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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Derbyshire like this:
Derbyshire, midland co. of England, having Yorkshire on the N., Notts on the E., Leicestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire on the S., and Staffordshire and Cheshire on the W.; length, N. and S., 52 miles; greatest breadth, 35 miles; average breadth, 20 miles; area, 658,624 ac.; pop. 461,914. ...
The surface in the S. is either flat or undulating, irregular in the middle and NE., and picturesquely mountainous in the NW. or Peak district. The principal rivers are the Trent, Derwent, Dove, and Wye; river communication is supplemented by the Erewash and Grand Trunk Canals. The road and railway systems are highly developed. The soil in the Vale of the Trent is alluvial and very productive. In the hilly districts the land is mostly in pasture; much of it is rocky and unproductive. Oats, barley, potatoes, and wheat are cultivated; and there are many excellent dairy-farms. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Warm mineral springs are numerous, the most popular being those at Buxton, Matlock, and Bakewell. Coal is abundant; iron ore and lead are worked; among the other mineral products are zinc, manganese, and barytes. There are numerous and extensive quarries of limestone and marble; fluor-spar is found in the caverns, and is manufactured into a great variety of ornamental articles. Silk, cotton, and lace are the chief mfrs., but malting and brewing are also carried on, and there are some extensive iron foundries. The co. comprises 6 hundreds, 314 pars, with parts of 8 others, the parl and mun. bor. of Derby (2 members), and the mun bors. of Chesterfield and Glossop. It is mostly in the diocese of Southwell. For parl. purposes it is divided into 7 divisions, viz., High Peak, North-Eastern, Chesterfield, Western, Mid, South-Eastern, and Southern 1 member for each division.
Vision of Britain presents long-run change by redistricting historical statistics to modern units. However, none of our modern units covers an area close to that of Derbyshire. If you want trends covering a particular location within the county, find it on our historical maps and then select "Tell me more".
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Derbyshire | Map and description for the county, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17464
Date accessed: 24th January 2026
Click here for more detailed advice on finding places within A Vision of Britain through Time, and maybe some references to other places called "Derbyshire".
