Video - The High Sheriff Of Derbyshire
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2025 Film documentary: 30 mins) A day in the life of the High Sheriff of Derbyshire, Sir Richard FitzHerbert Bt. A film by David Thornton, who follows the Hight Sheriff over 12 hours from 8.00am in the morning until late. Filmed in October 2025.
Locations include Kedleston Hall, Tissington Hall, Osmaston Park, Ashbourne, and Tissington Village.
Sir Richard is honoured to be the latest member of this ancient Derbyshire Family to hold the position of High Sheriff of the County, Having been born in Derby in 1963.
Sir Richard inherited Tissington Hall and the 2000 acre Tissington Estate from his late Uncle in 1989 at the age of 25 and has been trying to restore it ever since despite the difficulties of local planning authorities and heritage legislation. With his wife Fiona they took the Village Tearooms back in hand and now run it successfully catering for groups and visitors .Tissington Hall was built by his ancestor in 1609 and has been lived in by the FitzHerbert family ever since. The Hall now hosts over 50 weddings per annum and the Estate boasts a number of holiday lets with easy access to the surrounding Peak District landscape as well as nearby cycle trails.
Sir Richard chairs the Tissington Well Dressing Committee that organises the annual event when locals dress the six natural wells in the village that never dry up (even in times of drought and plague). Dressed with floral patterns usually depicting biblical scenes the week draws 35,000 visitors annually to Tissington that some have called ‘the prettiest village in Derbyshire’. The event is a proud display of community cohesion and is enjoyed by many both from home and abroad.
For the last 25 years Sir Richard has written a monthly column on Derbyshire issues for the local magazine’ Derbyshire Life’. He is married to Fiona and they have four children, fourdogs, and two cats called Lunar and Raffie ( the latter named after one of the paintings in the Grade II* listed building) but is always looking to expand their tribe.
Alongside his stately home opening operations, Sir Richard is also the Chair of the Peak District & Derbyshire LVEP (Local Visitor Economic partnership) more commonly known as the local Tourist Board; a former Board Member of EMT (East Midlands Tourism) and a former Board member of Historic Houses Association (the HHA being the Union of the Larger Country Houses independently owned in the country). Sir Richard is also a past President of Derbyshire Scouts and past President of Foundation Derbyshire.