International Margaret Cavendish Society Conference

Under Construction

Derbyshire Peak District (Pictured) About 15 miles from the the downtown Sheffield Bus Interchange. Downtown is a tram ride or a longish walk from the conference. The heather will not be in full bloom until August, but the walks are still beautiful. Use First Traveller bus 272 and get off at one or another of various points as you travel towards Castleton. The small town of Hathersage, associated with Jane Eyre, is along the way. You can continue on to Castleton and visit the cave where Jonson's Gypsies Metamorphosed is set. Various caves and mines are open to the public. There are a number of guides to the area, in particular William D. Parke's Derbyshire Walks with Children. Parke gives accurate ratings of the difficulty and duration of the walks and explains how to find trail heads. Walk 15 (Longshaw Estate and Hathersage Moor) begins near the Fox House Inn on the 272 bus route. If there is interest, the conference can provide directions for Walk 15 .

Sheffield Botanical Gardens An easy walk from the conference. This 19th century garden includes a bear pit that is a relic of a bygone age.

Ecclesall Woods There are many ways to get to these woods. One is to ride the 97 or the 98 bus from downtown (City Hall) to Dore Road (about 20 minutes). Find an almost hidden entry to the wood across the street. Look for a small public footpath sign. This wood runs for miles and some of the bluebells may still be in bloom. Includes riding trails and a bird sanctuary. The 97 and 98 each run every 15 minutes until early evening and less frequently thereafter until quite late. For details check with First Traveller.

Chatsworth House About an hour's ride from the Sheffield Bus Interchange, downtown. Much of the Keira Knigtley version of Pride and Prejudice was filmed here. There is also a large and elaborate playground for larger and smaller children, a farm to visit, and a maze. Take the 215 bus from the Sheffield Interchange using First Traveller.

Sheffield Millennium Galleries Downtown, a tram ride or a longish walk from the conference. Includes the Ruskin and Metalwork galleries. Although small, the Ruskin gallery contains a good many pieces of sculpture and various paintings related to Ruskin and his interest in Sheffield. The Metalwork gallery displays concentrate on various sorts of tableware. Do not miss the main Sheffield Art Gallery nearby in the same building as the Public Library. There are some nice early twentieth-century pieces.

Bolsover Castle This, of course, is a home used by Margaret Cavendish after the Restoration. It has beautiful recently restored wall and ceiling paintings. It was the location of an entertainment written by Ben Jonson and performed in the 1630s. If there is enough interest, the conference will arrange for a coach to take participants to Bolsover on the afternoon of 1 July 2007. About an hour from Sheffield by car or bus.