Library open upstairs on the 1st floor.

Speaker: Robert Mee

A look at the history and use of village lockups – once a common feature in our communities. The talk begins with looking at the background to the subject, concentrating on evidence from Derbyshire and then a look at all known lock ups in the Midlands.

Organised by the Local History Section

Speaker: Colin Merrony

Castleton is a popular tourist destination in north Derbyshire and is well known for Peveril Castle around which the village is believed to have developed from the late 11th century. Fifteen years ago the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the Castleton Historical Society, began to investigate the development of Castleton at first by investigating the site of the medieval hospital by the road between Castleton and Hope. Over the years this project has developed into one exploring the wider landscape of the upper Hope Valley from the Roman period right through to the 19th century. This talk will focus primarily on the discoveries around Castleton, including evidence of settlement there before the arrival of the Normans and the construction of Peveril Castle.

Colin Merrony has worked in the Archaeology Department at the University of Sheffield for the last 35 years and in that time has been involved in many of the University’s projects in the local area. Even though the Department has now disappeared into the new School of History, Philosophy and Digital Humanities, Colin continues to undertake archaeological fieldwork in Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and further afield.

Organised by the Archaeological Research Group