It used to be a tradition for the population of towns and villages to walk around the boundaries of their parish every decade or so. Records were kept and some have survived to the present day. I (David) have details of three such perambulations for Baslow for 1614, 1625 and 1721. The first two have been copied, probably in the 1920s, from “Documents lent by Mr Cockerton”. He was a well respected local solicitor with a keen interest in local history. The third appeared in a Sheffield Clarion Ramblers' Handbook (? Date) with the comments by G.H.B. Ward.

When retyping the documents, I have kept to the spelling in my copies. I cannot know whether these were a faithful copy of the original.

Perambulation 1614	Perambulation 1625	Perambulation 1721
Names in 1614	Names in 1625	Names in 1721

A perambulation of my Manor of Baslow taken by me Sir George Manners knight in the sight of my Tennants the 12th July 1614

A perambulation of my mannor of Bubnell our beginning is at Bagsmithies and soon by Lao (or Low or Loco?) Bromley and then to the petition of Bubnell from Calver and Hassop and so to the Ground of Robert Lees called wheatlands land head from thence to the Toost where it parts from Mr. Eyre's Toost and so to Rymass where it parts Burchills and Bubnell and then to Moore Bank parting Bubnell and Baslow -feild.

The names of those that want the boundary with me. (1614)

The Boundary of Baslow as it was gone the 18th October 1625 by fourty of the most ancientest prishoners.

From Beastley gate up after Chatsworth Parke wall to the Topp of the Moor and so along to a little above Oakeley pipps to a stone that hath a cross on it whear Beely Lordshipp meets with Baslow and from thence directly to Humberly well where lyeth a stone that hath a cross on it from thence down Humberly well seicht to the three brooks which wee crossed and so up by the smilting brook Als Meadow brook past the lower end of which is a stone with a crosse on it to the South end of Lease ferm to a cross called Weaverly Crosse and so up to the midle of Lease ferm to Blackebrooke Head and so down Blackebrooke to Barbrook and so up Barbrook to Santers ford from Santers ford Southwest to hurkins Stone from thence Highwest to Windlow Well and so down the Green seicht to the further Haybrook where is a stone crossed and so along the haybrook to the River Darwin and along after the East Side of the said river to Bagsmithies pool and so over the said River up along the River Bank to a Spring in Bagsmithies Issuing out of a Ditch on wall side parting Bagsmithies and Bramley and so up after Bramley fence to Backdale head and so over the way to the meeting of the two fences that enclose Bubnell Dale and Backdale and so along Bubnell Dale Topp to the Boale Edge and along an old ditch over the Boale Edge to Hassop Toost Corner from the West corner along after the highway fence and so after the fence that parts Bubnell Toost and Hassop Toost down the Brook Rymass and so along the Brook Rymass to the River Darwin and so over Darwin and after the Bank in the Close called the Woeford Close and so to Old Darwin and after Old Darwin to Barbrook and over Barbrook to Beastley Gate.

* = not definitely placed

July the 18th 1721

The bounds, and Limitts, of the Mannor of Baslow belonging to His Grace, the Duke of Rutland; gone this day; by the persons whose Names are hereunto Subscribed, and many others.

We begin at Rimas Bridge, marked, M+B, so to Besley Yate; From thence to the top of Dobb Edge. From thence to Souter (or Soutar?) Stone in Chattsworth Parke. From thence to the South East corner of Chattsworth Parke wall. From thence to a Stone on the Moore marked M B. Computed to be about 150 Yards from the aforesaid Corner. From thence, to Humberley well, and a Stone, marked M_xB. From thence, to Humberley Bottam Stone, marked ^xB. From thence, to the meeting of three brookes, viz. Humberley, Stone Lowe, and Mill Stone brookes: From thence, to Stone Lowe Brooke Stone, marked M B. From thence to Lambers Lowe Stone, marked MB. From thence, to black Lache bridge, the nearer Stone marked, M. From thence, to Wibbersley Cross, marked +M+B and so leading through the middle of Lease fen. From thence, to the Upper black brooke Stone, marked M. From thence, to the Nether black brooke Stone, marked B. From thence, to Stone bridge marked ^xMB. From thence, to Sandy ford Cross, als Lady Cross. From thence to the Herklin Stone, marked on the North end, ^xMB. From thence, to Wingley hook Well, and Stone marked, M^xB. From thence, to Haywood brooke, Thence to the River Derwent, following the aforesaid brooke.

That in the former procession, the Stone called Carbrooke Stone, is wanting, being on the East End of Deadshaw.

The letters O H O R X V and P are the marks of illiterates.

This boundary does not include Bubnell.

Rimas Bridge is most probably the older crossing over Rimas brook between Baslow and Pilsley - on the Sheffield to Bakewell bridle road which came from Holmesfield, Lidgate, across Saltersitch and Long Causeway, down Barbrook side, on the moor flat past Eagle Stone, to Baslow Bar Road; Baslow, Pilsley, and Ball Cross.

Besley Yate, from an older boundary, should be Beastley Gate - the cattle road to the common.

Dobb Edge is to the East (and left) on entering the Baslow gates of Chatsworth Park. A bridle road pole guid appears to have been fixed on the top of this anciently quarried edge. The bridle way trenches below the North end of this Edge are exceedingly fine and deep. Dobb may mean the haunt of the imps - dobbies, or brownies, or, possible, a personal name.

The S.E. corner of the Park in 1721 was near to-day's Parkgate Farm once The Horns Inn on the “Halifax Gate” bridle way - see paragraph above. The Baslow end of Chatsworth Park (and gate) was not obtained until Bakewell Enclosure Act of 1823 and Award of 10th March 1826.

Souter (or Soutar?) Stone I have not traced.

Humberley Well is the spring source of this peat moor brook - from whence proceeds the drain which feeds the Swiss Lake. Umber is brown earthy mineral used as pigment - raddle? - and “umbra,” a shadow.

Millstone Brooke to-day is Blackleach Brook - leading to Clod Hall Farm and the newer Blacklache Bridge is beside it - few yards to N.E. There was a “Millstone Road”; which led from the Bole Hill (near Fox Lane junction with Rumbling Street and 200 yards S.W. of the old prominent Cross in the war-felled Shillito Plantation), across Ramsley Moor, and Big Moor, beyond Barbrook, and across towards Stanage or Millstone Edge. I have copied a sketch plan of about 1815, but it is so out of proportion that one cannot separate the Millstone Road from the later made connections, now commonly called the “Duke's Drives”.

Lambers Lowe is presumably between Stone Low and Clod Hall Farm.

Stone Lowe Brook is now wrongly named Wadshelf Brook. Wadshelf is on the other (E) side of the water-shed. Stone Low tumulus (urns found) is between the confluence of Black Leach and Wadshelf Brooks.

Leash Fen is well known, and, from Wibbersley Cross, 200 yards N.N.W. of the present “Black Lache” bridge (then a Chesterfield-Tideswell bridle road bridge) the boundary follows the central fen dram - going N.N.W. past this Cross.

Upper and Nether Black brooke is, to-day, Blake Brook, joining Barbrook just N. of the junction of Clod Hall lane with the Sheffield-Baslow road. Blake and Black have similar meanings.

Stone Bride may be the older bridle bridge which once crossed Barbrook at its Easternmost bend on the ancient way from Sheffield and Holmesfield (via Lidgate) to Bakewell. See Rimas Bridge paragraph.

Sandyford Cross “als” (if alias or also) and Lady Cross are wrong unless (and questionably) a cross once stool near this ford and bridle road crossing.

My conclusions on Stone Bridge and Sandy ford are not made. There may have been two bridges.

Herklin Stone - now “Hurkling” is 1 m N.W, of the most easterly bend of Barbrook, at the south corner of the old wall fence on to-day's Big Moor. Hurkling, variously spelt, is crouching or bending, i.e., hurklin' up ageean t'wall.

Wiinley Hook Well (now Windley Well) is reached from Hurkling Stone by following this latter, southerly, old moor wall, over the Windlow Hill (an old lost name) part of White Edge. It is the spring source of Sallow Sitch - another lost brook name which at the culvert bridge below (S.S.W) the Grouse Inn, is called Haywood Brook and joins the Derwent just below Grindleford Bridge.

The Derwent then forms the parish boundary as far as Rimas Brook.

Carbrooke may be intended for Barbrooke.

Deadshaw is the part of Big Moor south of Hurkling Stone - a small dead wood.

+MB. The letters mean Manor of Baslow, and the “+” is the usual boundary mark on a stone.

Notes by G.H.B. Ward in Sheffield Clarion Ramblers' Handbook

The above information was contributed by David Dalrymple-Smith in January 2005.