Eyam

June 21, 2017.

EYAM, DIPPING STONES, STONEY MIDDLETON, COOMBDALE, BLACK HARRY GATE, CAVENDISH MILL, HOUSLEY, HOME FARM, THE BULLS HEAD AT FOOLOW, LINENDALE, THE MINERS ARMS AT EYAM

Distance: 7-8 miles.

Difficulty: Easy.

Weather: Hot and dry with cloud and sunshine.

Walkers: Mickey Barrett, Colin Davison, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Steve Kemp with Bertie and Archie, Chris Owen, and Jock Rooney with Tip.

Apologies: Peter Beal (narrow-boating), Alastair Cairns (drainage problems), Tom Cunliffe (builders’ visit), George Dearsley (in Turkey), Mark Gibby (in Kent)

Leader: Fairman. Diarist: Hart.

Starting point: Free main public car park in Eyam, Derbyshire.

Starting time: 9.56am. Finishing time: 2.01pm.

On the day of the Summer Solstice we had two more canine debutants and the return of our prodigal sailor. Mickey made it a return to remember with the purchase of a round of drinks to celebrate his 67^th birthday. We wish him many more.

We also welcomed Steve’s two Labradors, black Bertie, and the younger golden coloured Archie. Steve was assisted in their supervision by Lawrie, who is fresh from his Father’s Day “treat” of a walk to the top of Snowden. This was a considerable achievement for a man who turns 82 next month. A walk along Derbyshire’s pretty but modest hills must have seemed tame by comparison.

It came as no surprise to learn that Tom, who had recommended this walk, cried off as is his custom on such occasions. He missed some lovely scenery, two country pubs and a lively political debate between Chris (somewhat to the left of Lenin) and Jock (somewhat to the right of Genghis Khan)

It started from the historical village of Eyam, which famously isolated itself when bubonic plague broke out in 1665. The tragic deaths of entire families has been recorded in previous reports. There are so many sad signs showing visitors where the victims lived and where they were buried that your diarist thought “the plaque village” would be a more appropriate title.

We set off from a footpath at the back of the car park and carried straight on where the footpaths divided (3mins). This brought us through the outskirts of Eyam to Church Street, where we turned left (7mins) and then right into The Lydgate (8mins)

A steady climb took us past The Dipping Stones (19mins), where 352 years ago the villagers had left money in a cleft in the rock filled with antiseptic vinegar. Neighbouring villagers would later leave food in exchange for the sanitised coins.

We dropped downhill to the edge of Stoney Middleton (25mins) and reached the main road opposite The Moon Inn (30mins). We crossed and passed The Moon on our left to climb High Street before turning left into Eaton Fold (33mins)

After taking a path through a wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow we turned left at a wooden gate (38mins) and followed the beaten path through fields passing through a kissing gate (39mins) and a wooden stile on our left (43mins). This brought us across a stream, where the dogs cooled down, to a tarmac road where we turned right to climb up Coombdale.

We stopped at a pair of wooden stiles which marked a crossroads for pies and port (74mins). Chris not only added his own blend of sloe gin but provided slices of chocolate orange for the group. This prompted Lawrie to ask if this counted as two towards his “five a day.”

Resuming we went through a wooden gate (77mins) and turned right soon afterwards at a public bridleway known as Black Harry Gate (78mins).

Black Harry was an 18^th Century highwayman who preyed on merchants travelling between Stoney Middleton and Wardlow.  He was caught at Wardlow Cop by Castleton’s Bow Street Runners. He was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered and his remains were displayed in a gibbet at Wardlow Mires.

The bridleway emerged at a tarmac lane where we turned left (96mins) and passed a sign for Cavendish Mill (100mins) where purple orchids were growing at the roadside next to the industrial buildings. Soon after passing the mill we turned right at a wooden public footpath sign for Housley (105mins).

This took us through a copse and two wooden gates before we reached a main road (123mins). We turned left and then right after 30 yards to follow the sign for Foolow. At a T-junction we turned left again (127mins), passing Home Farm on our right (130mins) and reaching The Bulls Head in front of us (132mins).

We enjoyed £3-60 pints of Golden Eagle and Black Sheep provided by birthday boy Mickey at a bench where we could find shade outside. When your diarist bemoaned the lack of an apostrophe in The Bull’s Head, both on its sign and menus, he was told by the barman that if he had been properly educated he would know an apostrophe was not required !

Suitably refreshed we turned left downhill following a sign for Eyam and Grindleford. We turned right at a wooden public footpath sign (134mins) and attracted the attention of a herd of cattle whose menacing movements were soon put to rout.

We then went through a series of wooden gates and stone step stiles taking us along an easily-defined trodden path through Linendale, where we stopped for lunch on a grassy bank (142mins). Continuing we followed a wooden public footpath sign for Eyam (147mins) which took us through another series of gates, stiles and alleyways until we reached the end of New Close back in the village (168mins)

We turned left into Church Street, passing Eyam Post Office on our right and turned right up Hawkhill Road (169mins) and reached the car park on our right to de-boot (171mins) before driving to the Miners Arms – no apostrophe there either !  No wonder the country is on its knees.

Next week’s walk will start at 9.35am from the car park of The Rose and Crown at Algreave, near Macclesfield. We expect to reach The Wincle Brewery at Danebridge around 12.15pm, returning to The Rose and Crown for further refreshment at about 2.15pm.

Happy wandering !