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Crich

Civil parishes in DerbyshireEngvarB from June 2016Geography of Amber ValleyLime kilns in the United KingdomPages including recorded pronunciations
Quarries in EnglandTowns and villages of the Peak DistrictVillages in Derbyshire
Bowns Hill Crich
Bowns Hill Crich

Crich (listen) is a village in the English county of Derbyshire. The population at the 2001 Census was 2,821, increasing to 2,898 at the 2011 Census (including Fritchley and Whatstandwell). It has the National Tramway Museum inside the Crich Tramway Village and, at the summit of Crich Hill above, a memorial tower for those of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who died in battle, particularly in World War I. Built in 1923 on the site of an older tower called Crich Stand, the memorial tower is the destination of an annual pilgrimage on the first Sunday in July. It is 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level and has 58 steps to the top. From there, seven counties can be seen (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire), including landmarks such as Lincoln Cathedral and the Humber Bridge.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Crich (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

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Latitude Longitude
N 53.084 ° E -1.479 °
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DE4 5DD Amber Valley
England, United Kingdom
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Bowns Hill Crich
Bowns Hill Crich
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Crich Stand
Crich Stand

Crich Stand is a memorial tower, originally erected in 1923 to the memory of the 11,409 members of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) Regiment who died in the First World War. Further dedications extend this to members of the regiment who perished during the Second World War and up until 1970, and to those who died serving in the successor regiments; the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment from 1970 to 2007 and the Mercian Regiment since 2007. The memorial stands on a carboniferous limestone outcrop that has been partly quarried away on its western flank, creating a cliff that overlooks the village of Crich in the English county of Derbyshire. It is located 286 metres (938 ft) above sea level, is 19 metres (62 ft) high and has 59 steps to the top. From the top there are extensive views, and on a clear day Lincoln Cathedral, some 40 miles (64 km) away, can be seen. In 1760, a wooden tower was erected on the top of the hill to mark the accession to the throne of King George III. This was replaced in 1788 by a limestone tower with a wooden top, that in turn was replaced by a circular gritstone tower in 1851, built on a base constructed from the stones of its predecessor. A landslide in 1882 in the neighbouring quarry damaged the tower and it was closed to the public. In 1914 the site was sold to the Clay Cross Company, owners of the quarry, on condition that they rebuilt the tower nearby, a commitment that was delayed by the onset of the First World War. By 1922, Sherwood Foresters Old Comrades Association were looking for a site for a memorial for their many comrades who had died during the First World War. As the regiment was raised across the two counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, they wanted to find a site close to the boundary between the counties, and Crich Stand, whose view encompasses both counties, was suggested. The resulting memorial was designed by Arthur Brewill, who was both a battalion commander in the Sherwood Foresters and a local architect, and completed by his son after his death. The current tower is a grade II* listed building and contains fabric from the earlier towers. It is in gritstone on a square coped sandstone platform with a wrought iron enclosure. The tower is circular, and at the top is an arcaded lantern with fluted Doric columns, a circular stone frieze, and a cornice beneath a dome with a flaming finial. At the base of the tower is a doorway with an inscribed lintel and a pediment with a bronze wreath, over which is the regimental insignia of the Sherwood Foresters and dates. Also on the tower are bronze plaques with inscriptions relating to the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts. The memorial tower can be accessed by road from Crich village, with car parking available, and by public footpath from the Glory Mine terminus of the running line of the National Tramway Museum, which now occupies the former quarry at the foot of Crich Stand. The memorial is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but open during the rest of the week. There is an annual pilgrimage to the site on the first Sunday in July, to commemorate the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Cromford Canal
Cromford Canal

The Cromford Canal ran 14.5 miles (23.3 kilometres) from Cromford to the Erewash Canal in Derbyshire, England with a branch to Pinxton. Built by William Jessop with the assistance of Benjamin Outram, its alignment included four tunnels and 14 locks.From Cromford it ran south following the 275-foot (84 m) contour line along the east side of the valley of the Derwent to Ambergate, where it turned eastwards along the Amber valley. It turned sharply to cross the valley, crossing the river and the Ambergate to Nottingham road, by means of an aqueduct at Bullbridge, before turning towards Ripley. From there the Butterley Tunnel took it through to the Erewash Valley. From the tunnel it continued to Ironville, the junction for the branch to Pinxton, and then descended through fourteen locks to meet the Erewash Canal at Langley Mill. The Pinxton Branch became important as a route for Nottinghamshire coal, via the Erewash, to the River Trent and Leicester and was a terminus of the Mansfield and Pinxton Railway. A 6-mile (9.7 km) long section of the Cromford canal between Cromford and Ambergate is listed as a Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Local Nature Reserve.In addition to purely canal traffic, there was a lively freight interchange with the Cromford and High Peak Railway, which traversed the plateau of the Peak District from Whaley Bridge in the north west, and which descended to the canal at High Peak Junction by means of an inclined plane.

Great British Car Journey

The Great British Car Journey is a car museum in Ambergate, Derbyshire, England. It opened on 22 May 2021. The museum's exhibits consist of over 130 cars that illustrate the history of British car design and production between 1922 and the present day. Vehicles on display include a Morris Minor Million, Humber Hawk, Austin Allegro, Rover Metro, Mini Clubman, Triumph Toledo, Sinclair C5, DMC DeLorean, Ford Fiesta, Jensen Interceptor, Rover P6, Jaguar XJS and Lotus Esprit. Visitors to the museum are taken on an "interactive journey" and are able to learn about the history of the cars by scanning them with a device. The cars are arranged in groups by decade of production, surrounded by banners and artwork displaying period adverts and graphics. Visitors are able to get close to the cars, so they can "smell the old car smell, marvel at the interiors and jog memories".In addition to the display vehicles are 32 cars—including a Ford Capri, Austin Seven and Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit—that visitors are able to drive around the site, accompanied by an instructor. Visitors are also able to view maintenance work being undertaken on the exhibits.The museum is the idea of Richard Usher, former owner of Blyton Park racing circuit and Auto Windscreens. The idea took shape after Usher was asked if he wanted to buy a low-mileage, mint condition, 1989 Austin Maestro; Usher initially thought 'no', but later reflected on how rare such cars—the everyday cars that a few years ago sold in their millions— had become. Acquiring the cars and establishing the museum took about four years; one of the hardest cars to source was a Vauxhall Chevette, as few had survived out of the half a million that were made and the museum wanted one in a basic trim specification; the display car was eventually bought from Vauxhall. The museum had been scheduled to open in April 2020, but its opening date was delayed a year due to health problems of two of its founders, unforeseen extra costs, flooding at the site, and the COVID-19 pandemic.The museum occupies a 4-acre site of a former wire works, which shut down in 1996 after 120 years of production. The wire works had employed 500 people in its heyday, and during World War II made the telegraph cables that were routed under the English Channel.