title banner for Derbyshire UK - Derbyshire and Peak District GuideTutbury in Staffordshire




  




Tutbury

Tutbury is a small town situated just over the Derbyshire border in Staffordshire, about 2 miles off the main Derby to Uttoxeter road. Tutbury is famous for its cut glass crystal and its castle. It has a wide main street, with its nice blend of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings, now designated a conservation area.

Tutbury has a number of antique and craft shops and several pubs including the 14th century Dog and Partridge Hotel. Once the town house of the Curzons of Kedleston, most of what we see now of Dog and Partridge Hotel dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, with 18th-century additions. It was once a coaching stop on the fast route from London to Liverpool. The Vine, the New Inn and the Leopard are other popular town centre inns.



Tutbury castle
Tutbury castle
Tutbury church
Tutbury church


The 12th century castle is perched above Tutbury and was one of the several places where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned. The following century it was a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War, though much reduced by Cromwellian canons. It is open to the public at certain times of the year. It was closed when we visited in mid march, as were many of the pubs and the museum. During the summer there are guided tours of the village available.

Below the castle is the enchanting Parish Church of St Mary, dating from 1080, but partly restored by Victorian architect G.E.Street. It has a beautiful Norman archway and fine pillars and arches.

The annual Tutbury Music Festival keeps alive the minstrel tradition of the town with a mixture of every type of music. At Christmas , a festival closes the main street to traffic and includes a lantern procession from the church. Tutbury also takes part in the national Open Garden sche me.

An interesting 4km circular walk has been devised by Tutbury Civic Society and a downloadable leaflet is available on www.tutbury.org.



Homepage : Disclaimer : Willington : Repton