Old Duffield

Village, Church and Castle

WITH SOME PERSONAL REMINISCENCES

By JOHN BLAND

A Lecture given before the Duffield Branch of
the Church of England Men's Society, Dec., 8th., 1921,
and published, with some additions, by request.

First published in Derby by Harpur and Sons, 1922

Preface by Jed Bland, his grandson.

Duffield is situated next to the River Derwent in Derbyshire at the lower end of the Pennines. There have been humans in the area, probably, from the stone age.

It is controversial whether the Romans maintained a military presence to protect the ford across which the convoys of lead from Wirksworth joined Rykneld Way en route for the North Sea ports.

However, in Anglo Saxon times it would seem to have been occupied by persons of some position, and in Norman times, Henry de Ferrars built a substantial castle. During this period, it was the centre of Duffield Frith, which extended over many miles radius.

This site archives a book written by my grandfather in 1922, of which few copies remain, and the work on the castle initiated by my great grandfather.

The photographs were taken by my great uncle. The quality is poor at present because I have had to copy them from the halftones in the book. The originals, I imagine, have disappeared long ago.

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Further Reading

Derbyshire Archaeological Journal

Duffield Church from the North-West

Photo by W.R.Bland