Saint Alkmund's Green, Darley Lane, Derby

History

Saint Alkmund

The parish of St. Alkmund has a long and interesting history. Long before its civil functions were absorbed into the town's administration, its history can be traced back hundreds of years to an 8th century Anglo-Saxon saint from whom this parish took its name - Saint Alkmund.

c. 800 AD
Alkmund was the second son of Christian king Alhred (Ealhred) of Northumbria, who reigned for "eight winters" from 765 AD. (1)   In 774, the Northumbrians displaced King Alhred from the royal court at York, and instead chose Ethelred, the son of Mull, for their lord. (2)   Having been deposed, Alhred fled to the land of the Picts in southern Scotland and lived there in exile. While his son Alkmund went south to the kingdom of Mercia. (3)  

Alkmund later returned with his followers, to try and take the Northumbrian throne. However, his expedition was unsuccessful. The 12th century monastic chronicler, Simeon of Durham recorded: - "In 800 Alkmund, as some say the son of King Alhred of Northumberland, was seized by the guards of King Eardwulf and by his order killed along with some of his fellow-fugitives." (4)   To his followers, Alkmund's execution by King Eardwulf made him a martyr.

After his death in 800, Alkmund's princely remains were removed south, probably first to Lilleshall Abbey in modern-day Shropshire - then part of the Mercian kingdom. Reputedly, miracles were worked at his shrine and he was honoured as a saint. Around 1145, his holy relics were ceremoniously brought - or translated - to Northworthy, or, as it is now known, Derby (5) and the Christian minster on the south west of the River Derwent. The minster then took Alkmund's name and would have acquired elevated status. Believed to be capable of working miracles, his tomb became a place of pilgrimage especially for people from Northumbria. (6)

About 100 yards to the north of the site, is a well, whose spring water was said to have legendary curative powers; the saint's body supposedly having been laid to rest there overnight during its translation from Lilleshall to Derby. (7)

This, one might have thought, would be Saint Alkmund's final resting place. But in 1968, when the latter-day church was demolished to make way for the ring road, his ornately-carved, stone sarcophagus was discovered buried under the floor. Save for rubble, the sarcophagus was empty; conceivably the bones having been removed to prevent desecration by the Danes. Thereupon, the holy relic was transferred once more, this time to Derby Museum where it remains to this day. As to whether his saintly miracles have now ceased to be performed, we can only wonder.

Once opened, the stretch of dual carriageway which cut through the ancient site, was named "Saint Alkmund's Way".

* 1797 - Enlightenment artist, Joseph Wright, R. A. died at 28 Queen's Street and was buried in Saint Alkmund's Church.

1828 - 1855 - Darley Lane site utilised as a burial ground for Saint Alkmund's Church. The last burial took place in 1850.

1838 - A. W. Pugin's St Mary's Roman Catholic church built on corner of Bridge Gate and Darley Lane. Parishioner's indignant that tower dominated St Alkmund's. Now a Listed building (Grade II*).

1844 - Saint Alkmund's Church demolished. Local architect, Henry Isaac Stevens, designs new church which obscured view of Saint Mary's church from Queen's Street. The new spire was locally termed "the protestant spite" and several well known families withdrew their subscriptions to the building fund.

* 1932 - Edith Haslam Trust set up in 1932 and its funds used to create a public garden at Darley Lane.

Edith Haslam Trust

Edith Haslam was known throughout the county for her generosity. In 1927 she opened the St. Christopher's Home for Wayfaring Women at North Parade, in Derby - a lodging house for "homeless women under years, irrespective of creed". She attended Breadsall Church and was a committee member of the Queen Victoria Memorial Home of Rest. Edith also championed the conversion of the St Alkmund's old burial ground into a rest garden and playground for children. (8)

On 8th July 1932 the Trust's Finance Committee met to invest £1,000 of its funds. The St Alkmund's Church burial ground, which was derelict and rubbish strewn, was converted into a recreation ground.

31st August, 1932 - St. Alkmund's Garden Opened

On Wednesday 31st August, 1932, Miss Edith Haslam declared open St. Alkmund's Garden before a large company of adults and children, whose gratitude was expressed in presenting Miss Haslam with a bouquet of pink carnations. (9) The opening ceremony was attended by town dignitaries, including the Mayor (Alderman Salisbury), Bishop Abraham - who dedicated the site - the vicar of St. Alkmund's and the Trustees.

The Derby Telegraph reported that by, "7 o'clock on Wednesday evening it was estimated that 423 children were visiting the garden. Then yesterday morning, despite the rain, elderly folk were resting on the forms. In helping to make the garden not merely useful but also beautiful Miss Haslam has followed the principle she employs in St. Christopher's Home ... " (10)

Trust minutes show the ground was well maintained through the 1930s. In 1934 it was expressed that it would be "a scheme that is for all time".

Edith Haslam died on 26th December 1941. The remaining Trustees stated that they would endeavour to carry on the work. However, it is clear that momentum was lost and correspondence reveals railings were removed and by 1945 the grounds were again in a derelict condition. A number of years passed whilst railings remained missing and walls had been vandalised. The Trustees requested the town council replace such and re-instate garden and also take over its maintenance and supervision.

The gardens were re-opened in April 1949, at a ceremony presided over by The Mayor of Derby (Councillor G. F. Warburton). But minutes subsequently reveal that the Trust had difficulty in generating sufficient income to maintain them adequately. Broken glass was used on walls to deter vandalism - unsuccessfully - but it appears that whilst the Trustees fulfilled their legal obligations, little work went into the garden. The trustees regularly sought the 'Diocese' or the Council to take over responsibility.

By 1960, steps were taken to wind up the Trust. Funds remaining in the Trust (approx £1,500) were then transferred to the Diocesian Board "for church restoration purposes". (*).  

* 1958-59 - Spires became dangerous in gales, 20 feet removed and remainder capped.

1967/68 - St Alkmund's Church demolished for inner ring road. Saint Alkmund's sarcophagus discovered and moved to Derby museum. Archealogical work undertaken by Dr. C. A. Raleigh-Radford.

1968-1970 - The remains from 271 graves - including Joseph Wright's - were removed from the Darley Lane burial site, but thought not "to have been thoroughly or sensitively done" (*).   The deceased re-interred at Nottingham Road Cemetery. The cleared graveyard made space for the spill-over playground of St Mary's Primary School. Its re-use was allegedly a cause of ill feeling and antagonism between the two churches.

1970 - Tarmac laid, chain link fence erected along eastern boundary and Leylandii trees planted.

1980s - Loss of fourth major tree at River Street end of playground. Not replaced.

 

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Town Green

2003 - St Mary's Primary School. was planning to re-locate and sell the old school including the playgound. A local resident had ideas of registering the land as a village green to prevent development on the land and to retain the open space for the enjoyment of the local community.

2004 - The primary school's summer term used the playground for the last time before moving away from the area. By September, St. Mary's school had relocated to new premises about a mile or so away at the Broadway.

2006 - Site used as a temporary car park whilst St Mary's Church car park was re-surfaced etc.
New legislation in regard to town or village greens was enacted by Parliament - the Commons Act 2006. By December, a first application to register the land as a common was returned by the Local Authority for further clarification and then resubmitted.

2007 - In November, a second application to register the land was submitted to the Local Authority. In the same month, a car smashed into the boundary wall on the corner of Darley Lane and River Street causing significant damage.

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River Street Community Group

2008 - In January, support to transform the site into a town green or garden was gathering from local people and the three ward councillors. On 14th of April, an initial starter meeting was convened by the council's Neighbourhood Manager, Sarah Dosumnu, and a nucleus of people who wished to drive the project forward. A larger, public meeting met in July attended by Lucy Care, Joan Travis and Julie Basford. It was agreed that local residents should organise themselves formally to enable the council to have a clear line of communication. Subsequently, the group started to organise local community meetings.

In the same year, Derby City Council agreed voluntarily to register the land as a Town and Village Green under the Commons Act.

On Wednesday, 27th August, 2008, the River Street Community Group (RSCG) held its first meeting in Saint Mary's Parish Centre. The committee approved and adopted the organisation's Constitution.

The River Street Community Group soon set to work liasing with council's estates department concerning the boundaries and maintenance work needed before taking on day-to-day community management of the open space. As the land was still the responsibility of the council's education department, a modicum of funding was available out of its budget for some of the work.

2009 - In early spring the damaged wall was repaired on the corner of River St and Darley Lane. In October, a major clean-up on the land was organised by RSCG involving the whole community. The Youth Offending Group gave the group a great deal of regular help.

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Town Green Registration

2010 - For the frist part of the year, the River Street Community Group persistently pressed Derby City Council to complete the voluntary registration of the land so that it would be granted town and village green legal status. The group had, by now, named the open space "Saint Alkmund's Green".

Stephen Meynell, Head of Estates at Derby City Council made the application on 6th June (Application reference DER/VG6).

On 1st July 2010, the application to register the land as a town or village green was determined and approved by the Local Authority. It was officialy entered in the Register of Town and Village Greens on 10th September 2010, in accordance with Commons Act 2006. (A copy of the Official Register can be exmained at the offices of Derby City Council. Town Green Register reference DER/VG/2.) In October, a Grassroots grant from the Derbyshire Community Foundation paid for a "Spaceshaper" event and report by consultants Taylor Young of Cheshire.

2011 - The Spaceshaper workshop event was held on Saturday 2nd July 2011 at St Mary's Hall on Darley Lane. Taylor Young produced a substantial report which is available on request from the River Street Community Group. (*).  

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