Description: Markeaton Park was originally part of the Markeaton Hall Estate, owned by the Mundy family from 1516. The hall was a brick mansion, built c 1755.
In 1929, the Markeaton Hall and twenty acres of its gardens were given to the Corporation by the Reverend Clarke Maxwell who had inherited the estate from the late Mrs Mundy, on condition that the whole area would be used as a public park and that the mansion would be maintained for cultural purposes, for example a museum or and art gallery. The remaining 180 acres of the park were bought by the Corporation in 1930.
The 'Doomsday Mill' mill pond there, was the site of an early water mill, powered by water from Markeaton Brook, which now forms the source of the man-made Markeaton Lake. This was dug out by crane and manual labour as a means of providing work during the depression of the 1930s.
Later the hall was used by the Army during World War 2 and allowed to fall into disrepair after the war.
The Council had continually neglected the building, which eventually was declared to be unsafe. The council decided to demolish it in 1964, leaving only the Orangery and stable yards.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.
See also image DRBY006032.