Editing Derbyshire (section)

==History==
{{See also|History of Derbyshire}}
The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited, probably briefly, by humans 200,000 years ago during the Aveley [[interglacial]], as shown by a [[Middle Paleolithic]] [[Acheulean]] hand axe found near [[Hopton, Derbyshire|Hopton]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cockerton |first=R. W. P. |year=1954 |title=A Palaeolith from Hopton |journal=Derbyshire Archaeological Journal |volume=79 |pages=153–155 |doi=10.5284/1066201}}</ref> Further occupation came with the [[Upper Paleolithic]] and [[Neolithic]] periods of the Stone Age when [[Mesolithic]] hunter-gatherers roamed the hilly tundra.<ref>Smith, p. 6.</ref>
Evidence of these nomadic tribes has been found in [[limestone]] caves located on the Nottinghamshire border. Deposits left in the caves date the occupancy at around 12,000 to 7,000 [[Common Era|BCE]].<ref name=pevsner22>Pevsner, p. 22.</ref>

[[File:Arbor low 274167 560a8cc3.jpg|thumb|left|The henge monument at [[Arbor Low]]]]
Burial mounds of Neolithic settlers are also situated throughout the county. These [[chamber tomb|chambered tombs]] were designed for collective burial and are mostly located in the central Derbyshire region.<ref name=pevsner22/> There are tombs at [[Minninglow]] and [[Five Wells]] that date back to between 2000 and 2500 BCE.<ref>Smith, p. 7</ref> 5 kilometres west of [[Youlgreave]] lies the Neolithic [[henge|henge monument]] of [[Arbor Low]], which has been dated to 2500 BCE. It is not until the [[Bronze Age]] that real signs of agriculture and settlement are found in the county. In the moors of the Peak District signs of clearance, arable fields and [[hut circle]]s were found after archaeological investigation. However this area and another settlement at [[Swarkestone]] are all that have been found.<ref name=smith8>Smith, p. 8.</ref>

[[File:Derbia Atlas.jpg|thumb|168x168px|Hand-drawn map of Derbyshire by Christopher Saxton in 1577]]

During the [[Roman conquest of Britain]], the invaders were attracted to Derbyshire for its [[Derbyshire lead mining history|lead ore]] in the limestone hills of the area. They settled throughout the county, with forts built near [[Brough and Shatton|Brough]] in the [[Hope Valley, Derbyshire|Hope Valley]] and [[Ardotalia|near Glossop]]. Later they settled round [[Buxton]], famed for its warm springs, and set up [[Derventio Coritanorum|a fort]] near modern-day [[Derby]] in an area now known as [[Little Chester]].<ref name=smith8/>

Several kings of [[Mercia]] are buried in the [[Repton]] area.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.derbyshireuk.net/repton.html |title=Repton in Derbyshire |access-date=7 January 2008 |work=Derbyshire UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118213555/http://derbyshireuk.net/repton.html |archive-date=18 November 2007 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Following the [[Norman Conquest]], much of the county was subject to the [[Royal forest|forest laws]]. To the northwest was the [[Forest of High Peak]] under the custodianship of [[William Peverel]] and his descendants. The rest of the county was bestowed upon [[Henry de Ferrers]], a part of it becoming [[Duffield Frith]]. In time the whole area was given to the [[Duchy of Lancaster]]. Meanwhile, the [[Forest of East Derbyshire]] covered the whole county to the east of the [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|River Derwent]] from the reign of [[Henry II of England|Henry II]] to that of [[Edward I of England|Edward I]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/ar/research/projects/eastmidsfw/pdfs/26deras.pdf |title=Derbyshire County Council, East Midlands Archaeological Research Framework: Resource Assessment of Medieval Derbyshire |access-date=7 January 2008 |author=Barret, Dave |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228065832/http://www.le.ac.uk/ar/research/projects/eastmidsfw/pdfs/26deras.pdf |archive-date=28 February 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>