at Staunton Harold. Register your interest to receive information on Footsteps in the Forest – The National Forest Walking Festival by contacting Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre on 01283 222848 or visit www.thenationalforestwalkingfestival.org.uk A number of excellent walks packs have been produced to help visitors get to the heart of this forest in the making. If you would like further information, please contact Swadlincote Tourist Information Centre on 01283 222848. A FEW CURRENT PROJECTS 14, Chambers Row, Melbourne Much-needed repairs are underway at 14, Chambers Row, Melbourne, where the District Council negotiated a comprehensive scheme of works with the late owner. Chambers Row is a stone-built terrace placed at right angles to the street, taking its name from Melbourne stonemason John Chambers and his son Robert Stanford Chambers, who built the ten houses (perhaps in stages) between 1792 and 1809. No 14, the end house in the row, was the largest; it abuts the roadway and therefore incorporated a butcher’s shop in a rear wing, to take advantage of the street frontage. A Melbourne resident writing in the 1920s recalled that the shop was also used as a slaughterhouse in his youth. “Mrs. Harriet Brewin … lived in the first house on the row, and she was a character in more ways than one. And when she lived there, what is now a back kitchen was a slaughter house where a butcher killed all his cattle and sheep, and pigs, and calves. He used to open the top half of the door and then when the beast looked at him he shot it in the forehead, and everybody as went by could see all as were going on, and there were always some lads to watch him do it” Heritage News -10 • Work in progress at no. 14, Chambers Row, Melbourne. A FEW CURRENT PROJECTS continued Civic Way, Swadlincote At Swadlincote, a new wall 89 metres long is being built by the side of Civic Way, enclosing one of the town centre parking areas to the west of Church Street. The materials have been carefully chosen to reinforce local distinctiveness. The bricks are by the Furness Brick Company and closely match the bricks used locally in the Victorian period. The copings, by the Cradley Special Brick Company, are also a good match to the local terracotta specials once produced in great quantity in the Swadlincote area. The new wall will be complemented by the planting of a row of London Planes and re-siting of the recycling centre. opportunity was taken to give these jitties formal names for the first time, so they have been named “Pipeyard Passage”, “Potbank Passage” and “Miners Passage” in homage to the industries that shaped the growth of Swadlincote. The grant scheme for restoring historic properties in the town centre will run until 2010 and all owners and lessees are invited to assess the potential for eligible works and make applications. Funding is offered at the rate of 50% of eligible costs for repairs, and 80% of eligible costs for works for restoration (i.e. reinstatement of missing features). Etwall Hospital At Etwall, proposals to repair the stone centrepiece of the Almshouses or Hospital are in their final stages. The work will include lead capping to protect vulnerable stone cornices, and the repainting of the four armorial shields. The almshouse are a focal point of the district, being a rebuilding of 1681 in conservative style to replace the original almshouses first erected in the 1550s. • Work in progress on the new wall at Civic Way, Swadlincote. What is the new wall for? When the second part of Civic Way was driven through Swadlincote in 1981-2 from Midland Road to Hill Street, little thought was given to the appearance of the frontages to the new road. Views were opened up from the new road to the backs of buildings on the High Street, often poorly presented. For some visitors, these unsatisfactory views make that vital first impression on arriving in Swadlincote town centre via the A514. The High Street itself is more attractive, and is becoming more so as the scheme to restore historic buildings there gathers momentum, but is not the first thing a visitor sees as it is wholly pedestrianised. Funding for the new wall has been provided by Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC and the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA). It is the latest in a series of projects to improve the image of the town. Other measures include an ongoing grant scheme with English Heritage to restore historic properties in the town centre, new granite kerbs and gullies on Church Street, and repaving of three jitties or “passages” along the High Street in blue brick. The The basic aim is to prevent water from penetrating the stonework. The carved stonework is held together by a series of iron “cramps” buried in the structure, which bridge the joints between the stones and are held in place by short legs at each end, let into holes in the stones which were then filled with molten lead. Water reacts with the cramps, which rust and expand, rupturing the stonework. In severe cases of rust expansion, large chunks of stonework can fall off a building. This was one of the problems the National Trust faced when re-roofing Calke Abbey in the 1980s, as rust expansion had seriously damaged the heavy stone cornice around the top of the walls. • Etwall Hospital Heritage News -11 At Etwall, most of the iron cramps are not causing problems, but the few that are will be removed. Where necessary, nonrusting replacement ties and pins of stainless steel will be introduced, a material which was not available to the original builders. The Royal Oak, Ticknall At the former Royal Oak Service station in Ticknall, the old building on the site is being converted and extended as two dwellings, and a new detached house is being added. The old building has been extended forwards towards the road edge again, as its was formerly. This will make it more prominent in the street scene, thereby preserving the historic character of the village. Walnut Farm, Burnaston At Walnut Farm, Burnaston, work is continuing on a scheme of repair and conversion of all the buildings, but already the farmyard is greatly enhanced compared to its appearance a few years ago. The pavements around the edges have been re-laid in blue brick and the brickwork of the fine early 18th century farmhouse has been carefully repaired and repointed. One of the small but most satisfying improvements has been the reinstatement of the attractive semicircular canopy to the front door. Apart from the decayed side brackets, the original had vanished long ago, being replaced with a feeble and poorly executed version in plywood. The roadside farmbuildings at Walnut Farm had fallen into very poor condition with failing roof and first floor structures, and leaning brickwork. A great deal of rebuilding was necessary, but the work has been carefully done and after a year or two of weathering will not be obvious. The farmhouse is one of the best in the district. A lead rainwater head inscribed W.W.E. 1730 appears to date the main three -storey block, attached to an earlier twostorey block which was subsequently rebuilt. Many other such examples may be cited in South Derbyshire of 18th century farmhouses that are attached to lower, humbler remains of earlier houses on the site, usually containing service rooms such as kitchens, sculleries, dairies and pantries. VANISHING ROADS. The phenomenon of moving roads and villages to improve the outlook from country seats is well-known, Edensor by Chatsworth being the Derbyshire example that is most often cited. There are several less dramatic examples known in South Derbyshire, and background research for the District’s series of conservation area histories and character statements has highlighted a few more. Many, but not all, of them are known through the highway diversion orders from 1773 onwards, preserved at the County Record Office in Matlock. Readers may be interested in a few examples: In Melbourne a public road was stopped up as early as 1647, in order that Sir John Coke the younger of Melbourne Hall might extend his gardens across its site. The deed for closure of the road still exists, with individual wax seals affixed by the signatures or “marks” of all the Melbourne householders. Later, in 1789, the old main road between the Hall and Melbourne Pool was replaced by a new length of road from Melbourne High Street southwards to the county boundary, to improve the amenity of Melbourne Hall. The new route, with a steep hill, was not nearly so convenient for the townsfolk as the old route had been and was the cause of some ill-feeling. Nevertheless, it paved the way for further improvements to the environment of the Hall and Pool that are a focal point of the district today. x x x x x At Calke, the diversion of part of the village street in 1779 was part of an ongoing scheme to enlarge the park at the expense of the village, which was always small and scattered. In 1761, only 40% of the parish’s land area was in Sir Harry Harpur’s own hands. By 1800, with the park greatly increased in size, the proportion in his son’s hands was 78%, increasing probably to 84% by 1819. Meanwhile, seven farmhouses at Calke were demolished in the fifty years or so after 1761, having become redundant as their lands were swallowed up in the park. The diversion of the street in 1779 took it further away from the east front of Calke Abbey, and was a precursor to the landscaping works that extended the picturesque views further down the valley in that direction. A new pond, “Big Dogkennel Pond”, was constructed between 1779 and 1781 between the new and old routes of the village street, accompanied by new tree planting, but is now submerged under the Staunton Harold Reservoir inexplicably abandoned. Neither the architect, nor the intended style and appearance of the house, are known. A parkland setting was created for the new house, of which some evidence yet remains. Small plantations were established at farmsteads lying in the view, to render them invisible from the house site. On the face of it, it seems that the old road from Lullington to Edingale was diverted in order that it did not pass the front of the proposed new house and interrupt its privacy or its view. The new house is said to have been a project of C. R. Colvile when he bought Lullington in the late 1830s, though firm evidence of the project appears to be absent and seems to have come to us solely through hearsay. Documentary evidence shows that the road was moved in 1832. Is it possible, then, that the new house was a project of the Gresleys before they sold Lullington, and had nothing to do with the Colviles after all? This would explain the abandonment. After the death of Sir Roger Gresley 8th Baronet of Drakelow in 1837, Lullington had to be sold by Sir Roger’s • It is hard to imagine now that this executors because he was the main road through had lost a fortune Melbourne until a new route was through extravagance, laid out in 1789. heavy gambling and attempts to buy his way into Parliament. Was Lullington Park, the house that never was, an example of this extravagance? x x x x x Another possible example of road diversion to improve an estate is Shardlow, where the main road appears formerly to have passed in front of the hall. It passed through the south end of Great Wilne hamlet en route to the mediaeval bridges over the Trent at SK 460302, whose previously unknown remains were discovered in 1990-1993. From these bridges the road headed towards Kegworth via a track called the “Portway”, shown on an 18th century map of Hemington. • An early 19th century view of Calke Abbey, looking east towards Big Dogkennel Pond, made when the villag street was moved. x x x x x At Aston on Trent, the main road to Weston was moved further west in 1786 to give more breathing space for Aston Hall. Similarly, at Newton Solney in 1809, the old road that ran right in front of Abraham Hoskins’ house became a private drive and a new replacement road was made further away. The new road was sunk between two walls in the manner of a ha-ha so that it was invisible from the house – at least until a carriage went by! x x x x x A case at Lullington is more enigmatic. The terraces and foundations for a large new hall here were laid out in the 1830s or ‘40s, commanding an extensive view towards Lichfield. They are still there, including some low stone walls, just as they were left when the project was By 1675 the bridges appear to have been abandoned and the river was crossed via Wilne Ferry instead, near the spot where Cavendish Bridge (1761) was built. The straight route between Shardlow Church and the end of Wilne Lane, heading for Cavendish Bridge, was further away from Shardlow Hall and made the Hall more private. We do not actually know when this section of road was laid out, but it seems likely to have occurred between the mid 17th and early 18th centuries. The Fosbrookes of Shardlow Hall were large owners in Shardlow and prominent carriers on the Trent navigation, so were in a good position to influence a change in the crossing point of the river. It is difficult to decide, however, whether the change of route was made to provide more privacy to the house or was done simply for practical purposes, caused by factors such as a shift in the river banks or river bed that made the old bridge site unusable. It seems most probable that physical conditions of the river demanded a change in the crossing point, and that the Fosbrookes used their influence to place the new road in a position that suited them. The picture remains unclear and more research is necessary. Heritage News -12 SHARPE’S POTTERY EVENTS FEBRUARY TO MARCH 2008 www.sharpes.org.uk February March To - Friday 29th February – Craft Exhibition in the Museum Shop. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 4.30pm. Modern Ceramic Pots by David Orme and Wood Turning by Peter Rutter for sale in the museum shop. Telephone: 01283 222600. Friday 1st February – Coffee Shop Exhibition by Karina Goodman. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am-4.30pm. Exhibition of Stylised Landscapes in the Cornishware Coffee Shop. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 2nd February – A Stirring Finish. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 7.30pm. A one man black comedy play in the Kiln by George Telfer. Admission: £7.00 Telephone: 01283 222600 Wednesday 6th February – Antiques Valuation Day. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 2.30pm - 4.30pm. James Lewis of Bamford’s auctioneers will be offering advice and valuations; £1 donation requested per item towards the upkeep of the museum. Every first Wednesday of the month. Tel: 01283 222600. Saturday 9 th February – Winter Warmer’s Lecture Lunch Decorative Tiles – 1000 years of tile style by Myra Challand. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 11am. Join Myra as she traces a myriad of decorative styles through the ages and reflects on how the humble tile has reflected these styles. Choose from soup or a baguette for lunch followed by a hot pudding with optional custard. Booking essential. Admission: £9.95. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 16th February – Farmer’s Market. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 2pm. The market will be held in the museum courtyard and is a perfect place to pick up some fresh, local and home grown products. Every 3rd Saturday of the month. Free admission. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 16th February – Volunteers Second Hand Book Sale. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am-2pm. Sharpe’s Volunteers will be having a Second Hand Book Sale. Good reads for all tastes. Free Admission. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 16th February – Winter Warmer’s Lecture Lunch – Bess of Hardwick and her Husbands by Emma Ward. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 11am. 400 years after this remarkable woman’s death join Emma Ward, our Curator as she takes an overview of the woman and her succession of marriages. Choose from soup or a baguette for lunch followed by a hot pudding with optional custard. Booking essential. Admission: £9.95. Telephone: 01283 222600 Saturday 23rd February – Winter Warmer’s Lecture Lunch - The Habits of a Lifetime – The inhabitants of Calke Abbey by Dale Jackson. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 11am. Over the last 300 years many of the habits of living have changed – some, thank goodness, have disappeared altogether. Come and hear about spitting, snuffing, pissing, sex and eccentricity and find out how the former residents at Calke Abbey engaged in these activities. Choose from soup or a baguette for lunch followed by a hot pudding with optional custard. Booking essential. Admission: £9.95. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 1st – Monday 31st March – Coffee Shop Exhibition by Michael Bailey. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am-4.30pm. Exhibition of Pencil, Pen and Ink Drawings by Michael Bailey in the Cornishware Coffee Shop. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 1st March – Wednesday 30th April - Craft Exhibition in the Museum Shop. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 4.30pm. Woodfired Slipware by Carol Glover for sale in the museum shop. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 1st March – Winter Warmer’s Lecture Lunch – Wig Blocks, Curling Tongs and Dinky Curlers – The Changing face of hairdressing by Linda Iliffe. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 11am. Listen as Linda looks back on the changing methods and instruments of hairdressing during her career and historically through the centuries. Choose from soup or a baguette for lunch followed by a hot pudding with optional custard. Booking essential. Admission: £9.95. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 1st March – Friday 21st March - Easter Egg Competition. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 4pm. Design your own Easter Egg. Winner to picked at 12noon on Good Friday. Winning entries will be displayed on Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Great prizes to be won. Please call in for further details. Telephone: 01283 222600. Wednesday 5th March – Antiques Valuation Day. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 2.30pm - 4.30pm. James Lewis of Bamford’s auctioneers will be offering advice and valuations; £1 donation requested per item towards the upkeep of the museum. Every first Wednesday of the month. Tel: 01283 222600. Saturday 8 th March – Winter Warmers Lecture Lunch - Local Pottery by David Ash. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 11am. Come and join our resident advisor as he celebrates the diversity and skill of our local pottery production. Choose from soup or a baguette for lunch followed by a hot pudding with optional custard. Booking essential. Admission: £9.95. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 15th March – Farmer’s Market. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 2pm. The market will be held in the museum courtyard and is a perfect place to pick up some fresh, local and home grown products. Every 3rd Saturday of the month. Free admission. Telephone: 01283 222600. Saturday 15th March – Wedding Fayre. Sharpes Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. A variety of stalls to help you plan for your perfect day. Admission free. Telephone: 01283 222600. Friday 21st March and Saturday 22nd March – Les the Rat’s Easter Trail. Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 10am – 4pm. Our resident rat dons his bunny ears to lead you round and follow the clues to discover an Easter Surprise. Admission: £2 per child. Telephone: 01283 222600. Friday 21st March – Easter Chocolate! Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, West Street, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 9DG. 1pm – 3pm. Come along and join Louise to make, decorate and wrap your own personalized Chocolate Easter Egg. £5 per egg. Booking advisable. Telephone: 01283 222600. Heritage News -13 BOTTLE KILN BUILDING AT SHARPE’S, 1935. Perhaps the best-known historic images of Sharpe’s Pottery are the views from the top of the Majestic Theatre on Alexandra Road, taken between the 1930s and 1950s and showing a tight cluster of six working bottle ovens. We know, from the Sharpe’s directors’ minute books, that the last two traditional bottle ovens had been built there in 1935. We also know that their replacement with electric ovens began scarcely more than twenty years later, so the scene that looks so well-established and permanent in the photographs was actually a transitory one. Nevertheless, the inter-war period was a highly productive time for Sharpe’s, as witnessed by a large • The two bottle kilns built at Sharpes in 1935 were among the last generation of such kilns to be built in the area, and the editor was interested to hear from James Whitaker of Sharpe Bros. that he had found the company’s account book spanning the years 1931-1946 that records the payments for building them. At that time, most of the materials required for such a project could still be sourced locally. Many of the suppliers are names that will be familiar to local readers. Fireclay and bricks (including specials such as arch bricks, broadbacks, squares and thins) came from Mansfields, Wraggs, Bretby and “Church Gresley” The bottle ovens at Sharpe’s, ?early 1950s. amount of new build and reconstruction at the works. Most people, at last, could expect a bathroom, and bathrooms were Swadlincote’s business. (presumably the Church Gresley firebrick works). Lime was brought from Breedon, cement from Woottons, gravel from Branston, asbestos sheets from Holdrons, guttering from Burton Foundry and wired glass from Pilkingtons. The iron bands encircling the kilns were provided and fitted by Warrens, who also provided furnace fronts and bearers. In places, the repairs listed in the account book read like a diary of local events in the Second World War. They include air raid damage on Coppice Side and to Hastings Road Methodist Church 1940-41, building air raid shelters for Burton on Trent corporation in 1941, air raid damage repairs at Donisthorpe Chapel 1942, a new kiln at H. R. Mansfields in 1943, and repairs due to subsidence at Albert Village in 1944. Subsidence had become a significant hazard in the Swadlincote area, vividly captured in a Pathe newsreel in 1954. It is a happy circumstance that the Sharpe’s Pottery Heritage and Arts Trust works closely and amicably with Sharpe Bros. and Co. Ltd., the freeholders of the site. Sharpe Bros. still hold much of the pottery archive at their offices at Church Gresley and James Whitaker actively encourages its use by serious researchers. The period prior to 1894 is poorly documented, but as a whole the archive is a rich one that has been indispensable to the Trust in interpreting the buildings and presenting them to the public. A book of contacts with pottery employees in the 1860s is one of the jewels of the collection, and has been used as the basis for an education project with schools, described elsewhere in this issue. South Derbyshire Heritage News No. 26 Winter 2008 “Heritage News” is published by South Derbyshire District Council three times a year, usually around April/May (Spring issue), August/ September (Autumn issue) and December/January (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. 27 (Spring 2008) is Monday 24th March. Contacts: Philip Heath Heritage Officer /Editor of “Heritage News” Marilyn Hallard Design & Conservation Officer Emma Ward Curator, Sharpes Pottery Helen Roth Visitor Manager, T.I.C. tel: 01283 595936 fax: 01283 595850 e-mail: [email protected] tel: 01283 595747 fax: 01283 595850 e-mail: [email protected] tel/fax 01283 222600 e-mail: [email protected] tel/fax 01283 222848 e.mail: [email protected] The postal address is: Philip Heath, Heritage Officer, South Derbyshire District Council, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0AH. “Heritage News” may be downloaded in .pdf format from the South Derbyshire District Council (SDDC) website.www.south-derbys.gov.uk, Note: The non-editorial contributions to “Heritage News” reflect the views of their authors and may not necessarily coincide with those of the District Council. Heritage News -14