Charting the course of the River Derwent

ARTIST Ashley Bryant brings together a collection of his work in Riverside Journey – A Portrait of the Derwent.

He begins by describing the course of the River Derwent which is 66 miles long from its source in the hills of Derbyshire, in the Peak District to its convergence with the River Trent.

It flows through a landscape that ranges from high moorland and steep-sided valleys to the flatter lands near Derby.

Its flow becomes steadier as it crosses a broad floodplain before joining the Trent.

Two of Derby’s oldest sporting clubs, the Derby Rowing Club and the Derwent Rowing Club, use a stretch of water on the outskirts of the city and hold a combined regatta each spring.

There is much historical information included about the mill at Belper, about the old silk mill in Derby, built in 1702, which was powered by the waters of the River Derwent and about Derby’s former cattle market, frequented by farmers.

One portrait, painted on a spring day, shows St Mary’s Bridge in Derby. Built in the 13th century, its structure included a chapel. This was used by travellers to pay their devotion when crossing the river.

For several centuries it was the only bridge in the town (now city) of Derby.

The paintings and sketches show the river in all seasons, in spring as at St Mary’s Bridge, in summer, in autumn as seen at a rural spot between the village of Draycott and Church Wilme, and in deepest winter with the river banks covered with snow.

Maps on a double page of the inside of the front cover and the page facing, and in the same form at the back, show the location of each illustration.

I found this book particularly appealing because of all the portraits of wildlife, of the flora and fauna to be seen along the banks of the river.

There are also interesting descriptions, such as that of the night which the author spent badger watching, and equally interesting are his observations of all that happens along a river bank which can be seen by boaters and walkers.

Riverside Journey, A Portrait of the Derwent, by Ashley Bryant (Hardback, 96 pages, £33.25) is available from publisher the Lutterworth Press, www. lutterworth.com

ISBN: 9780718830137