21-Nov-2023
After roaming around Middleton-by-Wirksworth, on the D.H. Lawrence trail, we headed down the hill to Wirksworth proper.
It is a charming little town, but it has seen its share of troubles. It was for many centuries a noted centre for lead mining, but when lead extraction grew too difficult in the late 1800s, and prices dropped worldwide, the town turned to limestone quarrying.
The railway arrived in 1867, facilitating distribution of the coveted rock. But you can have too much of a good thing: "The great upheaval came in 1925-26 with the re-opening of Dale Quarry, when mechanisation was introduced and a stone crusher installed in a hole between two hundred and three hundred feet deep. Inevitably the whole of this densely populated area declined and the town was badly affected by dust, dirt and noise."
Those who could, voted with their feet, and the town declined markedly. During the 1970s, however, a regeneration project began. Initially, things moved slowly, but eventually the town was winning awards for architectural conservation.
The first thing you need to visit is the awesome parish church of St Mary the Virgin, which dates back to 653, and is said to stand at the junction of five or more ancient pathways. It certainly has a bit of an energy about it:
This is the Wirksworth Stone. It is said to date from somewhere around 800, and is nationally significant. Originally, it functioned as a coffin lid
This carving of a lead-miner, known as T'owd man, probably dates back to the 8th century
And there are plenty of other interesting stones
Wirksworth has some extraordinarily attractive buildings, arranged in higgledy-piggledy fashion, and refusing to be deterred by apparently death-defying slopes:
You get great views from the top of the hill:
Having redescended from your dizzy heights, you can check out the Old Moot Hall, where the "Barmote Court" is still held. This was established over 700 years to deal with disputes arising over lead mining. It is probably the oldest industrial court in Britain:
You can also take a look at the steam railway, which connects Wirksworth and Duffield, the village just up the road from our accommodation. It wasn't running on the day we visited, but at least there was an engine in steam, presumably preparing for the Santa Specials which start this weekend.
There's a Heritage Centre here, which seems to get plenty of praise. We didn't have time to visit, though. Next time...