Swadlincote: Ceramic History, Parks and Mining

Ceramic history, parks, archival collections and a walking festival offer different ways to explore Swadlincote. If you’re looking for a hotel, it helps to consider what interests you most during your stay: collections and the history of technology, nature, a particular leisure activity or guided walks. Each of the following topics offers a different focus.

Ceramics and the History of Technology

Sharpe’s Pottery Museum showcases collections ranging from toilets and teapots to tiles and Toby jugs. Sharpe’s Pottery was founded in 1821. In 1855, Edmund Sharpe patented a variation on the flushing rim for water closets. These dates refer to different things: the founding of the pottery and a later technical patent. The subject of ceramics can therefore be explored through both the variety of objects in the museum and a specific development in the history of sanitary technology. If you’re particularly interested in inventions, the patent story offers a distinct perspective alongside the collection.

Parks with Different Highlights

Swadlincote Woodlands is an 80-acre park with 40,000 trees. It also has ponds and meadows, where and around which a wide variety of plants and animals can be found. In contrast to parks that offer specific leisure activities, the focus here is on trees, water and meadows. If nature and landscapes are part of your travel plans, you can make these features your focus when visiting the park.

Eureka Park has an 18-hole mini golf course. The park dates back to the 1920s and is named after a coal seam that runs beneath it. Here, a specific leisure activity and the origin of the name go hand in hand. You can explore the park for its mini golf or find out more about its connection to coal.

Cadley Park has a pump track. It was built on the site of the former Cadley Hill Colliery, which was founded in 1861. The pump track is a particular draw for cycling enthusiasts; the former colliery also gives the site a historical connection to mining. Unlike at Eureka Park, this connection comes from the site’s former use, not the origin of a park name.

Archival Collections and Personal Remembrance

The Magic Attic Archives holds newspapers, photographs, maps, artefacts and family history material from South Derbyshire and surrounding areas. The collection brings together different types of material focused on the region and family history. Groups can visit the archive on a guided tour by prior arrangement. If you’re planning a group visit, arrange it before your trip.

Maurice Lea Memorial Park was given to the district by local businessman Herbert Lea in memory of his son Maurice. Maurice fell in France during the First World War. This memorial is therefore rooted in a specific family story. That distinguishes it from the historical connections to pottery and coal found in the other topics.

Plan a Visit Around the Walking Festival

The National Forest Walking Festival takes place every year and features more than 80 guided walks. Dates and the programme vary from year to year. If you’d like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates and current programme in advance.

Discover more destinations: Peak Forest, Whitwell, Breadsall, Eyam, Hardstoft, Marston, Grassmoor, Hayfield

For the wider travel guide: Derbyshire.