derbyshire historic buildings trust christmas 2023

Chair's introduction

Dear Supporter,

Isn’t it wonderful to see Wingfield Station completely restored and warm under a seasonal blanket of snow. Congratulations to all involved.

The Trust is currently using the station for meetings and administration, but at the same time making it available for occasional hire. There have already been wine tastings, performances, historical literary presentations, and meetings of various groups, so why not take this unique opportunity to hold your event there? We can even provide your event with a talk and film about the history of the station, delivered by one of our excellent tour guides.

You may think that is ‘job done!’, and we can all relax....but the opposite is true. We are actively working on three more potential projects and expanding the work of the DHBT Academy, but more of that Anon.....

Meanwhile, enjoy the fascinating contents of this newsletter, with best wishes to you from all at the Trust, for a happy Christmas and an active and healthy New Year.

Yours ever,

Derek Latham, Chair of DHBT

Cover Photo: Wingfield Station, December 2023 (Phil Cheetham)

Merry Christmas from us all at Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust

public tours of wingfield station - book now for January and february 2024

Wingfield tour - November 2023

Tours of the station continue to be very popular indeed - thanks to everyone for the fantastic feedback to date.

We are now planning the 2024 tour dates but you can already book on 11am and 1pm tours on both Sunday 21st January and Sunday 18th February 2024.

The January and February tours are free to book, but please reserve your spot via Eventbrite as we are limited to the numbers attending each tour.

diorama depicting an 1840 model train

Louis Heath with his 1840 diorama
Some details from the model

Our project has involved numerous volunteers dedicating valuable time to various tasks from research and leading guided tour to undertaking site maintenance and supporting the Wingfield show garden at Gardeners' World Live.

For the past 12 months or so, Louis Heath has devoted hours to creating a diorama that depicts a train standing outside Wingfield Station just after it opened in 1840. The model track is Gauge 1, determined by the need for people to see the detail, and also the availability of the Occre laser cut kit for the locomotive 'Der Adler', which was supplied by Robert Stephenson in 1835 to the Bavarian Ludwig Railway.

Louis, with help from his son, did not set out to build an accurate scale model of a North Midland Railway train of 1840 (there just isn't enough information available) but wanted to produce a social statement about a world that was in transition. He's achieved this brilliantly when you look at the different class of carriage. Not forgetting that the passengers travelling in open third class trucks with seats were the luckier ones! If you could not afford the fare, you had to walk.

If you're visiting the station, please do take the time to study Louis's model as there is so much to see. Louis has kindly put together a summary of what inspired him to start this project, the scale and resources required and more information about the train of carriages, the back scene and the figures. You can read this by clicking on the button below.

We're very grateful to Louis, and everyone who supported him, for all the time and effort that has gone into producing such a wonderful model. We're very pleased to display it in the booking hall so everyone can enjoy it.

The diorama took hours to construct

railcam - live camera feed

A still from the Railcam camera at Wingfield, December 2023

Railcam is the UK's leading provider of live lineside and scenic railway cameras, live signalling diagrams, schedules, and user sourced allocation information. On the 30th November 2023, in partnership with Railcam, our broadcast from Wingfield went live. You can view the live broadcast from Camera 1 (south). If you are a Railcam supporter you will also be able to exclusively view Camera 2 (north).

Take a look here (beware! - this can be a bit addictive - best viewed via a desktop).

Lamps and lamp posts!

Photos by Ian Castledine (who also provided the sign for these pictures!)

Recent visitors to the station might have noticed we now have lamp posts and lamps in place. Research revealed that, when first built, the station buildings could only have been lit by oil lamps, as gas had not then arrived in the village. Historic photographs show gas lamps were later installed - just like these ones- four symmetrically spaced around the station building . We have only been able to reinstate two, as the others stood on the now absent platform.

The lamp posts came from Peak Rail and are original MR1 posts that came complete with the post root. The lamps are original LMS Sugg Mexican Hat design and have been converted to LED to mimic gas lights. These match the style shown on the various photos of the station from the 1950s. The Sugg Mexican Hat (renamed Rochester) was first produced in 1927.

Photo by Phil Cheetham, Dec 23
The MR1 lamp posts being refurbished
The condition of the lamp prior to restoration

online talk about the derbyshire architect, george widdows - now available to view

On the 3rd December DHBT Trustee, Allan Morrison, presented a 40 minute online talk about the architect, George Widdows.

Widdows was an architect who pioneered changes to school building design to enhance the health of school children. He was also responsible for the design of about 80 schools in Derbyshire, where he became Chief Architect.

DHBT Architecture Awards 2023

Some of the winners and commendations from our 2023 Architecture Awards

On the 27th November we celebrated some of the best architecture in the county at our Architecture Awards. The location was perfect - the Assembly Rooms at Buxton Crescent (a previous recipient of an Award).

We were delighted that architectural historian, writer, consultant and lecturer, Jeremy Musson, agreed to present the awards. It was also wonderful that Eddie Tennant, grandson of Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (the former patron of our charity) was able to present the award in her name for the outstanding overall project.

See here for or full details of all 2023 commendations and winners.

reminder of request for speakers

As posted in our last newsletter we are aiming to build a team of speakers to deliver talks about the DHBT to interested local history groups around the county.

I am a recent volunteer and have taken on responsibility for coordinating walks and talks for the Trust in the hope of stimulating more community interest and support. Introductory talks are currently offered by two of our senior trustees but they really need our support to reach that wider audience.

The talks should be variable in length, to suit the host’s requirements. They will comprise an introduction to our origin and aims, an overview of our work and details for joining and volunteering. We would draft the talks with slides and notes to be used as either a script or simply as a loose structure during delivery.

The plan would be for us to form, meet regularly and refine the talks together. We would then define our capacity and devise a rota before publicising ourselves more widely to the local history groups across Derbyshire. If you feel you are already equipped for this through prior experience or if you are tempted and feel ready to find out more, please do get in touch with me at:

talks@derbyshirehistoricbuildingstrust.org.uk

Hoping to hear from you soon.

Dave Young DHBT Volunteer, Walks and Talks

meynell langley visit - 13th november 2023

Meynell Langley

The visitors to Meynell Langley were greeted by owners Godfrey and Helen Meynell in their drawing room whose roaring fire was a welcome sight on a gloomy and wet Sunday afternoon. Their estate shares a boundary with the Kedleston Hall Park and like the better known Curzons the Meynell family goes back to the Norman Conquest, as was explained by historian Maxwell Craven who has recently complied and published a book on the family’s history. Max outlined some parts of the story he had researched in such an entertaining way that resulted in a round of applause.

He went on to explain the origins of the house and the way it had been extended and given a charming Regency facade in 1829, designed by Francis Goodwin, the architect for a number of ‘Commissioners churches’ and also Derby Gaol.

As the visit was held on Remembrance Sunday Godfrey’s father Godfrey Meynell senior was asked to explain the circumstances in which his father was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for valour in the field. A portrait of this hero hangs in the large entrance hall together with a number of other family portraits and mementoes of service in Britain’s colonies.

The handsome dining room and library were then explored before the guests were served tea back in the drawing room.

a call for new trustees and volunteers to help us deliver our exciting plans for 2024

Some of the Wingfield/DHBT team at Wingfield on the National Lottery Heritage Fund 'ThanksToYou' day, acknowledging the role of National Lottery players in making projects like this possible

Earlier this year we successfully recruited two new trustees who are already making a big impact on our charity - we will introduce them properly in the next newsletter.

However, we are still looking for people who would like to make a difference by taking on the following trustee roles: 1) Vice Chair; 2) Supporter & Community Engagement Trustee and 3) Fundraising Trustee and these volunteer roles: 1) Volunteering lead; 2) Walks & Visits Coordinator; 3) Community Ambassadors; 4) Events Organiser and 5) Fundraising Coordinator.

Even if you're not quite sure you've got the right experience or skills, please do get in touch to discuss the various opportunities. Contact DHBT Chair, Derek Latham: derek@dereklatham.co.uk

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