River Dove

Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes

Récits d’un bourgeois de Valenciennes aka The Chronicle of a Bourgeois of Valenciennes is a vivid 14th-century vernacular chronicle written by an anonymous urban chronicler from Valenciennes in the County of Hainaut. It survives in a manuscript that describes local and regional history from about 1253 to 1366, blending chronology, narrative episodes, and eyewitness-style accounts of political, military, and social events in medieval France, Flanders, and the Low Countries. The work begins with a chronological framework of events affecting Valenciennes and its region under rulers such as King Philip VI of France and the shifting allegiances of local nobility. It includes accounts of conflicts, sieges, diplomatic manoeuvres, and the impact of broader struggles like the Hundred Years’ War on urban life in Hainaut. Written from the perspective of a burgher (bourgeois) rather than a monastery or royal court, the chronicle offers a rare lay viewpoint on high politics and warfare, reflecting how merchants, townspeople, and civic institutions experienced the turbulence of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its narrative style combines straightforward reporting of events with moral and civic observations, making it a valuable source for readers interested in medieval urban society, regional politics, and the lived experience of war and governance in pre-modern Europe.

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River Dove

River Dove is in River Trent.

The River Dove rises on Axe Edge Moor, Derbyshire [Map] after which it travels broadly south past Longnor, Saffordshire [Map], Pilsbury [Map], Hartington, Derbyshire [Map], Milldale, Derbyshire [Map], Thorpe, Derbyshire [Map], just before whic it is joined by the River Manifold, Mapleton, Derbyshire [Map], Mayfield, Staffordshire [Map], Norbury, Derbyshire [Map], Rocester, Staffordshire [Map], Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire [Map] and Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire [Map] before joining the River Trent at Newton Solney, Derbyshire [Map].

Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire [Map] is on the River Dove around four miles upstream of where it joins the River Trent.

Pilsbury [Map] is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle occupying an area of high ground around 160m by 137m overlooking the River Dove commissioned by Henry Ferrers.

One mile north of Rolleston on Dove a bridge [Map] crosses the River Dove which river forms the Staffordshire and Derbyshire border, downstream of Tutbury, Staffordshire and upstream of Newton Solney, Derbyshire [Map] where the River Dove joins the River Trent.

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River Churnet

The River Churnet rises on the moors above Leek, Staffordshire [Map]. It flows through Leek, Staffordshire [Map], Cheddleton, Staffordshire [Map], Froghall, Staffordshire [Map], Oakmoor, Staffordshire [Map], Alton, Staffordshire [Map], past Denstone Hall, Staffordshire [Map], to Rocester, Staffordshire [Map] where it joins the River Dove.

River Manifold

The River Manifold rises on Axe Edge Moor, Derbyshire [Map] after which it travels broadly south past Longnor, Saffordshire [Map], Hulme End, Derbyshire [Map], Ecton, Staffordshire [Map], Thor's Cave, Derbyshire [Map], Beeston Tor, Staffordshire [Map] and Ilam, Staffordshire [Map] at which it joins the River Dove.

River Hamps

The River Hamps rises at Merryton Low, Staffordshire [Map] after which it passes Onecote, Staffordshire [Map], Winkhill, Staffordshire [Map], Waterhouses, Staffordshire [Map] before turning north passing below Soles Hill [Map] to join the River Manifold at Beeston Tor, Staffordshire [Map].

River Tean

The River Tean rises around Cheadle, Staffordshire [Map] from where it flows through Upper Team, Staffordshire [Map] to Uttoxeter, Staffordshire [Map] where it joins the River Dove.