DERBY HERITAGE FORUM WEB SITE

Last update 10 May 2009

Members of the Derby Heritage forum:-

Honorary Chairman:-
Charles Clark-Maxwell – Lord of the Manors of Markeaton and Allestree
The Manor of Markeaton and it's associated park are of great importance to the understanding of the history of Derby and the Forum are grateful for the enthusiastic contribution made by Charles.
Contact Charles at Email Contact List

Core Members:-

Don Farnsworth
Don is a well known and respected historian with special interests in Roman history in Derby and also the history of Markeaton Park. Don has written a comprehensive history of Mackworth and Markeaton and his book is currently available. Follow the link in Book List for details. Don has been reviewing the history of the Markeaton Brook and a paper is now available.(See Reports below).
Contact Don at Email Contact List

Chris Harris
Chris is the web master of the Derby Arboretum website which has achieved world-wide recognition. Chris has been able to virtually rewrite the history books on the Derby Arboretum, it's founder Joseph Strutt and the landscape gardener John Claudius Loudon. Chris has given a lecture about the Derby Arboretum to an International Conference held at the Linnaean Society during September 2006. Chris is a regular contributor to the Derby Evening Telegraph Opinion Page and Bygones as well as having Soapbox articles published; he was also a contributor to Ron McKeown's Derby Trader Heritage column.

Ron McKeown
Ron wrote the Heritage Column in The Derby Trader free newspaper until the paper closed in May 2008. Ron describes himself as a “Heritage Activist” rather than an historian and has written a controversial book, The Rivers of Time, containing his research into the historic water levels around Derby and the effects of these levels on the development of the town. The research also indicates the evolution of Nottingham and the whole of the Humber flood plains, which is most of the central eastern region of England. Importantly, the evidence in the book is suggesting that the Medieval Warm Period
was warmer than today and that this caused higher water levels in the Viking Period.
Also on the subject of Global Warming Ron's next project is a detailed investigation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicales for further evidence of higher sea and river levels during the Medieval Warm Period. Ron is now suggesting that higher temperatures are normal and that the Little Ice Age has confused the Climate Scientists causing them to think that lower temperatures are normal. If Ron is right then we can expect average temperatures to continue to rise and for sea and river levels to follow.
Contact Ron at Email Contact List

Derek Palmer
Derek is probably the best known of Derby's heritage commentators with a large number of books to his name and a busy talks schedule.

Derek is also known for his well dressings and instructs school children on the art. Arising out of his well dressing activities are Derek's unique material pictures.
Follow the link to a file showing examples.


Material pictures - Derek Palmer. This is a pdf file and the link should open the document in your Adobe Reader program. Use your browser navigation keys to return to this page.

Contact Derek at Email Contact List

Kevin Archer
Kevin was Head of the Art department at St. Ralph Sherwin school in Allestree, Derby in 1974 and worked there until he retired in 1997. On retirement he began to produce historic maps of the County of Derbyshire. (This is a pdf file and the link should open the document in your Adobe Reader program. Use your browser navigation keys to return to this page). Littleover was the first map and following its popularity several more followed which were available from the Heritage Center in Derby before its closure.

Kevin is in the process of publishing a book which stems from his map making and this will soon be available.




Book List
Follow the link for a list of books writen by Forum members




Picture Gallery
Roman Road accross Darley Playing Feild in July 2006. The outline of the road can be clearly seen crossing the football pitch.

Floods on Darley Park in June 2007

Medieval Strips of ridge and furrow on Darley Park

Ripley branch line in 1965 (This is a .pdf file)

The Great Northern Railway line from Friar Gate Station to Darley Park (This is a .pdf file)


Investigations

Investigations undertaken by Derby Heritage Forum members are listed here. Click the link to view current projects.

Old East Prospect of Derby - Dating evidence - Ron McKeown

Great Bridge of Derby 13th century - Ron McKeown

Reports

River Bank Works - Evidence at Darley Abbey - Ron McKeown

Navigation of the river Derwent at Darley Abbey - Ron McKeown

St Mary's Gate Mills - Don Farnsworth

Markeaton Brook revised - Don Farnsworth

Investigation into the source of the name "Derby" - Ron McKeown

These reports are in pdf format and the link should open the document in your Adobe Reader program. Use your browser navigation keys to return to this page.


Video
Why not join the Derby Heritage Forum on a day trip to Markeaton Park? In September 2007 our Chairman, Charles, who is Lord of the Manor of Markeaton went to meet The Lady of Markeaton. The following link takes you to You Tube. Markeaton Lady




Links

Follow the link below to a list of interesting sites.
Links