39 



<$\x a Cromlrd) form trig atanftuig on 9tlit)tr 

 $tll, iBatlocfc, tn tijc Counts of Eerfrg. 



By Benjamin Bryan. 



LTHOUGH I have not, for a number of years, resided 

 within my native county of Derby, I have constantly 

 availed myself of opportunities of learning all I could 

 about it through the media of such books as I could command. 

 In this way, I have, I daresay, acquired as much information as to 

 points of interest and the antiquities of the county as is possessed 

 by the average Derbyshire man. Nevertheless, it came upon me 

 as a revelation when I read, some two years ago, in the well-illus- 

 trated little " Journey Book of England — Derbyshire," published 

 by Charles Knight and Co., in 1841 (p. 39), that a monument of 

 antiquity of the most interesting kind, situate within the boun- 

 daries of the parish of Matlock, had been thrown down and 

 partially destroyed. 



The passage to which I particularly refer runs as follows : — 

 " Riber, two miles from Matlock, is, or rather was, a spot of 

 considerable interest to the antiquarian. In Bray's ' Tour in 

 Derbyshire," published in 1783, there is a description of a Crom- 

 lech here, which resembled the Logan Stone of Cornwall. These 

 Cromlechs are the vestiges of our remotest British ancestors, and 

 usually consisted of a large stone placed in the manner of a table, 

 but in an inclined position, upon other stones set up on end. 

 They are supposed by some of our antiquarians to be the remains 

 of altars used for idolatrous worship. This monument of super- 

 stition no longer exists, having been broken to build stone fences." 



