The Events in the Life of the Rev. Leonard Jenyns in the Year 1830

by Roger F.Vaughan B.A., B.Sc.Hons.

Page Five

1st August 1830 (Sunday)

On Sunday he went to the Abbey church "a fine pile of building, - but sadly out of repair in some parts: Was much struck with the interior, especially the ceiling, which has a very singular appearance, & is of a very peculiar construction".

2nd August 1830 (Monday)

"Walked over to Tittenhanger Green (about three miles from St.Albans) - The residence of W.Swainson Esq. a gentleman well known for his various works on Natural History. - saw his collections, which are chiefly rich in Brazilian Birds and insects".

3rd August 1830

"Proposed leaving St.Albans early this morning for Derby, - but in consequence of the general election every where going forwards, - I could get no place in any of the coaches till 3pm" then he could only go to Northampton, in an inside seat, forty miles cost him £1. He got there at 8.30pm "found the town all in confusion in consequence of the contested election, which had been the cause of serious riots that morning between the opposite parties. - Shops all shut up; - windows broken & military out. Took up my quarters at the Angel Inn for the night, but could get but little rest from the noise&disturbance in the town".

4th August 1830 (Wednesday)

"Was glad to leave Northampton at 2pm for Derby" he noted the changing geology on the way, sandstone then red marl and rolled quarts pebbles through Market Harborough and Leicester, in the fields were cattle,
"a large breed having very long horns that bend towards the face". He noted that the hay was still out in many places. Further on he noticed in a village a sign on a door "I Outon, Housebreaker" he humoursly comments "the only instance in which I ever heard of this trade being carried on in so open & avowed a manner" (Demolition).

He arrived at Derby at 10 o'clock at night "& was much annoyed at finding it to be the time of the assizes & also of the races, in consequence of which I with difficulty got a bed. This I procured at the Tiger Commercial Inn:- But indifferent accommodations".

5th August 1830 (Thursday)

He found Derby "a pleasantly situated town" and counted it's five churches, the principal one, All Saints "a remarkably neat & elegant structure with a richly ornamented Gothic steeple that towers above the adjoining buildings to a height of 180 feet.
A tradition extant that this tower was built at the sole expense of the bachelors& maidens in the town; & that it was formerly the custom when a young women, a native of the place, was married, for the bachelors to ring the bells". He was shown the elegant altar piece painted by Mr. Rawlinson in 1817 and a "very elegant" monument by Chantry, to the memory of a Mr Bateman and his two daughters. He also saw the old pulpit, "taken out of the old Romish Church, - & like wise a curious old tombstone, having the figure of a priest, as large as life, holding up a sacramental cup" the cup bore the date 1400 "it was discovered when the church was rebuilt many years back".

To get away from the bustle he set off on foot with what he could easily carry, for Ashborne and Dovedale "about 13 or 14 miles N.W. of Derby", he collected plants on a ridge about four miles from Ashborne.

He arrived at Ashborne at 6pm "took up my quarters at the Wheatchief Commercial Inn, second rate but one of the principal ones in the place". Ashborne was a market town "presenting nothing striking in itself. - but beautifully situated".

6th August 1830 (Friday)

"Set out immediately after breakfast for the celebrated Dovedale, which lies about 4 miles to the N. of the town". Someone offered him a lift but he preferred "the independence of being on foot" he went by a "rocky & highly romantic lane in which he collected a good many plants. "About halfway is the small village of Mappleton, remarkable for nothing but a public house of which the sign is a gate with this inscription under it -
This gate hangs well &hinders none, Refresh & pay, and travel on.

Beyond this, & nearly half a mile from the Dale, is another public house where resides four old women who get their livelihood by pileting strangers to the place & shewing the lions," they charged from half a crown to five shillings and Jenyns hired one.

She thought his botanical box was for painting, but when it was explained that he collected plants, she set about this with enthusiasm and almost forgot her duties.
"Botany soon forgotten by me, amid the highly beautiful and romantic scenery "a valley through which the river Dove winds its way, rolling its waters in a somewhat hurried manner over a pebbly bottom".
This was surrounded by precipitous walls of Carboniferous Limestone && bear on their sides huge masses of rock of every whimsical shape that can be imagined, to which the guides gave as many whimsical names" some were: Old Castle, the Seven Sugar Loaves, "it was near here where poor Dean Langton was killed; our guide did not forget to tell the story, & to point out the stone on which his dead body was laid out, as well as the bush which caught his daughters hair".

Other rocks named "Dove Dale Church & 12 Apostles" Reynards Hall & Kitchen "very steep & scrambling work to get at them" and Lions Head, Lion's Den, Sword Rock, Snuffbox and Captain's Hole, and so on. He liked "The Straits" where the mountains narrow where there are sometimes stepping stones to cross the river.

Halfway up the Dale they met the party who had offered him a seat in their car, one gentleman was disappointed by what he had seen. "My guide seemed much mortified at hearing this, & in rather an indignant tone whispered to me - she was sure that the man was an American, - was much amused by her test of a Yankee". He then went on to Bunster Dale and across the fields to Ilam in Staffordshire "a small ancient village" here two subterranean streams suddenly rise in the pleasure grounds of a Mr Port "the grounds and gardens belonging to this gentleman abound in pleasing walks & commanding prospects, on which account they are always open to the strangers who are admitted to them gratis & without paying any fee to the person who shows them" the attractions included caves and an old secluded grotto that used to be the favourite retreat of the poet William Congrave, and, in which he wrote his "Comedy of the Old Batchelor", about the year 1693.

Jenyns went to Ilam Church "a neat building - the tower covered with ivy" inside he saw the monuments to the Cromwell family, and in a little chapel to the N. of the chancel a "very splendid one of modern date in statuary marble to the memory of a Mr David Pike Watts, who is represented lying on a sofa reading the Bible to his wife & 3 children standing by the side :- executed by Chantry ... in this chapel is a very remarkable echo". He walked back to Ashborne by the road, noting that their were no stiles here but "two upright stones from 3 to 4 feet high are erected, leaving a slit between them which a man of any moderate size finds considerable difficulty in squeezing thro'"

Jenyns was of a very slim build, so if he had problems... In the evening he visited the church at Ashborne and was struck by a white marble memorial by Banks, to the six year old daughter of Sir Brooke Boothby who died in 1791 "perhaps the most beautiful & interesting thing of the kind in England".

[Boothby was a minor poet whose literary circle at Litchfield included Dr.Darwin. The daughter was Penelope who by some accounts was four when she died.]

7th August 1830 (Saturday)

He walked back the 19 miles to Derby, enjoying the views all the way, everything here was made of stone, walls, gateposts, cottages, and barns "a proof of its abundance". He dined at Belper "a town chiefly noted for its extensive cotton mills, belonging to the Messrs. Strutt, in which between 1200& 1300 find daily employment:- the noise of the machinery at work heard all over the place, - sounding like a hard rain. Very elegant church. Walked to Derby in the evening ;- 8 miles further... was glad to find the town in a more quiet state than when I left it".

9th August 1830 (Monday)

"Forenoon wet; - visited Hall's sparworks:- after which weather being more fair, walked to Little Chester, a small village.. about half a mile from Derby, supposed to have been formerly a Roman station... noted two buildings that appeared to be of great antiquity". In the afternoon he went the other way, sauntering "as far as Swarkeston Bridge, remarkable for its great length, said to be more than three quarters of a mile: It crosses the Trent & a number of low meadows adjoining, - & is in fact a raised road upon arches, more than a bridge".

10th August 1830 (Tuesday)

"Went to Kedleston House, the celebrated seat of Lord Scarsdale - about 3 miles N.W. of Derby; - a splendid mansion, with very costly apartments, in which are a fine collection of pictures, well worth being seen: the house stands in a noble park, 7 miles in circumference It is open to the public every day excepting Sundays between the hours of 11 & 2."

11th August 1830 (Wednesday)

He set off on foot for Matlock a distance of 17 miles, and passed through Duffield "in which there appeared to be extensive manufactories of different kinds", he was told of a small coal mine about three miles to the east, that produced small coal provincially called "Slack used in the manufactories" any large pieces used domestically. "Great numbers of carts and waggons are constantly met with by the traveller in every part of Derbyshire - laden with these immense flakes of coal which are piled up on one another & present a singular appearance to the eye of a stranger; - in consequence of the heavy drey for the horses on these sandy & very uneven roads, - the waggons are all provided with a stock of anti-attrition grease. kept in cow's horn that may be seen hanging from the side of the carriage:- drivers obliged frequently to stop & apply the mixture to the parts of the vehicle which suffer most from friction"

The rich pasture land was let for from 5 to 7 pounds per acre "an enormous rental for the times. Nothing can be more interesting than the road from Belper to Matlock; scenery of the most engaging description, & becoming more & more beautiful as one approaches the latter place. Reached Matlock about 4 in the afternoon & took up my quarters at the Old Bath Hotel".

12th August 1830 (Thursday)

Matlock was "greatly to my taste and liking, whatever others may think of it". At Matlock Bath he admired the "craggy precipices & cliffs of limestone" he found the place with its winding walks that wind through the woods most romantic "they are kept neat for the accommodation of the public :- these are termed the "Lovers Walks" [view from bridge to the Lovers Walks]. On he went to Matlock Village where he was struck by the appearance & position of the church, which stands on the verge of a precipice & is beautifully decorated with trees". He climbed up a hill called "Riber" where two years before some stones that were supposed to have been Drudical had been removed.



He returned to the "walks" collecting plants and then crossed the river to Matlock Bridge Gate and took the road to the opposite end of the valley, passing the New Bath Hotel "which with the one where I was staying are the only Inns of any note in the place:- Beyond this is a large Cotton Mill belonging to Mr Arkwright, & a little further on - Willersley Castle the residence of that gentleman, who allows his grounds & gardens to be open to the public twice a week, tho' the house itself is not shown" he liked the gardens with its many views "particularly that from the terrace before the Castle".

The fruit gardens impressed Jenyns especially the trained gooseberry bushes on walls without any leading branches "one or two of the lateral shoots had reached the enormous length of 39 feet, & shewed an abundance of fine flavoured fruit". The gardner took him to some "lofty eminences" named Hay Tor, Wild Cat Tor or Lover's Leap" from which "the most beautiful prospects present themselves" of the Dale and the river below. On his return he went to look at the wooded passage "blasted with gunpowder" into the limestone called "Scarthin Nick"

13th August 1830 (Friday)

He began the day looking at the petrifying wells at Matlock Bath. Considerable amounts of money were taken by the owners of these baths by charging entrance, but Jenyns wasn't impressed "the water contains a good deal of lime in solution which is deposited gradually on any substance exposed to its influence; - these therefore are only cases of incrustation & not petrifaction properly so called", it took nine months to cover an item with the "stony matter". Jenyns then went to see the "different museums in the place, for the exhibition &sale of minerals & fancy articles in spar and marble; of these the principal belongs to Mr Mawe & is well worth seeing" all the exhibitions were without admission charges or they would be "not likely to attract many visitors". He went up the steps at the back of the Old Bath Hotel to see the Dungeon Tor and Fluor Cavern "places possessing no great interest, tho' much fuss is made about them by the proprietors: indeed the same remark is applicable to most of the other lions of this nature in Matlock".

Dungeon Tor turned out to be a small pile of rocks stacked up in a romantic nature and shaded by trees, this was kept "ridiculously locked" up behind railings so that an entrance charge could be taken. On his way to Fluor Cavern on wet rocks "dripping with Jungermanniae" he found the "Helix alliaria of Miller, which I had long wished to see" it had a strong odour of garlic, he also found other snails.

Fluor Cavern "is a natural excavation in the ground of no great dimensions - whose sides are chiefly formed by crystalized spar". He went a little up the hill to the Speedwell Mine "into which I descended: depth not great, only 50 yards" and only recently worked, he saw narrow veins of lead "the chief produce" with spar and barytes.

He walked on up to the top of Masson Hill [alt. 1076 feet] enjoyed the view and collected plants, then took the footpath to Matlock Bridge "a pleasing walk over much broken & rocky ground, interspersed here& there with wood",and collected some more plants. He crossed the river and went to the top of High Tor "a remarkably bold & prominent limestone rock which is said to rise 400 feet above the Derwent"

Jenyns set geologising the face "the upper part is the First Limestone of Geologists; - &that part of the precipice that is covered with trees, is the First Toadstone; the rock hence to the river, is the Second Limestone; I found this rock very hard & with great difficulty yielding to the hammer; it was white and approaching to crystalline".

At the top more plants caught his attention then made his way back across fields, then via a steep hollow lane to Cromford and on to Bonsal Dale. This he found delightful "the road winds by the side of a broad stream on which are a succession of little cascades; beyond it are high rocks & steep declivities covered with wood & mantling foliage of every description". He sauntered on to Bonsal then returned enjoying every step, to Cromford, and entered Matlock Dale by Scarthen Nick and so to home.

14th August 1830 (Saturday)

The morning was spent inspecting the medicinal springs, the one at the back of the Old Bath Hotel was in a cave or grotto, where the water rushed out into a basin beneath. The water temperature was 68øF., that of the grotto 64øF. and outside 62øF. He then spent two or three hours rambling and collecting plants in the Lover's Walks "amid the deep shade of this romantic retreat", after crossing the river he walked up the Heights of Abraham, a ziz-zag path, through plantations of trees with "grand views of Matlock Dale". About half way up he went in Rutland Cavern and went through a long narrow passage before it opened out, in all about 100 yards long. In the limestone he saw "toadstone, galena, & crystals of Carbonate of Lime". At the far end was a small pool with a few fish put there by the owner a some months before "they appeared to thrive, tho' it was not easy to say how they supported themselves; we observed they rose greedily to catch at the tallow droppings from our candles".

He left the Cavern and went further up the "Heights" gathering plants as he went until he reached Masson Hill for a second time. From the summit he took the footpath to the village of Bonsal and then the bridle road to Cromford "which is on higher ground than the regular road". It was market day at Cromford where there were a set up many stalls selling nails.

15th August 1830 (Sunday)

Sunday meant church, he chose divine service in Cromford Chapel" a small neat building started by Sir R.Arkwright and completed by his son. "Cromford, being only a Hamlet annexed to Wirksworth, has no parish church of its own or burial ground. - Yet it is said to contain near 1200 inhabitants".

16th August 1830 (Monday)

Leaving Matlock behind he headed for Bakewell, stopping at the village of Darley "pleasantly situated on the banks of the Derwent" he admired the enormous yew in the churchyard "said to be the oldest and largest in the kingdom. - Stopped to contemplate this venerable tree for a considerable time, which measures in girth 33 feet. - Darley Church appears very ancient:- Copied the following epitaph from one of the gravestones:-

Weep not for us, our parents dear,
We are not dead, but sleepeth here;
Our time is short,- our grief is less,
We are gone hence to happiness.

On the whole a curious specimen of orthography".

In the fields beyond Darley he noticed that beans and wheat were growing together, he had not seen that before!


He liked Haddon Hall, "it is the most perfect specimen of an old Baronial Castle now existing: has not been inhabited for 157 years. yet all the rooms remain just as they were formerly, - with the furniture untouched, & the tapestry still hanging to the walls, over which in one apartment, the ivy grows - having gained an entrance by the broken window.

Was shown a splendid state bed which occupies one of the upper rooms, & is of the richest kind, the drapery & curtains being of dark crimson velvet& covered with embroidery". The outer walls and courts were overrun with moss and lichens, many of these up to ten inches in diameter. He found the place interesting but a "melancholy picture of deserted antiquity, & calls up forcibly to ones mind many solemn reflections upon the silent lapse of time".

After dinner at Bakewell he strolled over to examine the church and churchyard and he admired the "remarkably handsome saxon doorway" at the western end, and the "curious old monuments to the memory of the Vernons and Manners' of Haddon Hall" all at least 200 years old.

To the south-west of the church was an antiquated tomb, he copied the "whimsical epitaph; - but time will probably soon efface the characters which are now only to be read with great difficulty"

Know Posterity, that on the 8th of April in the year of grace 1757, the rambling remains of John Dale were, in his 86th year of his Pilgrimage, laid upon his two wives. -

This thing in life might raise some jealousie,
Here all three together lovingly;
But from embraces here, - no pleasure flows,
alike are here all human joys & woes;
Here Sarah's chiding, - John no longer hears,
And old John's rambling - Sarah no more fears,
A period's come to all their toylsome lives,
The good man's quiet; - still are both his wives.

The night was spent at the "one excellent Inn, the Rutland Arms" a resort for anglers as the Inn had fishing privileges over the river Wye and its Trout fishing, the Inn was filled with "rods & tackle, and a thumbed and dog's eared Izaak Walton [1593 - 1683, The Compleat Angler] is to be found in most of the rooms".

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