26 Facts About Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England.

Varied landscapes within Derbyshire have been formed mainly as a consequence of the underlying geology, but by the way the land has been managed and shaped by human activity.

In contrast, the southern and more lowland half of Derbyshire contains much softer rocks, mainly mudstones and sandstones of Permo-Triassic age, which create gentler, more rolling landscapes with few rock outcrops.

Younger still are the sandstones, shales and coal deposits found on the eastern flank of Derbyshire, forming the coal measures, which are of Westphalian age.

Since 2002, the county flower for Derbyshire has been Jacob's-ladder, a relatively rare species, and characteristic of certain limestone dales in the White Peak.

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Derbyshire contains two endemic vascular plants, found nowhere else in the world: Rubus durescens, a bramble occurring in central Derbyshire, and Derby hawkweed, still known only from Winnats Pass.

Distribution and status of vascular plants in Derbyshire have been recorded over the last 120 years in a series of four major botanical works, each by different authors between 1889 and 2015, all entitled The Flora of Derbyshire.

In 2015 Derbyshire contained 304 vascular plant species now designated as of international, national or local conservation concern, for their rarity or recent declines, and collectively listed as Derbyshire Red Data plants.

Work on recording and publishing a bryophyte flora for Derbyshire still continues: by 2012 a total of 518 bryophyte species had been recorded for the county.

Derbyshire has a mixture of a rural economy in the west, with a former coal-mining economy in the north-east, the Erewash Valley around Ilkeston and in the south around Swadlincote.

Derbyshire is rich in natural mineral resources such as lead, iron, coal, and limestone, which have been exploited over a long period.

Derbyshire has been said to be the home of the Industrial Revolution, and part of the Derwent Valley has been given World Heritage status in acknowledgement of this historic importance.

Nationally famous companies in Derbyshire include Rolls-Royce, one of the world's leading aerospace companies, based since before World War I in Derby, Thorntons just south of Alfreton and Toyota, who have one of the UK's largest car manufacturing plants at Burnaston.

Derbyshire is one of only three counties permitted to make cheese that is labelled as Stilton cheese.

Derbyshire director told the BBC that they had "a surge in interest and consumer sales from the US".

Derbyshire has a three-tier local government since the local government reorganisation in 1974.

Derbyshire has become fractionally smaller during government reorganisation over the years.

However, Derbyshire gained part of the Longdendale valley and Tintwistle from Cheshire in 1974.

Derbyshire has one Football League team, Derby County, which plays in EFL League One, the third tier of English football.

Derbyshire has a cricket team based at the County Cricket Ground.

Town of Ashbourne in Derbyshire is known for its Royal Shrovetide Football, described as a "medieval football game", played annually on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

Derbyshire is host to one of the only community Muggle quidditch teams in the country, known as Derby Union Quidditch Club.

County of Derbyshire has many attractions for tourists and local people.

Notable gardens in Derbyshire include the formal ones in 17th–18th-century French style at Melbourne Hall south of Derby, the listed garden at Renishaw Hall near Eckington, Lea Rhododendron Gardens near Matlock, the Royal Horticultural Society recommended Bluebell Arboretum near Swadlincote, and the extensive gardens at Chatsworth House.

In 2015, BBC Radio Derby commissioned a Derbyshire anthem entitled "Our Derbyshire", including lyrics suggested by its listeners.

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Chatsworth House in Derbyshire is named as one of the estates Elizabeth Bennet visits before arriving at Pemberley.