Derbyshire is a county that lies in the East Midlands of England, just below Yorkshire. It is one the loveliest of the eastern counties of England. A bed and breakfast or self catering stay is one of the best ways to see the attractions and sights of this lovely area. Many bed and breakfast and self catering properties are available in all regions of the county which also contains most of Peak District National Park. The County town is the city of Derby which is now a unitary authority area, so technically separate from the county but it remains part of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. The County has a population of just over 996,000 and covers 2,625 square kilometres.
Geography: Most of the Peak District National Park is in Derbyshire and the northern part also overlaps with the Pennines. It shares borders with Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Cheshire.
History: Derbyshire has been settled by people for a very long time and there are neolithic burial mounds all over the area. The romans were attracted to the area because of the mineral lead that they found in abundance. They settled throughout the county with forts built near Brough in the Hope Valley and near Glossop. Later they settled around Buxton, famed for its warm springs, and set up a fort near. During Saxn times the county formed part of the Kingdom of Mercian and several kings of Mercia are buried in the Repton area. The Danes conquered the region and formed an independent earldom centred on Derby which gave the earldon its name. The West Saxon King Edward, son of Alfred the Great, retook the area from the Danes. Under the Normans much of the county was subject to the forest laws. The fast flowing streams created water power in the seventeenth century and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
Industry: Coal mining was a very important part of the Derbyshire economy until the 1990s but mining has now mostly ceased and much of the industrial pollution and scarring has been eradicated although limestone quarrying still scars some areas. The region is now largely based on mixed agriculture, some heavy industrial engineering and tourism. The landscape varies from arable farming in the flat lands to the south of Derby, to the hill farming of the high moorlands of the southern Pennines, north of Derby city. Derbyshire is rich in natural resources like lead, iron, coal, and Limestone which is quarried to provide the industries of the surrounding towns with lime for building and steel making and cement manufacture.
Tourism: Derbyshire offers many attractions including the spectacular Peak District and many interesting towns and villages such as Bakewell, Buxton, and Derby. There are many castle and fine buildings such as Chatsworth House, the beautiful Dove Dale, and Matlock Bath. In the north of the county, Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs now provide an area used for leisure pursuits like walking and cycling as part of the Peak District National Park.The National Trust has many properties and a lot of land.
Accommodation is not a problem and there are a large number of Bed and Breakfast and self catering properties right across the county, although you should book well in advance if you intend to arrive in one of the more popular destinations such as Derby, in the busy season. These properties range in size from a single room in a house to a 10 to 12 bed establishment in a town centre. Prices also reflect the popularity of the location and can be quite high. In Britain, bed and breakfast and self catering places can be found in every location and they are a lot more personal and friendly than other forms of accommodation.
Tony Lucas has spent many years in the travel and tourism market, has travelled in many parts of the world. He has lectured and worked freelance for many of the major Hotel corporations. He writes extensively on all matters to do with Britain and tourism in the British Isles.
More information on http://www.stayinbritain.co.uk