Out & About: Sir Joseph Whitworth & Denby Fishing Ponds.

This week Geoff was indisposed because he was taking not one but 2 women to the car boot sale in Alstonefield. Unfortunately he couldn't sell them and ended up bringing them back!!
In the meantime myself Ike and Rob went to the Whitworth park in Darley Dale. Ike had seen something on TV about the ponds there drying up so we went to have a look. Apparently the normal flow of water into the ponds had been diverted and water had to be pumped in to ensure the safety of the wildlife.
A water supply has now been restored.
We had a wander in the park and found a couple of interesting things out about the man himself.
Sir Joseph Whitworth, 1st Baronet (21 December 1803 – 22 January 1887) was an English engineer,entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist. In 1841, he devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads. Whitworth also created the Whitworth rifle, often called the 'sharpshooter' because of its accuracy and is considered one of the earliest examples of a sniper rifle. In January 1887 at the age of 83, Sir Joseph Whitworth died in Monte Carlo where he had travelled in the hope of improving his health. He was buried at St Helen's Church, Darley Dale in Derbyshire.

Entrance gate to Whitworth Park

A heron landing in one of the ponds

A collection of mangles just opposite the park

This is Darley Dale station

Look at this post box built into the wall

Darley Dale Station

Plaque of Sir Joseph Whitworth on his monument

Monument to Sir Joseph Whitworth in Whitworth Park

The rear of The Whitworth Institute

Signal box

Lovely little tub filled with plants in a garden.

We found an information board stating that the cottages on Church road and Green Lane had replica wooden missiles that would have been fired from his field guns ,fixed to the gables. Unfortunately there is only one left. We had a chat to a guy setting up a car boot sale in the car park opposite the pub in Church Road. He is a water quality inspector for Severn Tent and gave us some great info about his job travelling around to all the reservoirs, rivers and soughs checking the water quality.

Only one replica left and its on this gable end.

The last wooden replica shell for Woolworth's field guns.

Railway track at the bottom perimeter of the park

Steam engines run by Peak Rail

Great cricket ground at Darley Dale CC

After Darley Dale we flitted down to Street Lane near Denby to have a look at the fishponds down there.

Nice way to give the hedge a trim behind Street Lane. When he saw us he came and had a chat and gave us some great info about the old pits and railway tracks that were dotted all around here.