Derbyshire
Explore hidden histories, historic photos, and things you never knew about Derbyshire from the collections and archives of Historic England.
Discover your local listed buildings and places
Introducing some of Derbyshire's most historic sites, included in the National Heritage List for England. Some of these captions have been summarised by AI. Click through for the official List entry.
Swanwick Common Colliery Headstock and Winding House
Swanwick
The steel headstock and brick winding house of a small, early-C20 colliery.
Swarkestone Bridge and Causeway
Stanton by Bridge
Swarkestone Bridge and Causeway, built between the late 13th and early 14th centuries, features medieval architecture with repairs throughout history, including significant 18th and...
Derwent Valley Mills
Alderwasley
The official listing for all World Heritage sites is held by UNESCO and can be found on their website.
Wingfield Station
South Wingfield
Railway station built in 1839-40 to the designs of Francis Thompson for the North Midland Railway.
Viking barrow cemetery in Heath Wood
Ingleby
The Heath Wood Viking cemetery, the only one known in England, offers insight into Viking burial practices during the late 9th to early 10th centuries, reflecting changing religious beliefs.
Elvaston Castle
Elvaston
Elvaston Castle features gardens designed by William Barron for the eccentric Earl of Harrington, showcasing romantic medieval themes long celebrated in gardening literature.
Pilsbury Castle Hills motte and bailey castle
Hartington Town Quarter
Pilsbury Castle Hills is a well-preserved motte and bailey site, crucial for studying Norman Britain and the feudal system, with intact archaeological remains.
Wingfield Manor: a medieval great house
South Wingfield
Wingfield Manor, built in the mid-15th century for Ralph, Lord Cromwell, symbolizes the power and luxury of high nobility.
Kedleston Hall
Kedleston
Kedleston Hall, designed by Robert Adam, features gardens and historic developments by the Curzon family dating to the 12th century, now managed by the National Trust.
Portal to Stephenson's Tunnel, Crich
Crich
Tramway tunnel portal built by George Stephenson in 1841.
Navio Roman fort and vicus
Hope
Navio Roman fort and vicus are critical to understanding Roman military strategy, showcasing preserved archaeological remains crucial for studying military-civilian interactions in Midland...
Thornbridge Hall
Ashford in the Water
Thornbridge Hall's gardens, originally designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, surround a historic house transformed through Jacobean-style renovations, featuring extensive...
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth
Chatsworth House, a historic country house in England, features gardens and landscapes by prominent designers like Lancelot Brown, Joseph Paxton, and Jeffry Wyatville, reflecting centuries...
Magpie, Dirty Red Soil, Maypit, Horsesteps and Great Red …
Ashford in the Water
Magpie, Dirty Red Soil, and related lead mines are key historical sites illustrating Derbyshire's mining tradition and 19th-century technological developments.
Heights of Abraham
Matlock Bath
The Heights of Abraham, developed in 1787 by the Simpsons, features picturesque landscapes, historic caverns, and significant structures like the Upper Tower House and Victoria Prospect...
Entrance to Long Sough west of Allen's Hill
Cromford
Long Sough, a significant water-draining sough in Derbyshire, is rare outside the region, notable for its preservation and historical link to Arkwright's Mill.
Hardwick Hall
Ault Hucknall
Hardwick Hall is a National Trust-owned country house, designed by Robert Smythson for Bess of Hardwick between 1590-1597.
Plumbley Colliery including Seldom Seen engine house, 600…
Eckington
Plumbley Colliery is nationally important for showcasing a rare range of 19th-century coal mining components, including Seldom Seen engine house, Guibal fan house, and conical spoil tip.
Butterley Works blast furnaces, canal tunnel and undergro…
Ripley
C19 blast furnaces, late C18 canal tunnel, underground wharf and related mineral extraction works.
Sudbury Hall
Sudbury
Sudbury Hall, owned by the Vernon family, is a historic estate featuring extensive pleasure grounds, gardens designed by William Sawrey Gilpin, and 18th-century parkland.
Conksbury deserted medieval settlement
Over Haddon
Conksbury is a well-preserved medieval settlement in Derbyshire, notable for its archaeological significance and extensive historical documentation, including references from the Domesday...
Roman fortlet 320m east of Highstones
Tintwistle
Roman fortlets were small military enclosures used from the first to fourth century AD for temporary troop housing, positioned for strategic advantages, significant for understanding Roman...
Tideslow Rake lead rake and lime kiln
Tideswell
Tideslow Rake is a visually impressive lead mining site in Derbyshire, featuring well-preserved historical mineworks and a lime kiln for creating quicklime.
Pike Low bowl barrow
Derwent
Pike Low bowl barrow is a historically significant and well-preserved Peak District barrow, representing diverse prehistoric burial practices without excavation disturbance.
Castle Gresley motte and bailey castle
Castle Gresley
Castle Gresley, a well-preserved Norman motte and bailey castle, exemplifies medieval fortifications with strategic dominance and intact archaeological remains.
Stanton Hall
Stanton by Dale
A late-C18 house, built on land owned by the Earls Stanhope, substantially extended in the C19 and early C20, with alterations and further extensions in the late C20 and early C21 for use as...
Bretby Hall
Bretby
Bretby Hall features late 17th-century earthwork gardens and a park landscaped by William Barron Ltd in 1924.
Hardwick Hall
Ault Hucknall
Hardwick Hall, designed by Robert Smythson in the 1590s, was bought by Bess of Hardwick in 1583. It's an Elizabethan architectural triumph now owned by the National Trust.
Building 18 at Cromford Mill
Cromford
Late-C18 cotton-spinning mill by Sir Richard Arkwright, extended in the later C18 and altered in the C19 and C20.
A wayside and a boundary cross known as Robin Hood's Pick…
Chisworth
Robin Hood's Picking Rods is a rare, well-preserved medieval wayside and boundary cross with two columnar shafts marking early ecclesiastical divisions on Derbyshire moorlands.
North Lees Chapel
Hathersage
North Lees Chapel, potentially dating from the 16th century, is a significant archaeological site as the sole remaining Roman Catholic field chapel in the Peak District National Park.
Anti-aircraft pillbox at Sinfin Central Business Park
Derby
An anti-aircraft pillbox comprising an irregular-shaped hexagon pillbox and three octagonal cells which would have supported a light anti-aircraft battery, probably constructed in the early...
Bonsall Leys lead mines
Bonsall
The Bonsall Leys lead mines highlight post-medieval Derbyshire's small-scale, low-tech lead mining, with complex and diverse remnants showing historical and technological development.
Codnor Castle
Aldercar and Langley Mill
Codnor Castle comprises a motte and bailey castle remodelled in stone sat on the eastern perimeter of an upper court, with a lower court to the south.
Lumsdale Mills and associated water management features
Matlock Town
Lumsdale Mills is a multi-period, multi-industry complex dating from at least the beginning of the C17.
Roman Catholic Church of St Michael the Archangel, bounda…
Hathersage
A Catholic chapel, likely incorporating the remains of the late-C17 Mass House, rebuilt in 1798-1806, with C19 alterations and extensions, and internal remodelling during the C20 and C21.
Calke Abbey
Calke
Calke Abbey, a Grade I listed building, dates back to the 16th century and was extensively remodeled in the early 18th century. The estate includes historic pleasure grounds and parkland.
Bolsover Castle: eleventh century motte and bailey castle…
Old Bolsover
Bolsover Castle, an 11th-century motte and bailey, evolved into a significant tower keep castle, later transformed into a 17th-century country house, highlighting its architectural and...
Derbyshire through time
This timeline shows the first period of use for buildings and places on the National Heritage List for England, just one of the details recorded for every list entry. Click around to see how Derbyshire changes over time.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Prehistoric Before AD 43
Prehistory covers a million years of human occupation before the Roman invasion, from hunter-gatherers of several human species, including Neanderthals, to more recent herders and farmers. It was a time of developing technologies and belief systems, involving contact with and migration from Europe, all reflected in the variety of artefact and monument types characteristic of particular prehistoric periods.
Roman AD 43 to AD 410
Britain was invaded by four legions of the Roman army in AD 43, who relatively rapidly conquered England from landing points in Kent. Parts of Wales and Scotland soon followed.
Roman culture brought urbanism, monumental buildings, wide-ranging religious beliefs, writing, and strong social hierarchy. The Roman administrative system was withdrawn in AD 410.
Early medieval AD 410 to AD 1066
This period, often associated in England with Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, saw a reduction in urban living from the Roman period and increased migration from northern Europe.
Traces of this period can be found in cemeteries, particularly in artefacts and in some of the very early churches, as this period also saw the growth of Christianity in Britain.
Medieval AD 1066 to AD 1540
This period, sometimes known as the Middle Ages, began with the Norman invasion in AD 1066. It saw a significant rise in military and defensive buildings such as castles and earthworks, as well as religious houses dominating a largely agricultural landscape.
The monarchy and Church dominated the period, which also saw the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the English reformation.
Post medieval AD 1540 to AD 1901
The Post-Medieval period brought seismic changes to life in England, with religious reformation leading to the democratization of worship and the destruction of hundreds of religious houses.
In parallel, there was a huge expansion of scientific study and enlightenment that permanently altered the nation's social structure and landscape. Industrialization and mass production lead to wider global trade, emigration, and immigration.
20th century AD 1901 to AD 2000
The 20th century saw an incredible expansion of England's transport networks, with suburban growth shadowing rapid infrastructural expansion. The establishment of state schools, hospitals, and modern technical colleges, with new architectural styles, radically changed the appearance of towns and cities.
Two catastrophic world wars and the 1918 pandemic also brought unprecedented change, altering England's built environment and social structures forever.
Aerial photos of Derbyshire
Aerial photography helps reveal secrets of England's changing landscapes that are impossible to see from the ground.
South Wingfield
The ruins of Wingfield Manor House and Manor Farm, South Wingfield, 1947
South Wingfield
The ruins of Wingfield Manor House and Manor Farm, South Wingfield, 1947
Butterley
The Butterley Co Iron Works, Butterley, 1936
Butterley
The Butterley Iron Works and environs, Butterley, 1947
Barton Hall
The Hall and park, Barton Hall, 1947
Barton Hall
The Hall and park, Barton Hall, 1947
Bakewell
Haddon Hall, Bakewell, 1927
Bakewell
Haddon Hall, Bakewell, 1953
Chesterfield
St Mary and All Saints' Church and The Market Hall, Chesterfield, 1928
Chesterfield
The Market Hall and Market Place, Chesterfield, 1938
Derbyshire in the Historic England Archive
The Historic England Archive cares for over 15 million images, dating from the 1850s to the present day. Discover stunning images of Derbyshire's past.
Charles George Harper Collection
Ashbourne, Derbyshire Dales, Derbyshire
Date created: 1892 - 1933
A view from the north-east looking across Church Street towards St Oswald's Church, showing The Mansion and Owlfields Almshouses
Eileen ‘Dusty’ Deste Collection
Amber Valley, Derbyshire
Date created: 1967
Detail of the plaque on the front elevation of the House of Confinement in Alfreton
Eric de Mare
Derbyshire
Date created: 1945 - 1980
General view of dry stone walling within a landscape in Derbyshire.
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Derbyshire
Date created: 1959
A view of a pale coloured labrador retriever lying on the curved stone coping atop a garden wall beside an unidentified cottage in Derbyshire,...
John Gay Collection: Counties
Derbyshire
Date created: 1950 - 1965
Roadside dry-stone walling in an unidentified rural area of Derbyshire, separating an area of overgrowth from a pasture beyond
John Laing Collection
Burnaston, South Derbyshire, Derbyshire
Date created: 18 Sep 1990
An aerial view of the site of the Toyota vehicle manufacturing plant from the east, showing the beginning of construction
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company
South Derbyshire, Derbyshire
Date created: May 1892
The sandstone Market Cross viewed from the south, with St Wystan's Church behind
Alfred Newton and Sons
South Derbyshire, Derbyshire
Date created: 1896 - 1920
EXTERIOR VIEW FROM GROUNDS
Nigel Temple Collection of Postcards of Parks and Gardens
Normanton, City Of Derby, City Of Derby
Date created: 1912 - 1917
GENERAL VIEW SHOWING BANDSTAND AND SHELTER AT NORMANTON PARK
John Gay Collection: Rural Life
Derbyshire
Date created: 1959
Interior view of an unidentified church showing bridesmaids wearing wedding outfits waiting and talking during a wedding rehearsal.
John Gay Collection: Counties
Derbyshire
Date created: 1950 - 1965
View of an unidentified rural area of Derbyshire, looking past dry-stone walls to cattle in pasture
Alfred Newton and Sons
Netherseal, South Derbyshire, Derbyshire
Date created: 1896 - 1920
GENERAL VIEW FROM WEST WITH MILL POND IN FOREGROUND
Stories about heritage in your local area
Historic England publishes news, blogs, research, videos, and podcasts celebrating England's rich heritage. Discover the stories we have about Derbyshire.
30 New Projects Explore England’s Rural and CoastalWorking-Class Heritage
Mentions Derbyshire
Funded by Historic England's Everyday Heritage grants programme, these projects will explore untold stories and celebrate the heart of our history.
Temperance Buildings: The Way Out of Darkest England
Mentions Derby City Church
The temperance movement and its remarkable physical legacy visible on our streets today.
8 Places Connected to Jane Austen
Mentions Chatsworth House
Discover the life of Jane Austen, her literary legacy, and the locations associated with her novels and film adaptations, including Pride and...
The Buildings of Architect Watson Fothergill
Mentions Halifax Building Society
Discover the buildings of Nottingham architect Watson Fothergill, who designed buildings such as Queen's Chambers and his George Street offices.
Traces of the Vikings in England
Mentions Church of St Wystan, Viking barrow cemetery in Heath Wood
Explore the archaeological traces and standing remains that tell us about Viking life and and culture in England.
Women Architects Who Helped Shape England
Mentions Former Aitons Works
Women have always influenced domestic design but it wasn’t until 1898 that the first female architect was admitted to the Royal Institute of British...
Where to Find Byzantine Architecture in England
Mentions Ilkeston School
Byzantium made an unexpected mark in the 19th-century as part of a mini-revival across Europe. Here’s where you can find examples in England.
Pubs, Parks and Pavilions: Victoria in Public Places
Mentions Queen's Park
Here are just some of the historic public places in England named after Queen Victoria.
6 Evocative Literary Locations
Mentions Chatsworth House
Many authors and the characters they created have lived in and loved England, evoking streetscapes, landscapes and buildings throughout their work.
How to Lay Out a Garden: the Legacy of Edward Kemp (1817 -1891)
Mentions Chatsworth House
Edward Kemp was one of the most prolific and influential landscape designers of the Victorian era.
It’s Love – actually!
Mentions Chatsworth House
Explore some historic places that have provided a backdrop to some of our favourite romance films.
8 Images of a Frosted England
Mentions Peveril Castle Curtain Walls and Fragmentary Foundations
Baby, it’s cold outside!
“I’m Sorry But What Is a Scheduled Monument?”
Mentions Arbor Low henge, large irregular stone circle, linear bank and bowl barrow
We’ve had Scheduled Monuments (sometimes known as Ancient Monuments) since 1882 when the Ancient Monuments Protection Act was passed.
Mentions Derbyshire
This episode explores the innovation at a furnace in Shropshire that is said to have been the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution.
The “Birthplace of Industry”, a pioneering canal and the first factory
This episode explores the innovation at a furnace in Shropshire that is said to have been the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. The host Dr Suzannah Lipscomb also looks at the first industrial arterial canal in Manchester and Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, known as the birthplace of the factory system. The 100 places featured in this series have been nominated by the public and chosen by a panel of judges. Together they help tell England’s fascinating history. Irreplaceable: A History of England in 100 Places is a Historic England podcast, sponsored by specialist insurer Ecclesiastical ecclesiastical.com
Mentions Derbyshire
Nestled in the heart of a World Heritage Site, the Grade I listed North Street is the earliest example of industrial housing where Richard Arkwright's...
Repairing Industrial Housing
Nestled in the heart of a World Heritage Site, the Grade I listed North Street is the earliest example of industrial housing where Richard Arkwright's mill workers lived.
Historic England Reveals its Heritage at Risk Register 2025
Mentions Derbyshire
Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register 2025 gives a snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places.
Historic Places Panel’s Recommendations For Barrow Welcomed
Mentions Derbyshire
Team Barrow has welcomed the recommendations of the Historic Places Panel to guide the £200 million transformation of Barrow.
Research Reports Roundup February 2025
Mentions Derbyshire
A roundup of the latest additions to our research reports database from October 2024 to February 2025, arranged by theme.
30 New Projects Explore England’s Rural and CoastalWorking-Class Heritage
Mentions Derbyshire
Funded by Historic England's Everyday Heritage grants programme, these projects will explore untold stories and celebrate the heart of our history.
Unlocking the Potential of Exeter's Heritage
Mentions Derbyshire
A team of national experts on regeneration and heritage have published a new report identifying opportunities to help harness Exeter's history.
17 Remarkable Historic Places Listed in 2024
Mentions Bridge at Cromford Mill, Derbyshire
Celebrating 17 historic gems that were examined, protected and added to the National Heritage List for England in 2024.
30 Years of Flying in the North
Mentions Derbyshire
Celebrating the achievements of Historic England's aerial recording programme in the North of England.
Unlocking the Potential of Hartlepool’s Heritage
Mentions Derbyshire
National experts on regeneration and heritage have published a new report identifying opportunities to unlock Hartlepool’s untapped potential.
Simulation Models and Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings
Mentions Derbyshire
Article exploring the usefulness of building simulation models for understanding the energy-efficiency performance of historic buildings.
Research Reports Roundup to February 2024
Mentions Derbyshire
A roundup of new additions to the Historic England Research Reports database and a longer term overview of industrial heritage reports.
Preserving Archaeological Remains
Mentions Derbyshire
A behind the scenes look at recent guidelines for best practice in preserving archaeological sites
The Serious Business of Holidaymaking
Mentions Derbyshire
A look at the history of tourism and tourist destinations in Britain.
Derbyshire's social history through photos
Over 10,000 images from the Historic England Archive have been specially selected and re-captioned for teachers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about their local area.
Workers housing, New Bolsover Colliery Village, Derbyshire
Period: 1990s (1990 - 1999)
Bolsover Castle overlooks its new neighbour. Collieries needed to attract people to mining areas, and as a result several model communities were built.
Workers housing, New Bolsover Colliery Village, Derbyshire
Village Stocks, Market Place, Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
These village stocks date from the 18th century. The posts are made from gritstone and have deep grooves for the wooden parts to slot into.
Village Stocks, Market Place, Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire
Tudor House, Town Street, Brassington, Derbyshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
This house is dated 1615. It has 2 large gables typical of this early Stuart period and mullioned windows.
Tudor House, Town Street, Brassington, Derbyshire
Trent Corn Mill, The Wharf, Shardlow, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
Trent Corn Mill was built as a warehouse in 1816 and later converted to a corn mill.
Trent Corn Mill, The Wharf, Shardlow, Derbyshire
Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton, Derbyshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
The town hall was built in 1887-8 and designed by W Pollard of Manchester. The roof is in a style based on the roof of a French ch�teau.
Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton, Derbyshire
Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton, Derbyshire
Period: Victorian (1837 - 1901)
The town hall was built in 1887-8 and designed by W Pollard of Manchester. The roof is in a style based on the roof of a French ch'teau.
Town Hall, Market Place, Buxton, Derbyshire
Torr Vale Mill, New Mills, Derbyshire
Period: Georgian (1714 - 1836)
This water-powered mill was built in the 1790s. In the 1860s the mill was extensively rebuilt and a steam engine was added to provide additional power.
Torr Vale Mill, New Mills, Derbyshire
Tomb of Catherine Mompesson, Chrurchyard, Eyam, Derbyshire
Period: Stuart (1603 - 1713)
Catherine Mompesson died during the outbreak of plague in 1666. She was the wife of the Vicar of Eyam.
Tomb of Catherine Mompesson, Chrurchyard, Eyam, Derbyshire
Discover more
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