Ask any native British person to name a famous nurse from history and they are sure to mention Florence Nightingale. Though she was born in Florence, Italy most of her childhood happened in and around the village of Holloway in Derbyshire. She played a big part in dragging nursing into the modern world and is also fondly remembered as "The Lady With The Lamp" who tended to wounded soldiers during The Crimea War (1853-1856).
I walked through Holloway today. The stone houses shown below all most probably predate America's declaration of independence by decades or even centuries. As you can see, it was a sunny day but bitterly cold. It had taken me an hour to drive to the area, passing by Chatsworth House and then through Matlock.
Below, a sheep farm with its modern farmhouse to the east of Holloway. The gang of sheep were enjoying supplementary feed as the sweet, fresh grass they prefer is currently dormant, awaiting the arrival of another spring.
Down in the valley of The River Derwent this farm sign caught my eye. It's a commendable amateur effort, contained in an old picture frame. The bull's head seems almost surreal
In terms of industrial history the valley is very important for it was the site of the first cotton mill in the world to be water-powered. The entrepreneur Sir Richard Arkwright built it and also had the vision to connect Cromford Mill with Cromford Canal. Arkwright patented the spinning frame and many of his ideas were taken up around the world. He was truly one of the giants of the early decades of Great Britain's industrial revolution.
Below - not the first picture I have taken of Leawood Pump House beside The Cromford Canal. The canal sits above The River Derwent and fifty years after the canal's construction it was deemed necessary to find a powerful way of regulating water levels.
It was so good to get out into the light again and to cover five miles, my feet propelling me forward and my lungs occasionally protesting when I climbed up hill. A nice thing about walking on your own is that you can take brief rests whenever you need to without apology or explanation.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/6vwU3jq
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